Who doesn’t own a pair of denim pants nowadays? It is comfortable and trendy, much loved by everyone, be it men or women. So who would’ve ever thought such an everyday clothing item was the

symbol of revolution?

The ‘jeans' were invented by Jacob W. Davis and Levi Strauss & Co. in 1871. Originally designed for miners and workers who needed sturdy work clothes that could handle wear and tear, but Levi Strauss

& Co. also popularized it as casual attire.

Jeans were picked up by youths as signs of rebellion. Pop bands also started donning the denim jeans. Beatnik poets and counterculture youth embraced the look.

During WWII, some workers began wearing durable denims while employed in factories. When soldiers weren’t wearing uniforms, they wore jeans and T-shirt.

Jeans were also big revolutionary symbols in Russia. Denims first came to Russia in 1958,as a part of the cultural exhibition to ease Cold War tensions. Soviet officials banned the textile because it was

associated with Western values. It was desirable in the black market in Russia. When the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, the first youth who dismantled the bricks were photographed in blue jeans.

Jeans have also been a big symbol for feminists. Women started borrowing the men’s jeans. It was comfortable work clothes as women now started working. It also showed the equality among men and

women. The ‘Ladies' Levis’ were first started in 1934, a miracle because pants for women were not mainstream until decades later.

Isn’t it so incredible how a simple item could become so revolutionary? Yet it is so commonplace for all of us. This just increased my love for this lovely textile.