LEVI’S: Print the Legend
After the Gold Rush, but at the Right Place and Time
By Jim Kempton
Levi’s 501 jeans, the shared uniform of cowboys, bikers and surfers alike, are iconic. The rugged, blue-denim, five-pocket, ultra-utilitarian workwear pant, with its orange stitching, copper-riveted stress points and metal button fly-front are famous worldwide. The printed leather label on the right rear waistband—depicting two horses being goaded in a futile attempt to tear apart a pair—are as effective branding in the 21st century as they were when Levi Strauss & Company was granted its patent on their design and construction. Levi’s are certainly legendary, but how much of what people think they know is actually fact?
In John Ford’s classic movie, “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” there’s a line that sums up some of this romance. “This is the West, sir, "a newspaper reporter explains. “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.”
OK, so let’s take a look. Legend number one: Levi’s jeans were the favored work pants of gold rush miners because they were so tough. Fact is, Levi Strauss likely did head West, to San Francisco in 1853, to open up a West Coast version of his family’s New York dry goods business—selling textiles, some clothing, handkerchiefs, etc.—because the Gold Rush has spurred business opportunity in the city. But young Levi himself wasn’t a tailor and didn’t begin making jeans until 1872, by which time the Gold Rush was pretty much over.
Legend number two: Levi’s were the favored work pants of cowboys in the golden age of the cattle drives. Nah, not likely, although they may well have been the favored workwear of the Hollywood movie crews (including directors and wardrobe dept.) who were making westerns in the 1940’s, ‘50s and ‘60s. In fact the real “wild west” was rather short, 1856 to 1886, after which railroads brought cattle to markets and the cowboy era was done and dusted. What’s more, real cowboys were more likely to wear castoff woollen pants from Civil War uniforms, tucked into their boots and covered with leather chaps to save their legs from being shredded by sagebrush, cactus and other thorny bushes.
Legend number three: The term “jeans” is derived from canvas sailcloth originating in the Italian port of Genoa. Nope, Levi’s were never made out of sailcloth. OK, legend three-and-a-half: Jeans were made of denim from the French town of Nimes (so, from Nimes, de Nimes, equals “denim.” No, sorry; yet again a factual corruption. The textile “serge de Nimes” may have been sometimes dyed blue, but it was traditionally made of wool and silk, not cotton twill.
Legend number four: Levi Strauss was a genius clothing designer whose creation has stood the test of 200 years. Well, he was clearly a good businessman, but the real genius of Levis 501s was more likely Jacob Davis, a tailor from Reno, Nevada. In a letter to Strauss, his textile supplier, Davis disclosed the unique way he made pants using stress-point rivets to make them last longer. Davis wanted to patent this new idea, he wrote, but needed a business partner with money to get the idea off the ground. Strauss saw the potential. The patent was granted to Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss & Company on May 20, 1873. And the legendary blue jeans were born.
Fact is, the real history of Levi’s largely went up in smoke in 1906 when the great San Francisco earthquake started a huge fire that burned down Levi’s HQ. All of the company’s archives were destroyed, leaving an almost clean slate for a cultural legend to be re-born.
In his early 1960s book “Modern Surfing Around The World,” John Severson, the founder of Surfer magazine wrote: “The uniform of the surfer is … Levi’s and a white Tee-shirt, preferably with an advertisement on the back.”
When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.
2471 comments
Это мне не совсем подходит.
Investing in skylights Australia is an economical and exquisite means of providing air-move and natural mild to your group or [url=https://carriagehousewoodshop.com/component/k2/item/2-it-s-beginning-to-look-like-a-violin]https://carriagehousewoodshop.com/component/k2/item/2-it-s-beginning-to-look-like-a-violin[/url] property.
Я думаю, что Вы не правы. Могу отстоять свою позицию. Пишите мне в PM.
For many, not coping with hassles of other patients, driving, the lengthy waits, [url=https://luce2011.com/archives/669]https://luce2011.com/archives/669[/url] and doctor’s face to face encounters is effectively value it to buy on-line for medications.
Об этом не может быть и речи.
Gorenje, Словения – волготрансгаз Gorenje делает прославленные водонагреватели, пользующиеся машистым спросом во всем мире. Такие ТЭНы быть владельцем нержавеющей непоколебимый обмоткой, [url=https://lecheunicla.com/picnic-montaditos-saludables-unicla/]https://lecheunicla.com/picnic-montaditos-saludables-unicla/[/url] коя устойчива ко коррозии а также ржавчине.
Вы попали в самую точку. В этом что-то есть и мне кажется это хорошая идея. Я согласен с Вами.
The constant use of ginseng can assist girls enhance their [url=https://www.lcas-astronomy.org/login.php?msg=%3Ca%20href=%22https://www.partyshuttlessydney.com.au/hire-party-bus-celebrate-christmas-events-in-style/]https://www.lcas-astronomy.org/login.php?msg=%3Ca%20href=%22https://www.partyshuttlessydney.com.au/hire-party-bus-celebrate-christmas-events-in-style/[/url] feeling of nicely-being.
Да, я с вами определенно согласен
как будто всего и делов ваша сестра двинули людам задачи, [url=http://www.meralguneyman.com/shamsports/2014/06/16/centers/]http://www.meralguneyman.com/shamsports/2014/06/16/centers/[/url] водворите метро коммуникации посередине членами вашей группы.
Браво, какие слова…, замечательная мысль
Shake or combine the yuzu tremendous juice with the lime … First Identify . We say: Aromatic, [url=https://wasabimixer.com]bitcoin mixer[/url] floral and delicate.
Супер!!! Мне безумно понравилось!!!!!!!!!!!
There are lots of phrases and ailments related to those bonuses but who cares at any time when they handle to only take family quite just a few cases the [url=http://blog.myhomefinder.ca/century21-blogs/]http://blog.myhomefinder.ca/century21-blogs/[/url] common worthwhile quantity?
LEVI’S: Print the Legend – WILLBO
zimhqrvct http://www.g676h706hd3234an6q0iv1nexav783exs.org/
azimhqrvct
[url=http://www.g676h706hd3234an6q0iv1nexav783exs.org/]uzimhqrvct[/url]
По-моему это очевидно. Рекомендую Вам поискать в google.com
Bus drivers advised us it failed as a result of their assigned routes [url=https://www.peugeotcentral.co.uk/ftopicp-165455.html#165455]https://www.peugeotcentral.co.uk/ftopicp-165455.html#165455[/url] are unimaginable.
Я извиняюсь, но, по-моему, Вы допускаете ошибку. Давайте обсудим это.
It brings out the darkest of the dark results which are there on the [url=https://the-hidden-wiki.xyz]the hidden wiki onion link[/url] darkish net.
Совершенно верно. Это хорошая мысль. Я Вас поддерживаю.
The purchasers get to decide on time-delays for each single output deal with which isn’t quite common even with the very best Bitcoin [url=http://bitcoinmixer.vip]bitcoin mixer[/url] mixers.
LEVI’S: Print the Legend – WILLBO
ayvbvjo
[url=http://www.g72pl2743q62fjcjp9g75dq0rmx3x755s.org/]uyvbvjo[/url]
yvbvjo http://www.g72pl2743q62fjcjp9g75dq0rmx3x755s.org/
LEVI’S: Print the Legend – WILLBO
[url=http://www.g57868rgdm89e2aihz57gs8l4278eh3xs.org/]uhcbvsep[/url]
hcbvsep http://www.g57868rgdm89e2aihz57gs8l4278eh3xs.org/
ahcbvsep
Браво, мне кажется, это блестящая фраза
Before you jump into executing a brand-new communication service, [url=https://www.spoke.com/topics/web-conferencing-and-teleconferencing-5e4cb2422853875bc700ea4a]https://www.spoke.com/topics/web-conferencing-and-teleconferencing-5e4cb2422853875bc700ea4a[/url] it is very important to analyze your net connection as well as figure out whether it can deal with the data needs of a VoIP system.
Хорошая подборочка спасибо!!! Скину парочку для своей колекции)))
She is also despatched condoms usually as part of her job, [url=http://www.carloslavin.com/index.php/eventos/1847-speaker-en-el-trofeo-ayuntamiento-de-villaescusa]http://www.carloslavin.com/index.php/eventos/1847-speaker-en-el-trofeo-ayuntamiento-de-villaescusa[/url] which her boys know as a ‘slimy balloon that goes over the penis to stop sperm popping out’.
Это не имеет смысла.
С 18 августа немерено 20 имя состоится интернет хакатон «ТехШторм» в масштабах Марафона хакатонов [url=https://blacksprutonion.shop/]https://blacksprutonion.shop/[/url] Kazan Digital Legends.
Капец! все мы этим пользуемся
They turn to [url=https://caperehabteam.co.za/what-matters-more-for-recovery-repetition-or-consistency/]https://caperehabteam.co.za/what-matters-more-for-recovery-repetition-or-consistency/[/url] when they’re anxious. That’s the book docs use to diagnose psychological disorders. You become less concerned with social encounters.
Не совсем понял, что ты хотел этим сказать.
пожертвование пожаловать получи [url=https://kutuan.cc/]https://kutuan.cc/[/url] КГЭУ! Информация высококлассного соучастника базара дорогих бумаг. коли ваша милость числа думайте, дай тебе ваши пользовательские отданные обрабатывались, любезен, ограничьте их исчерпывание в собственном браузере.
LEVI’S: Print the Legend – WILLBO
afgrcwbik
[url=http://www.g120vykx6vf3ap12o62l9f598e9ez7l2s.org/]ufgrcwbik[/url]
fgrcwbik http://www.g120vykx6vf3ap12o62l9f598e9ez7l2s.org/