History of Levi Strauss

¶ … earn to live while some live to earn. Levi Strauss, the renowned owner and the pioneer of the jeans industry, once dreamed to be a man with a big name as big as his company enjoyed during and after his successful life until yesterday and certainly lived to earn handsome profits. This research paper sheds light on the history of both the founder of Levi's and the company that came to be known as Levi Strauss & Co.

History of Levi Strauss

One of the famous names in the garment industry, Levi Strauss was the first to capitalize the California's gold rush economic detonation and owner of one of the top American companies who is a victim of the recent economic recession. The odyssey of Levi Strauss from a young orphan to the owner of various companies and finally the founder of Levis jeans can be well comprehended and enjoyed from a discussion below:

From Levi Strauss To Levi Strauss & Co

Levi Strauss pioneer, father of the blue jeans, was born on February 26, 1829 in Bavaria, Buttenheim (Levis To Levis Co). His father Hirsch Strauss married Rebecca Haas Strauss and left this transitory world leaving behind seven innocent souls to feed in 1845 due to tuberculosis. Levi had Jacob, Jonas, Louis, Rosla and Mathilde from his stepmother and the only blood sister Fanny after the death of his mother in 1847 (Levis To Levis Co). He along with Fanny left for New York to meet his brother, Jonas and Jacob, who were by then well established textile wholesalers and tailors of repute and were minting money (Strauss) under the name J. Strauss Brothers & Co (Levis to Levis Co.) and by 1850, Levi was well-versed in garment trading (Levis to Levis Co.). However, he lived for five years at a stretch on his uncle Daniel Goldman farm and well-adapted as well as rapidly learnt the ways, living style and language of the people of Kentucky by running his own business through selling off pieces of cloth to the passer-by until he mastered the art of trading through first-hand experience (Strauss). On his return to New York, gold rush boom had already struck the country and people from all over the United States were raking their brains for ways to reap benefits. Nonetheless, Levi who always had a knack for trading and a dream to earn a reputation in the market while earning obscene amount of money, made his way to the city of opportunities, equipped with a sufficient supply of cloth and other items involving canvas, hoping to sell most of his luggage to the visitors traveling with him onboard (Strauss). On reaching San Francisco, he had only canvas left with him, which he utilized in designing what is today branded as "Levi's Jeans" (Strauss). After cutting, trimming and stitching the canvas into trousers for gold miners who worked day in and day out in the mines, both the idea and the garment clicked and became an instant hit giving birth to several giant jeans manufacturing facilities under single brand name: Levis (Strauss)!

First business place had 90 Sacramento Street as its official address and "Levi Strauss" as the name (Levis to Levis Co). With augmented fame, reputation and business and more cash flow pouring in massive amounts, assisted the founder of "Levi Strauss & Co" to shift his working place to commercially popular locations and to equip his headquarter with better facilities like: "gaslight chandeliers and freight elevators" (Levis to Levis Co). Active participation in philanthropic activities of San Francisco bestowed further popularity however his aim was not to achieve personal gains but to help the world become a better place by giving regular donations to missionary schools and temples (Levis to Levis Co). May 20, 1873 is a milestone both in the life history of the company and the garment industry for Levis received a patent for manufacturing exclusive "waist overalls" (Levis to Levis Co.) made out of "serge de Nimes--denim -- dyed with indigo" instead of previously used canvas (Strauss) "with metal rivets at the points of strain: pocket corners and at the base of the button fly" (Levis to Levis Co.).

After handing over the expanded business to his four nephews, he further pursued his goal of serving humanity through social work. Levi Strauss made generous contributions to the Eureka Benevolent Society, the Hebrew Board of Relief and the Pacific Hebrew Orphan Asylum and Home. After assisting the University of California with various scholarship funds, he left the world on September 27, 1902 (Levis to Levis Co.), leaving behind an exemplary lifestyle and the brand name "Levis."

From Waist Overalls to Levis Jeans

Levi Strauss believed in change for the better. Therefore, his invention of waist overalls witnessed many phases of development and amendments catering to the needs of the consumers of all age until today.

From the plain canvas made to light blue waist overalls, Levis waist overalls underwent change in 1873 with an addition of three pockets and subtraction of belt-loops (Mattox) followed by another change in 1886 with an addition of leather piece at the rear of "501 waistband Strauss" (Mattox). In 1890, the firm adds another pocket to the existing three pocketed-overalls to make room for coins and other stuff subsequently with another big pocket to accommodate purses and wallets in 1905 (Mattox). 1913 was marked with the introduction of "Union-All" (Mattox), with the addition of belt loops in 1922. In 1924, "13 ounce denim Lee Rider jeans were introduced" (Mattox) to which was added a zipper in 1926. Next came the addition of a red tab to the rear pocket of the blue jeans. From 1930's to 1950's the world witnessed a rise and fall in the brand image with an introduction of Bell Bottoms in 1960's (Mattox) followed by replacement of Capital E. with small e on the RED tab at the back of the Levi's. 1990's saw changes in fashion industry that directly affected the garment or the textile industry making room for other companies to appear, compelling Levi's to come up with newer and more fashionable changes and designs.

However, due to competition and changing needs and fast altering trends in fashion market, in 1999, Levis Strauss & Co. had to unfortunately, shut down eleven manufacturing concerns in North America, downsizing an employee number of 5, 900 (Levis to close: 17). Although, Levis Strauss & Co. tried its best to be up to the expectations of the customers, survey reports suggest that since concentration as well as interest is increasing more towards casual, trendy and snazzy outfits followed by it's augmented demand, the company will have to ameliorate it's strategies and its designs in order to grab the lost market share and the appended profits (More Casual Dress).