Happy Birthday, Blue Jeans!
On May 20, 1873, Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis received a patent for the use of copper rivet fasteners on denim trousers — and thus the blue jean was officially born. One hundred and forty years later, the blue jean has evolved from a utilitarian work pant to a wardrobe favorite – thanks in part to the great variety of fits available today. And while consumers are always on the lookout for the next great thing in denim, they tend to agree on one thing: that their blue jeans be made of cotton.
“The majority of consumers (66%) told us that they were bothered that retailers and brands might be substituting synthetic fibers for cotton in their denim jeans,” says Kim Kitchings, Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Program Metrics, Cotton Incorporated. “More than half (55%) of respondents actually said they would be willing to pay a slightly higher price to keep cotton in their denim jeans.” According to Lifestyle Monitor™ data, 96% of consumers prefer their jeans to be made of cotton or cotton blends. And the average U.S. consumer owns an average of seven pairs of blue jeans.
What’s next for those baby blues? Among the more futuristic possibilities for denim is digital printing, a dye-free process that works on the same principle as a paper printer. “You can duplicate the look of pristine indigo-colored jeans, or distressed color variations, whiskering, and other effects very realistically,” explains Mary Ankeny, Director of Dyeing and Finishing at Cotton Incorporated, of the process. “We’ve even used it to create 3-D jeans, where the creases and whiskers are visible using 3-D glasses.”
No one can say for sure what the next 140 years will hold for denim but, as Lifestyle Monitor™ data reveal, 86% of consumers agree that denim is definitely a part of their future.
