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Gold was discovered in California in 1849. This resulted in more than eighty thousand Americans rushing to California. The pioneering spirit spread and by 1890, the Wests population reached nearly 17 million. The west became the most racially diverse part of the country.
All were in search of a better life for themselves and their families, seeking what would become known as the American Dream. During this time innovation and creation were prompting remarkable growth in industry. New products that made life more tolerable were spreading to all classes of people. One popular item of clothing that can trace its roots to the Gold Rush is blue jeans. Blue jeans grew out of necessity but they now represent the spirit of the west and the ideals of America.
Blue jeans are seen all across the world as an American symbol, perhaps the ultimate American icon. The best way to understand why blue jeans are revered is to first learn about their history. The history of blue jeans began with Levi Strauss. In 1847 Levi Strauss emigrated from Bavaria, now part of southern Germany, to New York. Once news of the Gold Rush reached New York, Levi Strauss packed up his belongings and headed west. In 1853, Levi Strauss reached San Francisco California, where he officially became an American citizen.
Strauss was not there to search for gold. He moved west to open a branch of the family's dry good business. He did business with many miners and began to understand their needs. A miners foremost need was for stronger clothing, especially pants.
Levi Strauss began making pants, known then as waist overalls. Levi Strauss contacted his family in New York and told them of his new venture. He asked them to order as much canvas as possible. Strauss experimented with all aspects of pant making. He tested different materials and found denim to be the strongest.
He tried many different dyes. He decided on a deep-blue indigo-blue, since it was easy to replicate the shade. With the indigo-blue color and denim fabric combination blue jeans were born. The new pants took on a new name, denim blue jeans. They were tough, reasonably priced, and lasted longer than any pant before. Blue jeans accommodated the lifestyle of the hard-workers such as miners, rancher, farmers, railroad workers, and teachers.
Life out west was tough, work was hard, and days were long. Jeans were not made to be stylish. They were made to be durable. Blue jeans remained a West Coast product until the spread of motion pictures. When film spread across the country in the early 1900 s so did romanticized pictures of the west. Western films portrayed the conquest of the frontier in the name of civilization.
In these films, the plot was almost always about good versus bad. The films usually showed the cowboy riding into a lawless town and restoring order. Typical elements of western films included breathtaking settings and open landscapes. In all the western films, the cowboys wore the same wardrobe, blue jeans and boots. Americans living in the East became enamored with the West. Easterners began traveling west to places like dude ranches to experience the spirit of the Wild West.
Of course, the experience was not complete with out the costume. Thus, blue jeans were purchased for the first time by non-westerners. Blue jeans were no longer just for the hard working miners. People from the East bought them for trips to the West. They brought them back East with them. In the East, blue jeans were not worn often by all.
Schoolchildren, boys in particular were often the only ones wearing them. Parents, especially those of limited means, bought jeans for their children because of their durability. During the 1930 s blue jeans were found all throughout schools. Children grew up wearing blue jeans.
Jeans had become a common article of clothing for a new generation. Blue jeans sales rose at a steady pace after the Great Depression. When World War II broke out restrictions on the use of raw materials, led to a decline in the production of blue jeans. Blue jeans were an indispensable commodity for the war endeavor.
During this time, blue jeans were only available to soldiers. Soldiers wore them about the bases and on leisure excursions. This gave blue jeans their first international exposure. Europeans called blue jeans American Trousers. Blue jeans were not for sale in overseas markets during WWII. The locals often attempted to buy jeans from the American soldiers.
The European people also shopped army surplus stores to find blue jeans. The demand was increasing, but supply was extremely limited. The American Trousers became such a hot commodity that they were sold on the black market. In the aftermath of World War II, freedom and liberation were being experienced for the first time by many European countries. The popularity of all things American spread quickly throughout the region.
Manufacturers began selling blue jeans internationally. Jeans symbolized American freedom. Jeans promoted many of the core values of American democracy. Democratic values like equality, diversity, individual rights, and the pursuit of happiness. Hollywood had a huge effect on the popularity of blue jeans. Western films did a good job show casing blue jeans, but actors had a bigger impact.
James Dean in The Rebel Without a Cause brought fame to blue jeans. James Dean wore blue jeans for his role in this movie. His sex appeal and rough and tough attitude radiated too many. Other popular actors including Marlon Brando and Brigitte Bardot wore blue jeans in movies. With images like these, blue jeans became synonymous with rebelliousness, danger, adventure, and most of all, a generation fighting to break away from conventionality.
In America, as in Europe, jeans were appealing to a wide range of consumers. Jeans became a universal garment. Blue Jeans broke down barriers of discrimination that had separated people of different race, wealth, and religion. All different classes of people wore jeans. Jean manufacturers took advantage of the popularity jeans received.
Jean manufacturers marketed their product as more than work clothes. The 1960 s was a revolutionary decade for blue jeans. Levi Strauss and Company had their first real competitors during this decade. Blue jean manufacturers realized that there was a need to market their products to the public. Advertising was geared towards the post war baby-boomers. Manufacturers introduced new styles of jeans, and changed the look to meet the demands of the fashion trends.
Zippers were used in place of button flies, double knees appeared, and new shades of blue were used. Advertisements offered the first look at the new styles. Blue jeans sales grew drastically. It was once said that blue jeans were being worn everywhere but to church and in bed. Blue jeans experienced a remarkable popularity soar, and underwent a remarkable time of innovation. In 1969, the magazine American Fabrics said, What happened to denim in the last decade is really a capsule of what happened to America.
It has climbed the ladder of taste. # Jeans evolved along side the American people. Jeans paralleled the transformation from a conservative time to a liberal time. Jeans were turned into works of art. People began decorating their jeans in a wide variety of ways. Jeans were decorated with paint, sequins, beads, and embroidery.
The decorated jeans allowed the wearer to express individuality. The decorating craze took hold in the 1970 s. Levi Strauss and Company sponsored a denim art contest in 1973. The winning pants were shown off to the public on an 18 -month tour of American museums. In the 70 s, more styles of jeans were emerging. Bell-bottoms first appeared in 1970.
Until 1970, blue jeans were designed to fit men. That changed in the early 70 s when the first jeans made to fit women were introduced. The popularity of blue jeans allowed Levi Strauss and Company to become the largest clothing maker in the world during 1977. Blue jeans continued to be a popular item through the 1980 s, which is often considered the decade of designer jeans.
Since an increasing number of companies were creating jeans, labels became an important element of the pants. Jeans were fashionable, and worn more for look than for durability. Blue jeans remained a popular item of clothing through out the remainder of the 20 th century, and into the 21 st. Levi Strauss and Companys sales for 2001 were 4. 3 billion dollars. The styles are constantly changing to accommodate the needs and desires of the consumers. Blue jeans were originally created as a uniform for the lower class worker, but they have become a symbol of American ingenuity, ambition, individuality, and success.
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Research essay sample on Blue Jeans The Ultimate American Icon
