Levi Strauss (born Löb Strauß) was born in Bavaria, Germany but left for the United States when he was 18. In the U.S., he changed his name to Levi and moved to San Francisco, where the Gold Rush was booming, bringing along with him buttons, scissors and fabric that he thought the miners might need. He thought he'd make a living preparing tents and covers for the Conestoga wagons the miners used as temporary homes.

Career Highs.
Strauss noticed many miners complained about their cotton pants because they were too fragile and tore very easily. Jacob Davis, a tailor, created tougher overalls but lacked the money to register a patent. He sent Strauss a letter explaining the process that went into his ultra-durable pants: fortifying the points of strain with tiny metal rivets. Davis and Strauss became partners, and Levi Strauss & Co. was born, manufacturing what were to become signature Levi jeans.

You got them, and they were stiff as a board, and you broke them in.
                                                                 - Levi Strauss

A portrait of Levi Strauss.
Career Lows.
Before he met Davis, Strauss was running a dry goods business, selling textiles and small items. Although the company was successful (Strauss was already a popular figure in San Francisco by the time Davis contacted him), it took a revolutionary idea for his company to become noteworthy. Four years after Strauss' death in 1902, the original headquarters of Levi Strauss & Co were destroyed in the fires following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

Legacy.
Levi Strauss & Co. is still around and kicking as hard as ever. In the 1950s and '60s, subcultures of young people (the hippies and punks) popularized jeans, which continue to sell well into the 21st century. Denim made the leap to high fashion about thirty jeans ago, when Calvin Klein began marketing his extremely popular designer jeans. Now jeans are a staple on both catwalks and sidewalks worldwide, offered in thousands of cuts and colors to match just about anyone's personal sense of style.

Different styles of modern jeans.
Get the Look.
Jeans have gone through more transformations than almost any other unique garment, from bellbottoms and wide-leg to skinny and embellished. The shapes and colors may change with the season, but comfortable, reliable denim is here to stay. Shop around until you find that perfect pair that fits you like a glove. Experiment with new styles, but keep in mind that the most fashionable pieces are those that look best on you.                           
                                       - Olivia

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