Eighty years ago, Levi Strauss & Co. took a risk that forever changed the course of women’s fashion. In September 1934, the company introduced “Lady Levi’s® jeans” – the world’s first jeans made exclusively for women. Originally created as men’s workwear, jeans are now a fashion must-have around the globe, with women’s jeanswear leading the way in denim trends each season.
Levi Strauss & Co. originally created jeans for workingmen in 1873, but the category has since seen a dramatic shift with the advent of the first jeans for women. Today, new fits, fabrics and finish innovations are typically first developed to meet women’s needs and tastes and are driven by the demands of the women’s market.
Despite the latest high-tech finishing techniques for women’s jeans, today’s most popular styles – the iconic 501® boyfriend jean and short, innovative Levi’s® Revel™ line, and must-have Skinny – trace their ancestry back to the earliest jeans developed by Levi Strauss & Co.
Inspired by the jean that started it all, the Levi’s® 501® short and jean have been loved by generations of style icons, subtly evolving for each new decade of influencers.
THE DENIM TIMELINE
Pre-1934: Women in the West began wearing their husbands’ or brothers’ Levi’s® 501® jeans, the original blue jeans first created in 1873. These pants were sturdy enough to handle the rough life of a rancher. These original Levi’s® 501® jeans worn by women foreshadow the current “Boyfriend” jeans popular today.
1934: The first pair of women’s Lady Levi’s® jeans are created. Assigned lot number 701 to distinguish them from men’s jeans (Lot 501), the original pairs were aimed at women working on ranches and sold in several Western states.
1930s &1940s: Sales of women’s jeans begin to take off due to the growing popularity of dude ranches. High-end department stores Best & Co. and H. Kauffman & Sons Saddlery Company carried Levi’s® jeans to meet this new demand.
1950s: Lady Levi’s® jeans are sold throughout the United States alongside men’s Levi’s® 501® jeans and the classic denim jacket. Women’s jeans also switched from button-fly to zipper.
1960s: Amid a tumultuous cultural revolution, denim becomes a staple in women’s wardrobes. Jeans become an icon of rebellion that’s adopted by both men and women. The brand introduces a slimmer fitting jean –the precursor to the modern Skinny jean.Stretch women’s jeans became popular among teenage girls.
1970s: Levi’s® women’s jeans range offers a variety fashion fits, including the “full” and “straight” leg jeans, and the “jean cuffs.” Flares and bell-bottoms also become popular styles.
1980s: The Levi’s® brand introduces the famous 501® jeans for women in 1981. The brand introduces stonewashing to women’s jeans just two years later in 1983.
1990s: TheLevi’s® brand offers a series of premium denim and continues to make a wide range of jeans – including the 501®, 550™, 512™ Slim fits.
2002: The Levi’s® brand launches Super Low jeans for women, driving the trend to new heights.
2010: The Levi’s® brand sets a new standard for fit with the launch of Levi’s® Curve ID.
2013: The Levi’s brand launches Levi’s® Revel™ jeans–an innovative line offering patent-pending shaping technology, cutting-edge design techniques, all in an engineered fit that helps women look and feel their best everyday.
Today: Celebrating 80 years of denim leadership,the Levi’s® brand remains the top seller of women’s jeans worldwide and continues to offer the hottest styles for the holiday season including the innovative Levi’s® Revel™ line, a range of skinnies and the iconic 501®.
Happy Birthday Levi’s!!
A Girl Interrupted By Fashion, Beauty & Anything Pretty That Catches My Eye
