By the midway point of the 20th century, California would surpass New York as the country’s most populous state. The suburbanization of America fueled a collective nostalgia for the Old West; from the 1930s through the ‘50s, Westerns were the most popular genre of film in Hollywood, and early television audiences were inundated with cowboys and the little buckaroos.
As the 1970s unfolded, most of the major jeans manufacturers-Levi, Lee, Wrangler-diversified wildly, producing plaid shirts, corduroys, polyester slacks and more. It was Lee that first introduced the “leisure suit” to the market. Years later the company would poke fun at its own role in the trend, claiming it had been “simply ministering to the whims of a fickle public.”
Jeans were becoming increasingly stylized, with boutique brands designing bellbottoms and “hip huggers,” as the disco craze ignited in the mid 1970s. A generation once defined by its long hair and scruffy clothing was moving uptown and hitting the nightclubs. When the ready-to-wear giant Murjani Group sought a figurehead who would represent “American royalty” for a new line of designer jeans, their second choice, the heiress Gloria Vanderbilt, accepted. (Their first, Jackie Onasiss, declined.)
As the 1970s unfolded, most of the major jeans manufacturers-Levi, Lee, Wrangler-diversified wildly, producing plaid shirts, corduroys, polyester slacks and more. It was Lee that first introduced the “leisure suit” to the market. Years later the company would poke fun at its own role in the trend, claiming it had been “simply ministering to the whims of a fickle public.”
Jeans were becoming increasingly stylized, with boutique brands designing bellbottoms and “hip huggers,” as the disco craze ignited in the mid 1970s. A generation once defined by its long hair and scruffy clothing was moving uptown and hitting the nightclubs. When the ready-to-wear giant Murjani Group sought a figurehead who would represent “American royalty” for a new line of designer jeans, their second choice, the heiress Gloria Vanderbilt, accepted. (Their first, Jackie Onasiss, declined.)
BY the 1980s, American was awash in designer jeans. If your posterior wasn’t branded with a top brand name (Sasson, Sergio Valente, Calvin Klein) or a recognizable pocket design, you were persona non grata to the fashion world. If you were wearing Jordache, as the jingle proposed, “You’ve got the look I want to know better.”
In the 1980s, jeans were often worn by kids as tough play wear, or by parents outside of work. Even though the Western style made a reappearance again, straight blue jeans were kind of thought og by the youth as un-hip: The “mom jeans” became a thing.
In the 1990s, mainstream, pop-influenced denim went in the opposite direction, especially for women: Minimalism was key, and while the lower pipes could be a little wider (flared jeans and the bootcut were very popular), the upper legs and hips were hugged tight in a bit of 70s revival.
Skater jeans in the 90s were flared from the hip down onto the ground, often with humongous pockets; these massive pants were extremely comfortable-until you walked through a puddle or had to wrap elastic bands around your ankles to keep them from getting caught in the chain of your bike.
Denim fashion in the early 2000s was all about luxury style and minimal fabric use. Ultra-miniskirts and low-rise jeans dominated, with the latter sitting daringly low on hips. Skinny jeans and capris became increasingly tight, almost appearing painted on.
One of the most iconic denim trends of the 2000s was the reign of low-rise jeans. Popularized by celebrities like Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Paris Hilton, low-rise jeans became a symbol of youthful rebellion and sexual liberation. The trend reflected society’s growing obsession with body image and the idealization of a slim, toned physique. It wa not just about the jeans themselves; It was about how they were worn. Often paired with crop tops or belly-baring tank tops, low-rise jeans challenged traditional notions of modesty and femininity, empowering women to embrace their bodies and express their sexuality. Brands like Abercrombie & Fitch, American Eagle, and Hollister dominated the market with their selection of low-rise denim in various washes and styles, catering to the ever-growing demand for this trend.
During the Civil Rights demonstrations of the 1960s, civil rights workers often wore jeans, overalls and denim barn jackets to express their solidarity with the working poor African Americans they sought to organize. The practice of sharecropping, a vestigial reminder of slavey, was still the reality for many Blacks in the South.
By the late 1960s many in the counterculture were growing disillusioned with the city life and its various ill-pollution, racism, violence. The “Back to the Land” movement was well represented in the world of rock music, which rediscovered rural traditions and acoustic guitars.
BUt during the March on Washington in 1963, many blue jeans, especially overalls, could be spotted in the crowd as a point of defiance and pride.
The hippies of the late 60s and early 70s repurposed and remixed old uniforms and denim, with an emphasis on anti-establishment aesthetics. The threadbare bellbottom jeans held together mostly by patches and embroidery worn by the free-loving, long-haired war protestors.
As the 1970s unfolded, most of the major jeans manufacturers-Levi, Lee, Wrangler-diversified wildly, producing plaid shirts, corduroys, polyester slacks and more. It was Lee that first introduced the “leisure suit” to the market. Years later the company would poke fun at its own role in the trend, claiming it had been “simply ministering to the whims of a fickle public.”
Jeans were becoming increasingly stylized, with boutique brands designing bellbottoms and “hip huggers,” as the disco craze ignited in the mid 1970s. A generation once defined by its long hair and scruffy clothing was moving uptown and hitting the nightclubs. When the ready-to-wear giant Murjani Group sought a figurehead who would represent “American royalty” for a new line of designer jeans, their second choice, the heiress Gloria Vanderbilt, accepted. (Their first, Jackie Onasiss, declined.)
BY the 1980s, American was awash in designer jeans. If your posterior wasn’t branded with a top brand name (Sasson, Sergio Valente, Calvin Klein) or a recognizable pocket design, you were persona non grata to the fashion world. If you were wearing Jordache, as the jingle proposed, “You’ve got the look I want to know better.”
In the 1980s, jeans were often worn by kids as tough play wear, or by parents outside of work. Even though the Western style made a reappearance again, straight blue jeans were kind of thought og by the youth as un-hip: The “mom jeans” became a thing.
In the 1990s, mainstream, pop-influenced denim went in the opposite direction, especially for women: Minimalism was key, and while the lower pipes could be a little wider (flared jeans and the bootcut were very popular), the upper legs and hips were hugged tight in a bit of 70s revival.
Skater jeans in the 90s were flared from the hip down onto the ground, often with humongous pockets; these massive pants were extremely comfortable-until you walked through a puddle or had to wrap elastic bands around your ankles to keep them from getting caught in the chain of your bike.
Denim fashion in the early 2000s was all about luxury style and minimal fabric use. Ultra-miniskirts and low-rise jeans dominated, with the latter sitting daringly low on hips. Skinny jeans and capris became increasingly tight, almost appearing painted on.
One of the most iconic denim trends of the 2000s was the reign of low-rise jeans. Popularized by celebrities like Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Paris Hilton, low-rise jeans became a symbol of youthful rebellion and sexual liberation. The trend reflected society’s growing obsession with body image and the idealization of a slim, toned physique. It wa not just about the jeans themselves; It was about how they were worn. Often paired with crop tops or belly-baring tank tops, low-rise jeans challenged traditional notions of modesty and femininity, empowering women to embrace their bodies and express their sexuality. Brands like Abercrombie & Fitch, American Eagle, and Hollister dominated the market with their selection of low-rise denim in various washes and styles, catering to the ever-growing demand for this trend.
As we edge closer to a new decade, we ask ourselves what the future od denim will look like? Mirroring the direction take by the fashion industry as a whole, brands are being steered by consumers’ concerns over whether or not their products are sustainable and the denim manufacturing market is responding to this.
While many premium brands have honored sustainable practices for some years, the launch od denim ranges form rapidly growing fast fashion retailors and a strong performance from those pioneering premium brands is also helping the breadth of the denim industry to thrive.