The Blue Jean Book: The Story Behind the Seams

Anne Hutchings, a former elementary-school teacher-librarian with the
Durham Board of Education, is an educational consultant.

“Do you have some jeans you really love, / Ones that you feel so
groovy in? / I love my jeans, I love my jeans, / My jeans are so
comfortably lovely” (from “I Love My Shirt,” Donovan). The words
of the old 1960s-era song reflect the public’s love affair with jeans.
For the countless thousands who, like another singer-songwriter, Neil
Diamond, would “much rather be forever in blue jeans,” The Blue Jean
Book is the perfect choice.

The book traces the evolution of our favourite apparel, from the
gold-rush days when Levi Strauss and his partner, Jacob Davis, patented
their copper-riveted, heavy-duty “waist-high overalls” and sold them
to miners, to the designer-label, celebrity-endorsed jeans of today.
From “serge de Nimes” or “denim” to the Arcuate design (orange
wings) on the back pockets, from rival Henry Lee’s revolutionary
zippered-fly jeans introduced in 1926 to the famous red tab, from the
butts of the movie cowboys of the 1930s to Rosie the Riveter’s biceps,
this book has it all. At the same time, the author explores the social
and cultural history of the period.

In a chapter titled “Borderless Blues,” Kyi raises a number of
environmental and ethical issues: the use of harmful pesticides in the
production of cotton used to make jeans, the sweatshop conditions in
many of the offshore factories where jeans are manufactured, and
finally, the problem of counterfeiting and smuggling. Suggestions are
offered as to how we, the consumers, can address these problems.

The Blue Jean Book is well organized, beautifully designed, and
liberally illustrated with captioned photographs, many dating back to
the late 1800s; particularly noteworthy are the reproductions of actual
advertisements that have appeared over the years. The “denim” back
pockets and Jeans Were There sidebars provide a wealth of additional
information. Those wishing to do further research will appreciate the
list of sources included at the end of the book.

Young adults will enjoy this fascinating account of perhaps the most
popular item of clothing of all time. Highly recommended.