In this picture, you can see a coin pocket, rivets and contrasting yarns. Image: Levi's Buy Better, Wear Longer FW2022, via Finally Comunicaciones PR.

Chapter 5. Jeans models, leg shapes and fits

5.1 Models and pipe shape

The classic pair of jeans is the five pocket. This model has five pockets: two front slit pockets and two patch pockets at the back. The fifth pocket is small and is in the right front pocket (pictured above): it is called the coin pocket, or ticket pocket.

The pipe shape may vary.

The jean also comes in different versions apart from the model. Those different versions are the result of different washes and treatments (as we explain in section 3).

5.2 Fits

The way fit is described may vary from brand to brand.

Commonly used terms are:

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Chapter 6. Jeans Sizes

The sizes of jeans are traditionally given in inches. An inch is approximately 2.5 cm. In addition, the waistband width (waist) and the leg length (leg) are indicated.

"The band width indicates the waist of the wearer," explains Mirjam Choufoer, jeans specialist at TMO/Detex. "W28 indicates that the waist of the wearer is 28 inches." Although the waistband width actually depends on the fit. "A low hip (low hip trousers, ed.) has a wider waistband width than what the label indicates," the specialist explains, "but whether you buy a baggy or a slim model, you always buy "your" trouser size."

Chapter 7. Differentiation, pricing and marketing of jeans

Denim brands offer similar models, there is not much difference between them in practice. Whether a classic five-pocket model pair of jeans comes from Levi's, Wrangler, Diesel or G-star, often the only visible details are decorative stitching on the back pocket or the label with the brand name.

With advertising, brands try to create their own image to differentiate themselves from other brands.

Pricing structure

The way of weaving, the washes, the details, the treatments make each pair of jeans unique and contribute to the price structure (as we explain in paragraph 3).

Top brands are more expensive due to higher-quality fabrics and more expensive treatments. An expensive brand of jeans may have undergone as many as 35 different post-treatments, resulting in a high(er) selling price.

"Sometimes 80 hours of workmanship is put into a pair of jeans," the marketing manager at Denham the Jeanmaker told FashionUnited in 2016.

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Chapter 8. Care and maintenance

Jeans generally have a long lifespan.

A pair of jeans can last a long time because they are made of sturdy fabric (see paragraph 2.1 'composition of denim').

Many people find jeans nicer and more comfortable the more often they have been worn. Wear is therefore often not seen as a disadvantage with jeans.

Denim is easy to maintain. Jeans can be washed and ironed hot. But, jeans don't need to be washed often at all. The less often you wash it, the nicer it stays. “When washing, always put jeans in the washing machine inside out and never in the dryer," adds Milene Tjong of Denim City.

Some jeans you'd rather not wash at all. "Selvedge trousers buy unwashed with the intention that you also leave them unwashed. That way your own way of moving in them comes out," Maarten Wols of Groningen denim shop Ebb18 recently told FashionUnited. He recommends wearing the trousers a hundred times before washing them. Because when you wash it, the colour changes. This is called colour loss (see paragraph 3.1 'dyeing' for more information).

It is also recommended to bring raw denim to the dry cleaners to have it cleaned to retain its unworn character.

Stretch trousers also preferably not be washed hotter than 40 degrees because they contain elastomers. Elastomers should not be put in the dryer.

You will probably recognise that jeans feel stiffer after washing. This is because the cotton fibres have absorbed moisture and therefore become slightly shorter. This is called swelling shrinkage. After wearing them for some time, the fabric becomes more supple again.

Chapter 9. How jeans were invented and became a popular garment

The fact that a street scene without denim is now unthinkable is actually quite surprising when you consider that over two hundred years ago, this fabric was seen as the typical fabric for workwear.

"Originally, jeans were intended for prospectors and miners and later as workwear. In the second half of the 20th century, jeans would become the most widely worn garment and permeate all population groups and all parts of the world," according to omniscient Wikipedia on its 'Jeans' page.

9.1 History: from work trousers to everyday jeans

Here's where the name denim and jeans comes from

It begins in 1852. Levi Strauss goes to California (America) to search for gold. When the prospectors complain about the quality of the local trousers, Strauss decides to make copies from the rolls of tarpaulin and canvas he brought for the covered wagons. His trousers soon become in high demand and Strauss runs out of fabric and starts looking for a material suitable for decent work trousers. He then imports a twill from the French city of Nîmes called serge de Nîmes. The term ‘denim’ derives from the French "serge de Nimes", meaning "serge (a sturdy fabric) from Nimes".

At first, another problem is that the pockets of the trousers tear out. Tailor Jacob Davis hammered nails (or actually metal rivets) on the weak spots and in 1873 Strauss and Davis patented the first 'jeans'. That is the start of the Levi & Strauss Co brand as we know it today.

In fact, the first trousers were undyed or light brown. Strauss decides to have the fabric dyed in the same colour as the trousers of the sailors who brought the denim from Genoa. The name ‘jeans’ is believed to have derived from the anglicised word for Genes, the demonym for people from Genoa in Italy. Indigo is used for dyeing (see paragraph 3.1 'dyeing' for more information).

Competitors appear on the market only after 1900, Wrangler (1905) and Lee (1911). Lee introduced the zipped fly instead of buttons in 1920.

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9.2 Fast forward: Jeans after 1950-1960: Denim becomes fashionable

After World War II, the function of jeans changed: the trousers were now seen more as leisure wear (rather than workwear).

Film stars, including Marilyn Monroe and James Dean, were seen sporting jeans - paving the way for a new understanding of denim.

Young people started wearing jeans, also to set themselves off from classic fashion.

After 1960, jeans become common for young people, partly due to the influence of American culture on European culture. (Jeans are in fact mainly seen as an icon of American culture, because the garment originated in the US as we explain in paragraph 9.1)

As we explain in paragraph 9.1, jeans are seen as an icon of American culture.

There is another social development that has a major influence on dressing behaviour: women's emancipation. Girls and women are starting to wear (denim) trousers. Furthermore, the hippie period influenced the success of jeans. Jeans acquire the image of freedom and self-determination and a youthful casual look.

9.3 The popularity of jeans

The jean grew to become one of the most popular and beloved garments. Why? "[A pair of jeans is popular because it is a classless, practical, durable and affordable garment," states Maaike Feitsma in her research on Dutch fashion identity with which she obtained her PhD in Nijmegen in 2014.

This popularity seems borderless. "Globally, the popularity of denim is growing," according to Research and Markets in its report 'Denim Jeans - Global Market Trajectory and Analytics' in January 2023. According to the research firm, the global market value of the denim jeans industry was 64.5 billion US dollars in 2022, and will grow to 95.2 billion US dollars by 2030. "Jeans can be worn on various social and official occasions, and have proven to transcend age and gender barriers. Growing interest in a casual look is driving sales," the July 2022 report said.

A few more denim terms:
Further reading:
Image: Jeans made entirely from post-consumer recycled fibres, developed by Mud Jeans and Saxion University of Applied Sciences. Credit: Mud Jeans and Saxion via Mediatic PR

Sources:

Background
Denim
Fashion Education
Indigo
Jeans