On this day (20 May) in 1873, blue jeans were invented!

On 20 May 1873, Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis received a patent for blue jeans, officially marking the birth of the iconic work pants that would later become a fashion staple.

The invention was a collaboration between Strauss, a dry goods merchant, and Davis, a tailor, who worked together to create riveted pants for men's workwear.

The blue jeans, initially called 'waist overalls' or 'overalls', were made of denim and had metal rivets to reinforce stress points, making them durable for labourers.

If you were wondering, the word 'jeans' comes from a twilled cotton fabric called 'Genoa fustian', often used to make durable workwear.

Labourers in the United States referred to their workwear as 'jeans', after the city of Genoa, where the fabric was initially woven.

When jeans first appeared, they were derided as 'fornication pants' due to the visible buttons, suggestive of being taken off.

Fast-forward to today; jeans have stood the test of time, a classic in every form: flare, bootleg, skinny, straight, wide-leg, mom... they're all fab!