Jeans Legends: Denim Heroes of Hollywood

Hollywood Heroes synonymous with blue jeans Marilyn; James; Marlon all put their own style mark onto the blue jean making the garments as much legends as the stars.  

Marilyn Monroe was one of first screen goddesses to wear denim - man's jeans to boot  >  the first gender neutral promotion of the cult.  James Dean the youth hero of Rebel Without a Cause who died before the film's release launching it into mega popularity.   Marlon Brando made jeans and black leather a cult look in On the Waterfront.   Still today the look has an aggressive independent edge.

Image sourced from ©Denim from cowboys to catwalks; a visual history of the worlds most legendary fabric (2002)

Elvis Presley in GI Blues helped perpetuate the head to toe blue denim as well as army fatigues. The greased quiff with blue jeans spawned the rocker look.

Steve McQueen was inevitably in blue jeans in Bullitt set in San Fransisco the home of Levi Strauss.

Bob Dylan started his legendary career in blue jeans and is still wearing a version of that look today.

images l-r ©Le Fabuleux roman du jean, levis story (1990), ©Denim An American Story (2007) , ©Denim from cowboys to catwalks; a visual history of the worlds most legendary fabric (2002)

Denim with attitude has become a feature of the festival circuit.  Madonna as a festival stage performer appeals to the crowds in head to toe denim - the sexy cowgirl.

Instead of cowboy boots we now need Adidas high tops and Levi 501's to cut the mustard.

Jeans Legends: Born in the USA

Bruce Springteen coined the phrase "Born in the USA" for his 7th, 1984 album. His first big commercially successful disc.  It spawned a huge following and represented a generation of dedicated denim and jeans followers.

©©Denim from cowboys to catwalks, a visual history of the world's most legendary fabric (2002), ©Denim an American Story,(2007)

Harley Davidson an American legend to even non bikers is synonymous with blue denim.   The cool, laid back drug culture expressed in Easy Rider represented everything enviable about "The Harley" - freedom; drugs; travel; wind in the hair and girl on the bike.

The legendary Levi 501's became a sexy symbol of blue jeans for girls in the 60's.  Bikers and blue denim sold sex to the masses with Hollywood and Beverly Hills being the aspirational  home of the movie following biker tribes.   Everyone wanted to be like a movie star or even be a movie star.

images l-r: ©Denim an American Story,(2007), Le Fabuleux roman du jean, levis story (1990)

The road trip is legendary.  Ideally in blues on the bike.   Route 66 is an iconic highway as a "road trip" route but as an original USA highway it was mostly used by farmers and workers and served as a major path for those who travelled west during the dustbowl migration.

Life's legends would not be complete without the iconic Levi shirt and Levi Jeans.

Jeans Legends: The General Store

Original "cowpoke's" could never have imagined that their everyday work attire would be worn little changed nearly 150 years on.   Both jeans and work shirts were always purchased in the general store - every small town had at least one.   

The story of the "fly rivet" is legendary.    >on the original cowboy's jeans there was a rivet at the base of the buttoned fly for durability and strength.   It was removed not long after being introduced because when the cowboys sat around the campfire at night the rivet became too hot in a delicate place! <   The General Store had a lot of returns from sore cowboys!

The Trucker jacket, originally introduced by Levi and Wrangler,  is an icon of denim style.  Details change; denim shades differ but the identity remains.  Still a highly popular gender neutral denim jacket.  

Vintage Levi and Lee advertising, ©Denim from cowboys to catwalks, a visual history of the world's most legendary fabric (2002)

Printed ads and paper tagging were examples of early clothing advertising.  Designed to be eye catching.   The General Store sold absolutely everything needed for farmers, workers and the homestead so gimmicks and eye catching details were needed to make a sale. Brands used every trick in the book to tell the cowboys about their product.   Lee Jeans co. even went to the lengths of making small dolls "Lee Buddies" dressed in the garments that they wished to promote.  Collectors items today.

©Denim from cowboys to catwalks, a visual history of the world's most legendary fabric (2002)

Denim work jackets, still great items today, started their popular life being sold in The General Store.

From The General Store of the 1800's to top fashion store of the 21st century, they have come along way. 

Hardware, workwear,  jeanswear there was little variation of style but it was all available at the General Store.

Trend Alert: JEANS LEGENDS

Legends in Blue Denim from way back influencing today's fashion jeanswear.    There were fewer variants in the indigo shade but the indigos were natural, bluer and brighter.    Slims and skinnies were born of the cowboy fit which in turn influenced rock n' roll jeans - slim legs; high waists; cuffs up.     The flying suit for women, born in the early munitions factories of the USA, reborn as 1950's denim wear, again has become the hottest denim fashion item on the street.                                                 

The Western shirt and Trucker jacket - are they original workwear? Yes!     Are they now universal everyday wear? Yes!     Are they current fashion denim wear?  Yes!  

So nothing changes, just the when and the where. 

From original biker's denim on denim to Amish farmer's work denims.

Legendary style of jeans and vest hasn't changed.

The recognisable Levi "swoosh" stitching matched with cowboy boots strikes a chord with denimistas every wear.   As does the re-inforced pocket stitching which replaced the original pocket rivet.     Real vintage jeans are dateable by button and rivet style and colour.

NEW ORDER: Easy Everyday

COMFORT is the driver.  Flexibility, softness, fluidity.

Knit denims in indigo and colour with a bit of stretch for extra flexibility.

Even the new khakis and chinos benefit from having stretch for comfort and ease.

Clockwise from top left: ©JackJones, ©Levis, ©Levis, ©JackJones

We mustn't forget cotton cords and cords in soft blended yarns including stretch. Corded chinos and corded 5 pocket jeans have a new cool vibe for the street tribe.

Big voluminous shapes in lightweight denims add a smarter look for everyday easy especially in super dark indigos.

L-r: ©Asos, ©

Knit denims -  woven indigos with a loop back to look and feel like knit fabric - have mushroomed since Diesel introduced them some years ago.  Now not only in indigo but in other jeans friendly colours and prints as well.  They are soft, warm, tactile, comfortable and especially amazing to wear when they have a little stretch.  

Fluidity in knit denims for guys are the new sweat pants.

Velour cotton with a little stretch adds another comfort dimension to every day easy jeans.

L-R: ©Asos, ©JackJones

NEW ORDER: Denim not Denim

When is denim not denim?   When it is jeans in comfort and crazy other fabrics.

Composite Image ©TheDenimEye

Photo prints onto jeans jackets - it starts as denim metamorphosing into psychedelic effects -retaining a base of indigo blue.

Textured flannels and striated weaves in work style jeanswear adds a warm touch.

L-R: ©Dior Homme, ©Andrea Crews

Edging trims used as stripes and message prints cut and pieced for crazy pattern effects onto denim jeanswear.

Wild coloured jeans - not denim but a great alternative with attitude.

Shiny sateen for guys and bold stripes for girls - yes it's jeanswear but not denim!

THE NEXT STEPS FOR SUSTAINABILITY AT KINGPINS AMSTERDAM

The return on investments in science, creativity and people were evident at Kingpins Amsterdam and Transformers, where sustainability was the leading story for almost all of the denim mills.

“The momentum on sustainability is at all levels,” said Tricia Carey, Lenzing director of global business development for denim. “There is now a concern from fiber to finished garment.”

The seminar series, Transformers, raised questions about the cost of sustainability. Speakers included representatives from Target Corporation, Lenzing, Jeanologia, Sai-tex, BlueSign, BCI, Bayer e3, Garmon, Archroma and more. “This is a wonderful opportunity for the denim leaders to connect and address industry challenges together,” said Andreas Dorner, Lenzing commercial director for U.S. and Europe.

At Transformers, Dorner presented about the value of sustainability, specifically Lenzing’s latest innovation, Refibra. He explained how the industry works together to develop new ideas and the process in which Lenzing is  reusing post industrial cotton scraps to make a new fiber called Refibra™ branded lyocell fiber. Dorner said time and financial investment is necessary to creating a more sustainable denim and apparel industry. “There is no balance sheet about the costs of environmental damage,” he quipped.

Denim experts agreed. At Transformers, fashion and sustainability journalist Paulina Szmydke-Cacciapalle stressed the fact that sustainable practices and innovation ultimately pay for itself, adding that companies with high ratings for CSR and ESG factories have lower costs of debt and equity. Meanwhile Target Senior Designer of Denim, Kristin Kimm, shared how the U.S. retailer is taking a lot of small steps to make a big impact in offering the end users sustainable products for value prices. “It’s a marathon, not a sprint,” Kimm said.

Read the full article from our friends over at carvedinblue.lenzing-fibers.com, or click here to subscribe to their monthly newsletter with a recap of all the month's best articles. 

NEW ORDER: Denim with a Difference

Printed and pattered jeans are wild and fun with a carefree happy vibe.

Patterned jeans take denim and jeans into a different arena.  They may not be "authentic" like indigo blues and they may be eschewed by the indigo denim aficionados but we admit they are funky and fun.

Composite Image ©TheDenimEye

How wild is this Versace jeans combo!

G Star Raw has created a limited edition of lots of prints onto 5 pocket "Elwood" jeans - cool funky prints for gender neutral jeanswear.    Pity they are limited in availability.

Composite Image ©TheDenimEye

Different denims are not only printed patterns but also patterned jacquards. Woven in indigo, they joyfully fade and degrade and as the pattern is woven into the fabric the textural element adds a dimension unseen in a simple print onto white twill.

The jigsaw camouflage prints from G Star look amazingly cool.

Clockwise top left: ©GStar, ©John Richmond, ©Desigual

....... and add some shine to the prints for OTT glamour............