Originally created as men’s workwear, jeans are now a fashion must-have around the globe, with women’s jeanswear leading the way in denim trends each season.
Jeans were originally created by Levi Strauss & Co. for working men in 1873, but the category has since seen a dramatic shift with the advent of the first jeans for women. Today, new fits, fabrics and finish innovations are typically first developed to meet women’s needs and tastes and are driven by the demands of the women’s market. In fact, sales of women’s jeans surpassed men’s in 2000, making women the leading consumers of denim in the United States.
To celebrate the 75th anniversary of women’s denim, Levi Strauss & Co. Historian Lynn Downey will host store events in New York on (26 September), Los Angeles (03 October), San Francisco (17 October), and Chicago (24 October) where shoppers can see historical women’s jeans and memorabilia and receive special discounts.
Despite the latest high-tech finishing techniques for women’s jeans, today’s most popular styles – the Boyfriend and Skinny jeans – trace their ancestry back to the earliest jeans developed by Levi Strauss & Co.
Last year, the Boyfriend jean exploded on the fashion scene when trend-setting celebrities were spotted in Los Angeles wearing men’s 501 jeans. Women across America quickly adopted this look, which originated in the early 1900s when women wore men’s 501 jeans because there was no other option. Today, Levi’s Boyfriend jeans for women are one of the most popular styles in the market, offering a relaxed, straight leg and comfortable fit in a range of washes that can be dressed up or down.
Levi’s Skinny fit jeans are another fashion must-have this season. Though the fit was originally created by the Levi’s brand in the 1960s, the jean has been redesigned to offer a more flattering look to women, with a slim leg and fashionable washes.
“The Levi’s brand has a rich heritage of making jeans for fiercely independent and original women – from the pioneering women of the American West who first adopted men’s jeans and inspired the creation of a women’s jeans range, to today's movie icons,” said You Nguyen, Senior Vice President and Creative Director for the Levi’s brand.
“Women have truly embraced jeans and made them the cornerstone of their wardrobes. We are just as focused today as we were in 1934 on creating great fitting jeans that make women feel unstoppable.”
Fourteen years after women won the right to vote nationally, women’s jeans were born in September of 1934 when Levi Strauss & Co. created Lady Levi’s jeans. The line was developed for Western women who had begun wearing men’s Levi’s jeans on ranches and farms, and for women to wear to a popular new vacation destination – dude ranches. Soon afterwards, Levi’s jeans became a popular fashion trend for women on the East Coast and were featured in a 1935 article in Vogue about dude ranching that illustrated two women in Lady Levi’s jeans.
“Levi Strauss & Co.’s decision to create a line of women’s Levi’s jeans was very progressive at the time,” said Lynn Downey, Historian for Levi Strauss & Co.
“Pants still weren’t an acceptable part of a woman’s wardrobe, let alone a style of pants considered to be men’s workwear. The Lady Levi’s line offered forward-thinking women a new sense of freedom – and though this new-found liberation started in the West, it eventually became a nationwide phenomenon.”
Women’s jeans have evolved substantially in the 75 years since Levi Strauss & Co. created the first pair. But at their core, modern women’s jeans trace their lineage back to the earliest pairs. Today’s most popular styles are interpretations of the daring and progressive styles first made popular in the 1930s. And the women who wear jeans today are just as unstoppable as those pioneering women who first donned Lady Levi’s jeans.
Want to see what 24 hours of creative awesomeness look like? Click here.
This news message is supported by The Creative Finder, an online platform for photographers, illustrators, designers, and art directors to promote their portfolios towards new clients and collaborators. Creatives who wish to sign up for an account can save 10% off annual fees with promo code 'designtaxi'.
