Have you ever thought about the buttons on your jeans? There are plenty of things that you don’t know about them…
For many years now, jeans have been a staple in world fashion. That’s probably why it’s difficult to imagine living in a world without them. Almost everyone has a favorite pair, and the formula for making jeans is tried-and-true and surprisingly simple. Since 1873 when Jacob Davis and Levis Strauss first started dying denim clothing and combining it with indigo and sewing it into pants and adding those ever-presents rivets, this fashion staple has taken the world by storm. Rivets are what make the jeans stand out, but there are literally millions of people who have no idea how important they really are.
Are rivets the most impressive or noticeable part of a nicer pair of jeans? That is due in part to the fact that the golden stitching, the 5-pocket design, and the blue, indigo are all that goes into what we could call “jeans.”
However, all of the unique aspects of this design would have all been for not had Levi and Jacob not added rivets to these pants when they were making their prototypes. Their goal was to create the perfect work pants, and that is when rivets became the most important part of the equation.
When these inventors chose denim, they had no idea that this tough, resistant fabric would become part of a design that would literally become the most common pants in the whole entire world. All that Strauss and Davis were trying to do was find a design that could withstand days, weeks, or even months of abuse from working in a farm or a factory.
It was Davis, not Strauss, who discovered that the rivets are literally the most amazing and useful part of the jeans. That is why he tacked those tiny buttons along the top of the seams that appeared to split often.
This might have been a small addition, but it completely changed history. To this day, the rivets ensure that the crucial areas will remain stitched together regardless of what obstacles might come your way.
It seems like these days every part of fashion and every fashion fad is built around the idea that you can easily replace them. Designs will change year after year, but even season after season. Most people have given up trying to keep up with the clothing trends simply due to the fact they don’t have enough disposable income to do monthly shopping.
This has led to an industry that is unsustainable at best. The H&M marketers are literally being forced to burn their clothes because they are not able to sell them fast enough. Inventory might come in, but it is immediately “old stock” on the very first day. However, a lot of people realize that it doesn’t have to be this way, and they are coming back to denim.
The best thing about Jeans is that they go against this entire mindset. They are built to last from all kinds of different materials, and this goes right down to the pattern and style. Most modern jeans will have stretch capabilities built right into them and they are as comfortable as ever. Either way, they are tough as nails and last longer than any other type of pants on the market.
Jeans are still going strong almost 150 years later, and they have this unsung hero called rivets to thank for that. The buttons on your jeans are what create this incredible invention called blue jeans!