It is believed that denim was first invented in Genoa, Italy, as far back as the 1500s. It was made for the Italian navy to wear while on duty.
The word ‘jeans’ comes from the word ‘Genes’, which is the French word for the city of Genoa.
Denim has been around for several hundred years, but in the 1960s, people began to see it as a sign of rebellion among young people. Establishments began refusing entry to people in jeans as they were worried they were part of a protest.
It was first seen in the 16th century, but Levi Strauss was the man who popularised the material in the 1870s. He made clothes for miners and other working class people since the material was inexpensive.