Levis Jeans - An American TraditionWritten by Johann Erickson
They’re lean, they’re mean, they’re original 501 Levis Jeans. And material, if not actual pants, has been around for over 200 years.
There is great debate over where heart and soul of Levis jeans, denim material, came from. General theory says that it was named for a material first made in France around end of 1700s, and known as serge de Nimes. But problem was that serge, was made of silk and wool, whereas denim has always been made of cotton. The name however, made sense, since de Nimes, of Nimes, was simply pronounced denim.
Complicating matters, was that a material was imported from Genoa, Italy around same time. Jean, was a fustian- a blend of cotton, linen and/or wool. It sounded same, but just wasn’t made same. Though similar in many ways, denim was stronger material, which is likely why it ended up in Levi’s jeans, instead of sturdy, but less durable, jean.
Both materials crossed Atlantic to America, in late 18th century, where by 1800s, each had developed a distinctive composition and use. Jean went into clothes worn by men not engaged in manual labor, while denim became material of workingman’s attire.
Levi Strauss, who had immigrated from Germany in 1829, set off for San Francisco in 1853 to open a branch of his step-brother’s dry goods business. Among many items he sold were jean pants that he ordered from back East. Then in 1872, he was contacted by Jacob Davis, of Reno, Nevada. Davis had a brilliant idea to strengthen men’s pants by adding metal rivets. But he didn’t have money for patent. He proposed a partnership, and so Strauss paid for copyright, and in face of demand for stronger, longer lasting pants, switched fabric they were made of to denim. But “jean” stuck, and although he was manufacturing Levi’s waist overalls, original name for Levi’s jeans, that label eventually fell by wayside.
| | Timberland Boots - For Hiking, Camping, and Everything ElseWritten by Johann Erickson
Timberland shoes and boots are relative newcomers to footwear scene, when you consider history of this type of footwear.
The oldest known evidence of boots comes from a clay impression in Ancient Syria, while cave paintings in Spain, which date back as far as 15,000B.C. show a man in boots of skin and a female in boots of fur. More modern evidence was uncovered in an Egyptian tomb circa 2000B.C.
One of peculiarities of boots, is that they were a necessity, and at same time, a fashion statement, even in relatively rough early periods of modern man. Peasants wore whatever they could cobble together, while even in 16th century, men of means wore highly decorative boots that were useless for all practical purposes. Somewhere during that era in history, even leather guilds that crafted boots for gentlemen, realized that something heavier and more durable was needed for such activities as riding.
But more changes were in store, before Timberland boots arrived on scene. The longer, mid-calf boot that was popular until 19th century, gave way to shorter styles worn with spats. As 20th century rolled on, blutcher army boot served as a precursor to today’s recreational boot. These were quickly followed by canvas boot worn by baseball players in 1930s, biker boots from 50s, chukka boots in 60s, and in 1975, Timberland shoes and boots became part of American lexicon.
Today, Timberland produces a wide range
|
