A Feminist's Prerogative Part 3: The Essentiality of Denim Jeans

So here I simply had to do my research, tracing the everyday we now very much take granted often forgetting it wasn't always so...

Katherine Hepburn was the very first actress to wear pants in a motion picture, while Marlene Dietrich furthered the cause in the 1930s film, Morocco.

While woman had worn pants in both the war efforts as they were called to duty to fill in the gaps in the workforce while their men were on the frontline, they were for purpose and never for fashion's sake, women simply returning to the skirt or dress yet again when their men returned home to take up their former duties. Loosely cut trousers for ladies were starting to find their way into fashion with pioneering designers like Coco Chanel - such as in the silk pyjama suit - for 'leisure wear' but in general were not deemed 'socially acceptable' for the majority of occasions.

As for denim itself, the fabric has its origins in France where it began life as a fabric known as 'serge de Nimes'. It was created to be a long-lasting and robust fabric initially conceived of in Italy. The initial attempt to replicate the French fabric was a failure. However, it was in the process of trying to replicate this fabric that textile manufacturers discovered denim. At the time, the only colour available was blue, in no small part thanks to the indigo dye widely available at the time. Hence the timeless blue we've all come to associate with denim.

In 1853, a man named Levi Strauss sold this cotton fabric known as denim, and history was made when it found its way into the hands of a tailor by the name of Jacob W. Davis. By adding rivets and making amendments to the 'waist overalls' to make those parts that took the most stress more durable, the pair decided to couple up and launch what we now know as Levi Strauss & Co.

So how did this industrial item find its way into the mainstream of what it meant to be oh so cool and iconic?!

With the advent of the 'cowboy' epitomised by the likes of John Wayne and Gary Cooper, cinema suddenly made denim swaggy. And everyone wanted a piece of the action. Dude Ranch visitors would venture back home proudly showing off their worn-in Levi's as a badge of honour. And by the mid 1930s and early 1940s, Levi's were advertising to women too - and boldly so at the time! - promising them a piece of Western pie too! Known as 'Lady Levi's' the jeans were altered to better fit the female form.

But by the early 1950s denim was about to leave behind its 'wholesome' and 'all American' image to become a symbol of rebellion and total 'cool' as Elvis Presley and James Dean and Marlon Brando gave the boxy look a whole new lease on life. Some schools even went so far as to ban the garment of clothing, only making it more desirable in the eyes of a misspent youth.

When it came to truly cementing it as sexy when it came to women's fashion one need look no further than Marilyn Monroe famously donning denims in both Clash by Night (1952) and The Misfits (1961).

By the end of the 1960s and the advent of the 1970s, denim had cemented its role as a symbol for gender equality. Ringo Starr famously worn flared denims on the cover of Abbey Road while the other band members wore suits.

But truly... What could symbolise power and rebellion more than flagrantly making a fashion statement of a piece of clothing that had once been designed almost exclusively for men?

In 1973, Levi Strauss & Co. was presented with the Neiman Marcus Fashion Award for the 'single most important American contribution to worldwide fashion'.

And by the 1980s 'designer denim' filled the brimming pages of glossy magazines with gorgeous models and film stars in denim emblazoned with designer names like Calvin Klein. Although, it's hardly surprising that Levi's remains the heavy-hitter in the industry as the classic 501s remain the firm favourite of the French as one of their 'must-have' wardrobe staples.

But for all they are famous for THE 501s, synonymous today still with unaffected chic, Levi & Co. continue to push the envelope and in recent years the brand has made efforts to better fit a more diverse range of women's bodies, unveiling their Curve ID collection in 2010, and they continue to broaden their demographic through extensive research of women of different ages, body type, and ethnicities across the entire globe.

I asked my nan and my mum what they remembered about denims...

To the best of my nan's recollections, denim wasn't all that popular when she was young, with capri pants and leggings being the fashion.

My mum however says she'll never forget the moment she forked out for her very own pair of 501s, although she clearly remembers my nan making them all denim bellbottoms as a kid.

I guess my first love in the realm of 'pants' was first and foremost a pair of corduroy burnt orange bell bottoms I had when I was around 12 (or 13?) that I practically lived in!

But when it comes to denim...

In my own recollections, the first pair of denims I truly loved was a pair of 'twisted denims' launched as Levi's Engineered Jeans line in 1999. I found them in a visit to my mum in England. Slightly cropped and 'twisted' at the seams, I just loved them!

The second pair I can clearly recollect was a pair of Miss Sixty denims, an Italian brand. They were perfectly fitted for the female form at the waist with buttons at the bottom of the leg so you could wear them either skinny or straight legged. I wore those so to death that they had to patched up a thousand times over until there was no more saving them and I had to bid a fond farewell.

Next were a pair of second hand Calvin Kleins, almost androgynous in style, no flare no fuss, just the epitome of Klein's 'cool'. But when a man came a'begging at the door, and with nothing warm to wear, they were a perfect fit and I gave them away. Admittedly I was a bit manic at the time!

Lately I have a pair of baggy 'dad' jeans that I adore but sadly have put on some weight in a hopeless attempt to stop smoking and eat my body mass in sugar! So out came the ol' faithful stretchy jeggings for me, whose weight is always fluctuating as my psychiatrist adjusts and works on my meds for bipolar.

In honour of today's blog, I donned my jeggings and my favourite white blouse, for what can be a greater friend to the perfect denims than the classic white shirt?!

I remember reading, fondly now, an article in one of my aunt's Vogues so many years ago on 'The Clean Team', featuring women like Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, and Uma Thurman and Claudia Schiffer, in their 'uniform' of the white shirt and classic denims. They were effortlessly cool in their timelessness. A French manicure being the order of the day at most, and a minimalist approach to fashion and make-up and a beauty regime. I so longed to be just like them. It helped they were leggy and gorgeous and svelte I suppose!

Of course the white shirt itself has even a longer history than denim when Marie Antoinette first posed for a 1783 portrait in nothing but a ruffled cotton robe in white. Scandalous at the time as she was basically posing in her undergarments. But the fate of the white shirt was sealed. And denim would only revive this staple, whatever form it takes in your wardrobe.

As for finding your perfect fit, I can't help but remind to be a SMIDGE eco-conscious. So where you can't find what you're looking in vintage or second hand stores, go for SUSTAINABLE fashion with heavy-hitters like Levi's famously made to stand the ravages of time and pick a cut you're not likely to grow tired of too soon.