Customization is as much a part of our history as the rivet.
When our riveted work pants, considered the first blue jean, came onto the scene back in the 1800s, much of the patchwork jobs men would make to their pairs were based out of necessity. An early pair of jeans dating back to 1890 shows where one cowboy patched up parts of the pant that would have seen a lot of wear and tear that came with horseback riding.
Over the decades, Levi’s® jeans have evolved with the consumer as well as the culture. Our resident historian, Tracey Panek, walked Teen Vogue through the history of notable customizations throughout the brand’s existence, highlighting “an established history in which Levi’s jeans have served as a blank canvas for functionality and later, a hotbed of creativity,” as Teen Vogue put it.
Tracey also goes on to call out how our consumers guided many of our own jean customizations, like the bell-bottom trend that was conceived of by the counter-culture that thrived here in San Francisco, the hometown of Levi Strauss & Co.
Check out some of our more colorful customization examples straight from our Archives via Teen Vogue.
