Today we'll talk about the history of blue jeans. For many people, blue jeans stand for (代表) American culture. The history of blue jeans usually began with a man named Levi Strauss. He did not invent jeans. But he is the first person to produce and sell them in large numbers. Levi Strauss was born in Germany. In 1847, he and his family moved to the United States. He opened a small store and sold jeans. These pants were especially useful for miners (矿工) in California. They needed strong clothing. Levi Strauss worked with Jacob Davis, who had invented a step for making rivets (铆钉) for jeans. They helped make the blue jeans stronger.
In 1873, Strauss and Davis received a patent (专利) to own this invention. Nineteenth century workers would probably be surprised to know that their pants would one day become fashions. Today, jeans are worn by people of all ages. Jeans come in many colors other than blue and in many styles and prices. Fashion designers even create very costly jeans.
Writer James published a book called Jeans: A Cultural History of an American Icon (偶像). In the book, he says jeans serve as a sign for two American values, creativity and rebellion (叛逆).
