Editor’s note: We were saddened to hear of Jimmy Carter’s passing. In his honor, and in recognition of the official state funeral today in Washington, D.C., we’re remembering the former president’s special connection with our denim.
When the late President Jimmy Carter dressed in Levi’s® blue jeans in the White House in the 1970s, he modeled a new image of acceptable presidential dress. Whether on a working vacation in Georgia or negotiating with Egyptian President Anwar El-Sadat at Camp David, President Carter’s Levi’s® jeans symbolized working-class America, humility and comfort — all characteristics of the then-president.
Blue Jeans for Every Occasion for a Presidential Candidate
“‘Jimmy Who?’ Wears What?” headlined an August 1976 article in the “Levi’s Letter,” a Levi Strauss & Co. employee newsletter. At the time, then-Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter — who was little known outside of Georgia and came from working-class roots growing peanuts in Plains, Georgia — was campaigning for the United States presidency. “We can’t help but notice, in the many articles about the Democratic presidential candidate, how many references are made to the fact that Jimmy Carter wears Levi’s®,” the article stated.
Citing The New York Daily News, the piece continued to describe Carter at a barbecue in his hometown. “‘Jimmy dressed down-home too, a baby-blue work shirt [and] faded blue Levi’s® scarring a bit at the knees, and workman’s boots.’”
To Carter, comfort not only referred to clothes, but also comfort in one’s own skin and convictions. He wore blue jeans to farm and while he was in public office. For example, American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan recalled being greeted by a Levi’s®-wearing Carter at the governor’s mansion in Atlanta. Journalist and author Hunter Thompson wrote in a 1976 Rolling Stone article that he “didn’t even recognize Carter” when he met him at the door wearing Levi’s® jeans.
As the New York Times put it in 1976, “Jeans are an authentic part of Carter’s character.”
Bringing Levi’s® — and Authenticity — to the White House
Carter carried his unassuming dress habits to Washington, D.C., dressing in the White House as he had at home in Plains. His Levi’s® jeans had the inherent power to both convey his identity and to make a symbolic statement to the public of his authenticity — they made him seem more like an average guy than a president.
President Carter was the first in a line of U.S. presidents to publicly dress in Levi’s® jeans, wearing them both in and outside the White House. A lover of the outdoors, he became friends with LS&Co. Chairman Walter Haas. Walter’s son and future LS&Co. President, Bob Haas, recalled, “An avid fly-fisherman, [Jimmy] and his wife, Roselynn, were guests at my father’s ranch on the Boulder River in Montana.” A few photos in the Levi’s® Archives feature President Carter and Walter, clad in Levi’s ®, horseback riding, camping and enjoying other wilderness adventures.
It is arguable that more Levi’s® were worn simultaneously in the White House during the Carter’s administration at any one time than during any other U.S. presidency. This is because 550 American athletes visited the White House when Carter boycotted the Moscow summer games in 1980. LS&Co. was the official outfitter of the U.S. team, outfitting all the athletes for a five-day celebration in Washington that included a special White House dinner. Joining the athletes were six lucky LS&Co. employees — LS&Co. had received six tickets to the White House dinner, so Walter Haas put the names of all U.S. employees into a hat and chose six to attend the event.
A Legacy Decades in the Making
President Carter left the White House in 1981 and stayed busy for the next five decades, becoming a renowned humanitarian. He was known for his work with Habitat for Humanity as well as establishing the Carter Center, whose goal is to advance human rights and alleviate human suffering — he received a Nobel Peace Prize for his work through the center.
Whether farming or volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, Carter wasn’t afraid of hard work. “I drove a few post holes the morning after Christmas,” Carter wrote to LS&Co. in 1984. Included in his letter was a Levi’s® denim glove.
The 39th President of the United States lived to be 100, passing away on December 29, 2024. This seems a fitting Levi’s® milestone if you consider that when Carter entered the White House in 1977, his favorite blue jeans had just passed their own centennial mark. It was in 1873 that Levi Strauss & Co. and tailor Jacob Davis received a U.S. patent for riveting the pockets in work pants, marking the birth of an American original — the modern blue jean — and garment of the blue-collar worker. “For Men Who Toil,” extolled early Levi’s® advertisements.
Given the notable Levi’s® legacy of the late President Carter, a more appropriate tagline might be:
“Levi’s®. For Men — and Presidents — Who Toil.”
