Denim: Timeless Fashion
At first glance, fashion between the 1950s, ‘70s, and ‘80s have little in common, but one similarity is denim. Jeans became a fad of pop culture in the 20th century and started gaining popularity in the 1930s as denim was worn by cowboys in Hollywood movies. For example, actor John Wayne wore Levi’s 501s, which are still sold today. While Hollywood helped with denim’s growth in popularity, it was ultimately the effects of the Great Depression and the start of World War II that changed what Americans needed and wanted in their wardrobe. Middle-class Americans had more leisure time, women started working and found the need for comfortable yet durable clothing, and there was a greater emphasis on women’s sports. These events led to a need for casual clothing that could be worn in different ways on a regular basis. High-end department stores started using blue jean advertisements that focused on California and Hollywood as an American fashion frontier.
It was not until the 1960s when denim became a fashion piece that came in many different styles. Manufacturers started introducing innovative designs such as different colors, embroidery and patch works. Skinny jeans gained some popularity in the 1960s due to their prominence in movies and with singers. The end of the 1960s brought bell bottom jeans that stayed popular into the 1970s with the hippy era and their correlation with peace and love. The punk movement in the 1970s inspired teens to go back to skin tight denim.
Finally, in the 1980s, denim drew attention of fashion designers. Fashion brands such as Calvin Klein and Guess started making denim more accessible to non-working class Americans. Calvin Klein’s line of dirty denim featured faux-stained oily jeans. The grunge look was more popular than ever with consumers favoring frayed, ripped and beat-up jeans. The brand charged more for a pair of dirty denim than a clean, crisp pair of straight jeans. Karl Lagerfield used denim for his first couture collection with Chanel. Designers started providing denim in different washes, such as stonewash. Music and cultural icon including Blondie and Madonna wore denim made by designers during this time which inspired many. By this time, everyone began to wear jeans and they were no longer a revolutionary fashion statement.
In the 90s, it became the most sought after garment. Manufacturers started to use denim fabric for products such as skirts, caps, handbags, and so on. Soon, jeans were all over America and even in the workplace. Americans soon had seven to eight pairs of jeans in their wardrobe, not including denim jackets, skirts, and other varieties. Denim sales skyrocketed and have not slowed down since. However, with its increasing popularity during this time, it is important for styles to continue to evolve and keep up pace with the fast track lifestyle Americans started taking part in.
Denim pants are one of the simplest garments in the fashion world today yet the meaning basic jeans is evolving. Levi’s, Wrangler, and the Gap jeans were all similar in the 1980s. They were straight-legged, five-pocket jeans in 14-ounce indigo denim. Most jeans were stonewashed with a 10-inch rise. Today, leg openings, fabric weight, washes, and rise of the denim vary between style and brand. Basic styles have remained for decades, for example, Levi Strauss & Co. has been selling the 501 since 1890. Now, designers are adjusting their fits and making newer styles available for just one season. A reason for this is the increasing competition in the denim market. At the high-end, designers such as Roberto Cavalli, Karl Lagerfield and Marc Jacobs have added more denim in their collections. Even wedding-dress designers like Badgley Mischka and Michelle Roth have made white gowns with denim. Competition is so high that companies are launching new lines of jeans on a monthly basis. Denim has gone from a staple to a fast fashion item.
Today, denim must be available every style imaginable to satisfy every consumer that is interested in jeans, which is practically everyone. Rises must be offered in low, mid, and high. Washes need to include dark, medium, and light in every color of the rainbow. The shape and fit of the jeans must vary extensively to be comfortable on any diverse body shape. Thanks to denim, men and women everywhere have a way of expressing themselves through the shape, color, and embellishments of the garment while staying comfortable in an article of clothing that is durable and reliable. Denim continues to be prominent in America and other parts of the world and does not seem to be going anywhere, not that consumers will let it.