September 26, 2011 On the 109th anniversary of Levi Strauss’
death, his chief product—blue jeans—have become a $91 billion
per year industry, an icon of American culture, and quite
possibly the world’s most popular article of clothing. His name,
more than any other, evokes the tough denim fabric and heavy
stitching of America’s favorite pair of pants. But the birth of
blue jeans came under surprising circumstances—and the ancestral
trousers barely resemble the blue jeans of today. It all started
in 1871, when tailor Jacob Davis of Reno, Nevada, had a problem.
The pants he was making for miners weren’t tough enough to stand
up to the conditions in local mines; among other issues, the
pockets and button fly were constantly being torn. “A miner’s
wife came up to Davis and asked him to come up with pants that
could withstand some abuse,” says curator Nancy Davis (no
relation), from the American History Museum. Davis looked at the
metal fasteners he used on harnesses and other objects. “At that
time, he came up wi