Denim roots reach deep into the days of the California Gold Rush. In 1853, a German immigrant named Levi Strauss moved to San Francisco with plans to set up a dry goods store. He had plenty of canvas for tents, but a customer told him that pants were in demand. Strauss came to the rescue, converting canvas into pants he called waist overalls, and sold them to the miners. Apparently, all customers are particular about comfort, and the miners complained that the pants chafed. Since the customer was always right, Strauss sent to France for a softer—but still durable-twilled cotton cloth called serge de Nimes, and “denim” was born. Like anything familiar, it quickly sported a nickname, blue jeans, although the origin of the term is unknown. Continue reading ‘The Fabric of History’
