Fashion Evolution and Cultural Anthropology

Fashion Evolution and Cultural Anthropology

The Evolution of Blue Jeans and High Heels

Clothing trends come and go, but some stay around for a very long time. As a result, these items tend to evolve over the years. Two examples of this are denim jeans and women's high heels.

The first American jeans were created in 1873 by Levi Strauss. This was the end result to a conversation by a tailor, Jacob Davis, who contacted the dry goods business owner in 1872. Davis, who sewed jeans from Strauss' denim, noted complaints from workers about the durability of the jeans. The pants would always rip and tear at the most stressed out spots.

Davis had created a procedure to reinforce those spots with copper rivets. He offered Strauss half of a new business venture if he would be willing to patent Davis' procedure. Strauss agreed, and Levi Strauss & Co. soon opened a factory to keep up with demand. (Calliope, p. 2)

Blue Jeans were, of course, popular with the working class, such as construction workers miners. They became mainstream after World War II; during the war, jeans were restricted to those doing defense work only. Interestingly enough, African-Americans associated denim with sharecropping in the south (Ownby, p. 79). During the 1960's, the young people of America adopted them as a symbol of the working class. Symbolic meanings were attached to the jeans as well, one of which was a rebellion against authority. As a result, the popularity of jeans exploded during this time.

The original Levis were made with a "Guarantee Ticket." This was an oilcloth label that was first sewn onto the back pocket of the jeans. After the patent expired, the label was placed on the waist, in a location that could be seen when the pants were folded neatly on a shelf (Downey, p.21). Also, the original Levis tab was spelled in all capitals. In 1971, the label was changed so that only the first letter was capitalized. When an interest in vintage jeans surged during the 80's, the tabs were one of the criteria used to determine the value of the pants. All capital tabs were worth more than capital-lowercase ones. (Downey, p.97)

Women's shoes have also evolved over the years. According to "Italian Fashion: The History of High Heels," only men wore high heels originally; they were a sign of wealth and leisure, as well as an excellent way to keep shoes in stirrups. 14-year-old Catherine de Medici requested a pair of high heeled shoes from Paris; this fashion move made heels popular for women as well.

One of the biggest fashion bombshells is the invention of the stiletto in 1950. This shoe's construction was made possible by the addition of a steel core and were difficult to break. It also lifted the sole up. The 1940's focused on a male centric version of women's dress, since women were working at men's jobs at the time. Women loved stilettos because it was a welcome return to femininity; when the men came back from war in the 1950s, they were expected to give up their jobs (part of a man's world anyway) and be ready to take on their traditional roles once again. (Cox, p. 38)