Wondering about wild grapes

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Wondering About Löb Strauß

How many of you have heard of Löb Strauß who was born on this date back in 1829?  Now come on, if you said no, you are wrong.  I would be willing to bet my last dollar that every one of you have heard of him.

Ok, Löb Strauß is the German name, but here in the U.S. and most all of the world, he is known by Levi Strauss.  Yes, he was the creator of the first company to make blue jeans in the U.S.  I don't know how we could have ever managed to survive without blue jeans.  And yes, I believe blue jeans should be made out of blue denim and not some other color, because they are named BLUE jeans.

One of Strauss's customers was an inventor, Jacob Davis, who invented the first pair of riveted denim pants back in 1871.  He went into business with Strauss and they began producing blue jeans.  And I guess the way that Paul Harvey ended his shows is appropriate here, too.  "And now you know the rest of the story."   So, put on your blue jeans and have a great day, you hear?

17 comments:

  1. My younger bro, when he was about 18, borrowed a pair of mine, and the way they fit, wouldn't ever wear anything else...

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    1. I usually have jeans on all the time, except when I go to bed at night.

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  2. I will grant you that the pants made by Levi Strauss were made from blue denim but he did not call them Blue Jeans. Indeed, until 1960, Levi Strauss called its flagship product "waist overalls" rather than "jeans". They were just like bib overalls without the bib.

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    1. Of course the man who invented blue jeans was Jacob Davis who made riveted denim pants back in 1871. And from what I could find out, they were pants, not overalls.

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  3. I bought a pair of Levis 501's two or three weeks ago, it had been a long time since I'd spent that kind of money on 501's. I usually keep a pair of cheap blue jeans around but I'm still up in long pants country and I'd always liked the 501's.
    In about a week one of the belt loops pulled out from one end, these are not the same 501's I used to buy... I learned an expensive lesson about the quality of 'new' Levis.
    I didn't know we shared a birthday!

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    1. Well, happy belated birthday. So you were a Valentine's gift to your Mom also.

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  4. Turns out you are right, I do know Lob Straub. As for your commented on my blog-- I couldn't do a PA winter now. Me either! I'm ready to move. We have been in a deep freeze for longer than man or beast should have to bare. Just looked out the window. It's snowing again! Spring can't come soon enough!!!!!

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    1. I remember it hanging on some years when I lived up there. A couple of times it snowed on April 15th, the first day of trout season back then, a couple of years.

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  5. What do you know...I do know him!

    In the 70's I used to buy boys Levy Strauss and loved them. Back then there wasn't the large variety of ladies jeans that there is now.

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  6. I've worn jeans since I was about 10 years old... when I was 18 I can remember that I wore a men's size 24 waist... (women's jeans weren't very popular... nor were they as sturdy). Wow! Has time changed... I couldn't get my big toe in those jeans now... and women's jeans comes in all styles, sizes, shapes and yes, even colors!

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    1. Oh come now. . . I bet you still have your girlish figure.

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  7. One thing you learn quick is if you jump into your jeans as they come right from the dryer, those copper rivets will burn a round quarter inch brand into your flank steaks.

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    1. Almost all my shirts have snaps. You got to be careful with them right out of the dryer, too. One time I had a button shirt on and wasn't thinking when I went to take it off and just yanked it open like I do with snap ones. . . buttons all over the floor.

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  8. In hi school, we put em on wet, let em shrink to size....were all button up then, had to lay across the bed to button them.

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    1. Yep, you girls did that, we guys didn't, at least most of us didn't . . . there were always a few guys that wore them extra tight. Maybe that is why they were talking in such a high pitched voice (grin).

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