ON THIS DAY

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May 20, 1873

Levi Strauss patent

Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis were granted a patent pn this day in 1873 for using copper rivets to strengthen certain areas of trousers, notably pocket corners; the patent was credited with giving rise to blue jeans.

Strauss was a German-born American businessman who founded Levi Strauss & Co., a company best known for inventing blue jeans. He partnered with tailor Jacob Davis in 1873 to develop the reinforced work pants now known as blue jeans.

Levi Strauss immigrated to the United States and opened a dry goods store in San Francisco in 1853 during the California Gold Rush. He initially focused on supplying miners with durable materials, including tent canvas. Recognising the need for stronger work pants, he collaborated with Jacob Davis to create the first commercially available waist overalls with copper rivets.

These overalls, later known as blue jeans, became a staple of the American workforce and a global fashion icon. Strauss & Co. continued to innovate and expand its product line over the years, becoming a major player in the apparel industry.

Levi Strauss

By the Way:

From the Levi Strauss & Co website:

Levi Strauss & Co. knew the patent would expire in 1890, so we needed to quickly make sure consumers understood how good – and strong – the company’s jeans were. But how do you tell that story in a way that consumers could quickly grasp?

Well, one of the answers was the image of two horses – each pulling in the opposite direction on the same pair of jeans, trying in vain to tear them apart.

But that wasn’t the only reason we first used the Two Horse® logo, We understood that not all of our consumers spoke English as their first language. We also knew that not everyone in the remote West was literate. With a memorable image to guide them, our early consumers could walk into their local general store and ask for “those pants with the two horses,” and they would get a pair of Levi’s® jeans.

In fact, the product was called “The Two Horse® Brand” until 1928, when the company adopted its Levi’s® trademark.

 

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