Denim Blue Jeans In The 1940s

1940- In the mid '40s, the Second World War comes to an end, and denim blue jeans, previously worn almost exclusively as work wear, gained new status in the U.S. and Europe. Rugged but relaxed, they "stand for freedom" and a bright future. Sported by both men and women, by returning GI’s and sharp teenagers, they seem as clean and strong as the people who choose to wear them. In Europe, surplus Levi's. are left behind by American armed forces and are available in limited supplies. It's the population's first introduction to the denim legend. Work wear manufacturers try to copy the U.S. originals, but those in the know insist on the real thing.1950- Europe is exposed to a daring new style in music and movies and jeans take on an aura

But the seeds of change have been sown, and by the mid '60s jeans have acquired yet another social connotation-as the uniform of the budding social and sexual revolution. Jeans are the great equalizer, the perfect all-purpose garment for the classless society sought by the hippy generation. In the fight for civil rights, at anti-war demonstrations on the streets of Paris, at sit-ins and love-ins everywhere, the battle cry is heard above a sea of

A backlash surfaces in the form of "destroyed" denim, meant as the ultimate in anti-fashion but instantly a major trend. Riding the extremes of boom and bust, labels flood the market, then retrench as consumers get weary. Acid wash debuts in '86 and revitalizes the scene. In the midst of it all, Levi's launches its "back to basics" campaign. The pedigree of the 501 pleases Yuppies, who want to be seen in exactly the right label, and money-oriented executives find themselves wearing the working man's original