An Appreciation for the Denim Jacket: Inception to Through the 1960s

 Question: What do Beyoncé, me, and a railway worker from the 1900s have in common? 

Answer: We have all worn a denim jacket.

One of the most symbolic and enduring articles of clothing, some records say the denim jacket was invented in Germany in the early 1800s. In the U.S. though, Levi Strauss introduced the denim jacket (also called the jean jacket or trucker jacket) in the 1880s. This was about ten years after he introduced his denim jeans. The first jacket was called the 'Triple Pleat Blouse'. Levi Straus historian (hello dream job!) Tracey Panek states 'Our denim jacket was incredibly durable for various types of manual labor. The horizontal seams holding down the pleats could be removed to give the wearer extra room." 

Levi's Vintage Clothing 1880 Triple Pleat Blouse

The jacket was originally designed to be durable and long-lasting for the working man. It was known for its triple pleated front, back cinch, and rivets on the wrist cuffs. In 1936, the iconic Red Tab was placed on the jacket to distinguish it as a true Levi garment as there were many dupes starting to pop up. 

Singer Bing Crosby was an early adopter of the denim jacket and is often credited with the invention of the 'Canadian Tuxedo' after he was denied entry into a hotel in Canada because he wore jeans. Levi's heard about this and created a denim tuxedo jacket to match his jeans thus coining the term 'Canadian Tuxedo'. 

Photo from Levi's

Fast forwarding a few years to 1953, Levi's released the next evolution of the denim jacket, Type 2. This version added a second pocket to the front, exchanged the back cinch for button waist adjusters, and was longer and less boxy than the previous version. 

Photo from Paynter.co.uk

Type 3 of the jacket soon was designed in the 60s and this version is still in use today. The designer, Chris Lucifer, wanted to create a more slimmed-down version. This jacket has two V seams in the front, the back pleats were removed, and its longer shape adds to the slimmer silhouette. The 50s-60s is when the denim jacket solidified itself as a wardrobe staple. Once the jacket was seen on pop culture figures, like James Dean and Marilyn Monroe, the youth everywhere took to it like wildfire and it quickly became a staple in everyone's wardrobe. By now the jacket was less for the "working man" and was becoming progressively a sign of youth culture and rebellion. During this time, rock and roll was becoming incresingly popular through figures such as Chuck Berry, Lil Richard, and Elvis. 

Photo of George Harrison of The Beatles from GQ

There is SO much history with the denim jacket and as I was doing research for this I kept finding more and more information that was so intriguing that my little brain could not handle so there will be a part two which will cover the denim jacket from the 1970s through today (and possibly the future?).

What is your favorite rendition of the denim jacket and what are some iconic denim jacket moments as of late?