How did jeans become popular?

　　If you were to ask what clothing item is the most versatile, it would probably be jeans. How were jeans invented? And why have they become a global phenomenon?
　　The appearance of the world's first pair of jeans
　　The "Levis" logo is certainly familiar to everyone; yes, it's synonymous with jeans. However, you may not know the man behind the Brand: Levi Strauss—the inventor of the first pair of jeans and the founder of the world-renowned Brand "Levis" and the Levi Strauss Company. In 1829, Levi Strauss was born into a German Jewish family. In 1850, like hundreds of thousands of young men with dreams of striking it rich, Levi Strauss came to San Francisco.
　　Initially, he opened a general store, providing general merchandise and fabrics to the gold prospectors. The bustling gold rush scene and the influx of miners gave Levi inspiration, leading him to purchase a batch of canvas from afar, planning to sell it at a high Price to the workers for building temporary shelters. However, on the way back, he encountered continuous rain, and by the time he transported the canvas to the worksite, most of the miners had already set up camp before the rain.
　　Therefore, the canvas became useless. At that time, miners, railroad workers, and factory workers, all doing laborious and rough work, would wear out their pants quickly, and all hoped for a more durable pair of pants. Levi Strauss tried using canvas to make high-waisted work pants, which turned out to be strong and durable, and were very popular. Upon hearing that the pockets were often torn due to carrying heavy stones and gold nuggets, he devised a way to reinforce them with copper rivets at the top of the pockets. In 1871, Levi Strauss applied for a patent for his jeans and established the "Levi Strauss Company" dedicated to manufacturing and selling jeans. Later, this jeans company grew into an international company, with products sold worldwide. More than 100 years ago, only the poor and manual laborers wore jeans as work clothes, and they were praised for their low Price and durability.
　　Do jeans have anything to do with cowboys?
　　Although the birth of jeans initially had little to do with cowboys, it was thanks to the image of cowboys that jeans became widely known, and the Chinese translation of these pants as "牛仔裤" (jeans) also owes much to them. Because the "work pants" invented by Levi Strauss for California miners were durable and suitable for "cowboys" who spent long hours in the saddle, these pants became the choice for every cowboy. In this way, jeans became popular among manual laborers in the American Midwest. Starting with the first Western film, "The Great Train Robbery," in 1903, Western cowboys were consistently portrayed as heroic figures, and cowboys wearing "work pants" gained a halo and legendary status. This rugged yet romantic image was so deeply ingrained that translating "jeans" into "牛仔裤" may seem arbitrary, but it is not without basis.
　　In the 1920s and 1930s, the "farm vacation craze" swept the United States, with wealthy people from the East heading to the Midwest to "experience life," where they also saw these "strange pants with copper rivets." In 1928, an editor from Vogue magazine returned from a sightseeing ranch in Wyoming, bringing back a photo of herself and saying, "Wearing these jeans is enough to bring a smile that even all of Manhattan can't match." From then on, jeans gradually entered the Eastern US market.
　　Why are jeans a symbol of rebellion?
　　People once equated jeans with delinquents. In the 1930s and 40s, Brigham Young, the leader of the Mormon Church, condemned "button-fly pants" as "adulterous pants." In 1944, Life magazine drew considerable controversy for publishing a photo of two Wesleyan College girls wearing jeans.
　　During World War II, the US authorities designated jeans as part of the military uniform, and large quantities of jeans followed the Allied forces deep into Europe. After the war, soldiers returned to the United States, and large stocks of jeans were sold in limited quantities. Because these pants were stylish, practical, durable, and inexpensive, they were very popular locally. Thus, local workwear manufacturers in Europe competed to imitate the original American goods, leading to the widespread popularity of jeans throughout Europe.
　　Due to various social problems and ideological crises left over from the war, some young people became more radical, which was reflected in their clothing. They shed their formal and rigid uniforms, emulated celebrities, and wore jeans, which were not yet accepted by the public at the time and were considered unsuitable for formal occasions. This gave jeans a sense of freedom and rebellion. By 1958, about 90% of American youths owned a pair of jeans.
　　How did jeans become popular?
　　By the 1970s, jeans began to Enter the realm of haute couture. At that time, some famous designers designed jeans and made a lot of money. Since jeans had become "high-class," the upper-class elite no longer adhered to rigid images and wore these pants of "humble origins." Professors and scholars wearing jeans bridged the gap with younger students; kings, princesses, and even national leaders wore jeans, carefully cultivating an image of being approachable and equal. In 1976, Jimmy Carter even wore jeans to deliver his presidential campaign speech.
　　After that, jeans Entered their most glorious era. Originally men's wear, jeans entered the world of women's clothing, and quietly created a neutral, youthful style in the colorful world of women's fashion: The combination of jeans with various garments created a style that was colorfully stable and elegant, simply refined in style, and exquisitely crafted. Although these finely crafted jeans favored simple designs and soft colors, the basic style did not change much, which further highlighted the stable style of jeans and the dedicated pursuit of beauty.
　　Why are blue jeans the most popular?
　　Most jeans sold in clothing markets around the world are blue. This is because jeans were originally work pants worn by American Western workers in the field, and dyeing them blue was to prevent mosquito bites. The indigo plant leaves were fermented to make a dye specifically for dyeing jeans fabric, because these indigo plant leaves not only kill pests but are also effective in repelling snakes.
　　From then on, jeans truly became popular. In 1984, 850 million pairs of jeans were sold worldwide, approximately one-sixth of the world's population at the time (4.785 billion in 1984).
　　Original title:《How did jeans become popular?》