Denim Styles Through the Years
Denim is one of those fabrics that feels deeply rooted in the United States and its history. At Pacific Blue Denims, we are purveyors of denim and love to share our wealth of knowledge of the fabric. In addition to providing denim wholesale Los Angeles, we are here to share information about the fabric industry.
Jeans first entered the fabric arena in the late 18th century when it started as a workers garment. Jeans were designed with riveted seams, and have essentially stayed the same since then. Styles, of course, change drastically as the years continue to pass.
1873
Copper rivets were added to the blue jean and created the style we all know and love today. Originally, Jeans were known everywhere as ‘Dungarees’. All through World War II, the style endured. Waist Overalls also became popularized, post-war.
1930s
Western-Style jeans began to pop up everywhere after Hollywood created films set in the West. All of these characters in the movies wore a standard western cowboy uniform made up of a medium weight blue denim. This is the first sign of denim being accepted into mainstream culture. However, women did not start wearing denim until the 1940s.
1950s
Welcome to the fashion world skinny jeans! Skinny jeans were originally known as ‘Stovepipe’ jeans and were the earliest style of today’s skinny jean. Again, movies like "Rebel Without a Cause," helped push jeans into modern culture. Marlon Brando, James Dean, and Elvis highly popularized this style during this time where jeans were a symbol of youth.
1960s
The Bell-bottom jeans of this era were not originally made from denim fabric, but they do date back to the early 1800s. The U.S.Navy first adopted bell-bottoms as a part of their official uniform.
When they came back into fashion in the 60s, they were all the rage for men and women. The bell-bottom style became well-known thanks to counterculture and the free-loving hippie movements of the time. Personalizing your jeans also became a huge hit. Jeans sported embroidery, patches, and rhinestones.
1980s
Skinny Jeans came back again, and were seen worn by the metal-glam scene. This era also brought us denim-on-denim trends and acid wash. Treatments on jeans began to pop up everywhere, including bleaching, distressing, and stone washing. Designer denim began starting to take shape as a status symbol and big brands were becoming popularized.
1990s
After the rise of hip-hop and grunge culture, jeans were seen being worn baggier than ever. Casual denim was becoming the style of choice more so than the stylish high-fashion trends. Loose-fit boyfriend jeans replaced the skinny jean. Everyone was wearing denim as their fashion staple.
The Future of Denim
Jeans still reign as the piece that everyone owns. But what's so different about denim right now is that it is so versatile. There is no one way to wear it and wearing denim from a previous decade is proving to be the most popular style. Designers everywhere continue to think up unique and inventive ways to wear the fabric.