The Story of Blue Jeans - Part 1
Everyone loves blue jeans. They are comfortable, durable, inexpensive, and seem to never go out of fashion. One of the great things about jeans is that they can be worn in almost any situation. They can be worn when performing household chores, for lounging around the home, for working at the office, for evenings out, and especially for informal gatherings of all kinds. Many celebrities even wear jeans when appearing on talk shows. There’s good reason for the expression “you can live in your jeans”.
Who originally created jeans?
No one person invented jeans. Rather than being created at one point in time, they evolved over 400 years into the form and design we are familiar with today.
Jeans are made of denim which is a durable woven cotton fabric that appeals to most people. There are many reasons: denim has long-lasting durability, it is comfortable, it comes in varying hues, it is versatile and it is not terribly expensive. Denim jeans can be worn for hard physical labor, out to dinner, or any type of activity in between.
This distinctive fabric was popularized in Europe. But a similar thick cotton cloth had been made in India since before the 1600s. That older material was called dunagree - the origin of the term “dunagarees” - which was normally dyed in indigo blue and sold in the district near Dongarii Fort on the outskirts of the Indian city of Bombay. Bombay was a major port on the important spice route between Europe and China. Portuguese sailors on trading vessels were the first regular users of dungaree clothing, and they introduced it to other points along the trading routes.
By the 1600s a similar cloth was being woven in France near the city of Nimes where it was called “serge”. The name “serge de Nimes” was soon shortened to “denim”, and the rest is history.
Denim trousers became known as “jeans” because the port of Genoa (Genes in French) became a major manufacturer of denim pants. The sturdy pants were used by sailors in the Genoese Navy. They were ideal for sailors, like modern teenagers - who had to practically live in their clothes. They could wear their denim clothing wet or dry, the legs could be easily rolled up, and they could be washed simply by dragging them behind the ship in a large net.
Hey! What could be better than that?
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