They’re just for a bunch of Cowboys!
When you think of jeans there are several people that spring to mind form the past that were trailblazers for it. For women it is Marilyn Monroe. Whilst she is not as widely known now she gets rediscovered by subsequent generations now and again and her look recreated. She was one of the first to popularise denim away from the realm of the working wear. For men it was James Dean. The forever young rebel without a cause made the time uber cool for the disgruntled 1950’s teenagers sick of hearing about how their Dad’s, Uncles and Grandads had won the war for them, again.
What role did jeans play before that? They were invited by Levi Straus who was influenced by a work person weave that French peasants wore when in the fields. It was also part of the factory uniform as it’s thick cotton weave gave them some protection from the machine. You can still get Levi Clothing for men from EJ Menswear.
It soon became a must have bit of kit for the pioneers and cowboys of the west. This tough but breathable material was perfect as they worked out on the range or the ranch. It could get wet but dried quite quickly and it was very tough, not scagging when they fell of their horse. The material was shrink to fit but they found that the foldable big cuffs could hold cigarettes and snacks like jerky. It as the perfect active wear.
