What is design? Let’s take a peek at the world spreading through a small Hatena, or question.
Let’s take a pause and look at all the things, people, and events in our daily lives and society...
It is a laboratory to know, feel, and approach design through a simple question.
This time’s theme
IDEA NO HATENA (How and why of ideas)
Why are jeans blue?
2025.01.07
Here is your solution to a mystery behind the design familiar to us. Let’s take a look at Levi’s® 501® jeans. We asked about the origin of jeans, which have been loved for over 150 years.
It was about 150 years ago that jeans, which have always been popular in the ever-changing fashion world, were born. The creator was Levi Strauss, the founder of the jeans brand Levi’s®.
In 1853, Strauss emigrated from Germany to San Francisco during the Gold Rush. While running a variety store, he listened to people working in gold mines and developed durable work pants.
Moreover, he adopted the idea of tailor Jacob Davis to enhance the durability of the pants by reinforcing easily torn pockets and crotches with metal parts (rivets), and together they obtained a patent. This is how jeans were born.
Since their creation, indigo blue, the iconic color of jeans, has been used. Why was this color was chosen? Why is a design created 150 years ago still loved today? We spoke with Levi’s® Historian Tracey Panek and Chief Product Officer Karyn Hillman.
Why are jeans made blue?
Tracey Panek, Levi Strauss & Co. Historian and Archives Director:
When Levi Strauss & Co. first manufactured riveted denim pants in 1873, they selected blue denim since it had been a traditional workwear fabric. It was tough, hard-wearing and the dark blue color hid stains and dirt. The blue denim could also be sourced in large quantities from mills like the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company in Manchester, New England.
Also, indigo dyed denim was widely available originally as a plant dye and later as a synthetic. The Levi Strauss & Co. Archives has examples of both kinds of indigo blue denim jeans. The term “blue collar” workers is a reference to the blue denim workwear these early workers dressed in.
What is the secret to design longevity?
Karyn Hillman, Levi’s® Chief Product Officer:
The 501® has evolved and adapted over the last 150 years. Since it’s invention in 1873, the 501® has changed in its design, and in its end use, probably upwards of thirty times in its lifetime…it has transcended from being a utilitarian working overall, to a fashion item and ultimately to an everyday uniform adopted by fans in every corner of the cultural landscape, across multiple generations. The design of the 501® has gradually changed over the years while never straying too far from the core tenants. From the denim getting heavier, to the fit getting slimmer, to design detail changes like adding beltloops, to adding a 5th pocket, to hidden rivets on the back pockets, to tweaking the size and shape of the back pockets, the 501® design is always moving forward, adapting and innovating with the times.
Learning about the beauty of the 150-year-old design and its history will make you find your daily wear more special. IDEA NO HATENA explores the universality of designs widely known and loved for a long time.
Courtesy / Source: Levi Straus Japan Co., Ltd. https://www.levi.jp/home History of LEVI’S® https://www.levi.jp/levis-history.html
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Editorial team of the web media “.g Good Design journal.” It is planned and managed jointly by the secretariat office of the GOOD DESIGN AWARD and external members in order to explore new possibilities in design.
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