Date with Denim

16th Century A sturdy, twill-woven fabric, “serge”, is made in Nîmes, France, by the Andre family. The fabric becomes known as serge de Nîmes, and later shortened to denim.

19th Century Denim trousers are made in Chieri, Italy and become the uniform of choice of Genoese sailors due to its durability.

1873 The first brand of jeans (then known as waist overalls) is created by Levi Strauss and Co.

1901 Dungarees, as jeans were known by then, are issued as the United States Navy’s working uniform.

1935 Levi’s waist overalls for women are featured in Vogue.

1940s Waist overalls are worn by soldiers off duty. However, the production of jeans decreases because of restrictions on material during the war.

1950s Jeans are seen as a sign of rebellion and teenagers are banned from wearing them in schools, theatres and other public places.

1960s The contemporary word of “jeans” is first used, derived from the French word for Genoa, Italy (Gênes), where the first denim trousers were made.

1965 French couple Marithe and Francois Girbaud invent the stonewashing process. They first used pea gravel to get the look, then moved on to pumice stones. The trend hit the big time in 1988, when Guess stonewash jeans were featured on the cover of Vogue.

1970 Elio Fiorucci shows designer jeans in Milan.

Late 1970s Calvin Klein designs jeans tailored to women’s shapes.

1978 America sees designer jeans from Jordache, Gloria Vanderbilt and Sergio Valente.

Late 2000s Jeans are worn casually and for formal occasions. Jeans are seen on runways across the globe.

21st Century Recycled jeans are used as insulation material for homes.

DID YOU KNOW? Tommy Hilfiger bought Marilyn Monroe’s jeans from the 1954 film River of No Return for $42 550 (about R340 000). He later gave them to Britney Spears.