In 1873, San Francisco businessman
Levi Strauss and Nevada, tailor Jacob Davis are given a patent to
create work pants reinforced with metal rivets, marking the birth
of the world's most famous icons - blue jeans.
Born Loeb Strauss in Bavaria 1829, the young Strauss immigrated to
New York with his family in 1847 after the death of his father. By
1850, Loeb had changed his name to Levi and was working in the
family dry goods business, J. Strauss Brother & Co. In early 1853,
Levi Strauss went west to seek his fortune during the heady days
of the Gold Rush.
Jacob Davis, a tailor in Reno, Nevada,
was one of Levi Strauss' regular customers. In 1872, he wrote a
letter to Strauss about his method of making work pants with metal
rivets on the stress points--at the corners of the pockets and the
base of the button fly--to make them stronger. As Davis didn't
have the money for the necessary paperwork, he suggested that
Strauss provide the funds and that the two men get the patent
together. Strauss agreed enthusiastically, and the patent for
"Improvement in Fastening Pocket-Openings"--the innovation that
would produce blue jeans as we know them--was granted to both men
on May 20, 1873.
In 1890, Levi Strauss jeans were popular with miners and ranchers. Levi's became a corporation, issuing shares
to employees and members of the Strauss and Stern families. Strauss's nephews, the sons of Fanny and David Stern, now ran
the company business. They took control in 1902, after Strauss's death.
Timeline - History of Levi Jeans
1853: Levi Strauss begins selling dry goods in San Francisco,
California
1873: Levi Strauss & Company sells its first pair of riveted blue
jeans
1912: Koveralls, a denim playsuit for kids is the first product sold
nationally
1935: Levi Strauss & Company introduces its first ladies' blue
jeans
1955: Zippers appear on Levi's jeans for the first time
1974: Company sales reach $1 billion
1981: Robert Grohman the first CEO with no relation to the company's
founders
1985: After 14 years, Levi Strauss once again becomes a private
company
1986: Levi Strauss & Company introduces Dockers a line of casual clothes.
2001: The Company paid $46,000 for a pair of Levi's more than 100 years
old
