Blue Jeans, the Ultimate American Icon Essay example -- History

Blue Jeans, the Ultimate American persona opulent was discovered in California in 1849. This resulted in more(prenominal) than eighty thousand Americans rushing to California. The pioneering spirit interruption and by 1890, the Wests population reached nearly 17 million. The westerly became the most racially diverse p imposture of the country. All were in take c atomic number 18 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 result in industry. New products that make life more tolerable were ventilation to all classes of people. One everyday gunpoint of clothing that can suck its roots to the Gold Rush is blue jeans. Blue jeans grew out of necessary 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 final 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 Ger numerous, 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 travel west to open a branch of the familys dry close business. He did business with many miners and began to understand their needs. A miners foremost need was for stronger clothing, especially breeches. 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 differ ent dyes. He decided on a deep-blue indigo-blue, since it was easy to reiterate 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 thirster than any pant before. Blue jeans depositd the lifestyle of the hard-workers such as miners, rancher, farmers, squeeze workers, and teachers. Life out west was tough, work was hard, and da... ... 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 70s, 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 70s when the first jeans made to fit women were introduced. The popularity of blue jeans allowed Levi Strauss and smart set to become the largest clothing maker in the world during 1977.Blue jeans continued to be a popular item through the 198 0s, which is often considered the decade of designer jeans. Since an increasing number of companies were creating jeans, labels became an significant 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 20th century, and into the 21st. 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 demean class worker, but they have become a symbol of American ingenuity, ambition, individuality, and success.