Reading Blue Jeans: Clothing and Culture

This fascinating look at blue jeans—one of the most popular garments in the world today—not only traces the history of the trousers, but also raises interesting questions about fashion marketing, youth culture, globalization, and industrialization. When Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis obtained the $68 patent on a “riveted overall” in 1873, they had no idea that in the next century, not only would their workman's garment morph into a $15 billion-a-year business in America alone, but that it would become an icon of an entirely new culture. This excellent, tightly edited program effectively combines historical photos with archival footage to illustrate early design details such as the rivets and the watch pocket, while vintage ads and Hollywood stills demonstrate how youths began wearing jeans during the birth of the counterculture in the 1950s. Viewers will learn how blue jeans are constructed, along with various bits of denim lore, such as the development of Levi's 501s, what a Whizit was, and why the pants are blue. Featuring a fast-moving script filled with interesting facts, Reading Blue Jeans presents an intriguing overview of a piece of apparel worn worldwide but still somehow uniquely American. A PDF teaching guide is also available for download. Highly recommended. Aud: J, H, P. (E. Gieschen)