Jeans were created by Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis, who patented rivet‑reinforced denim work pants on May 20, 1873, a date widely considered the “birthday” of blue jeans.

Key details

• The pivotal innovation was adding metal rivets at stress points to make durable work trousers, leading to what we now call jeans.

• Although denim work pants existed earlier, the 1873 U.S. patent jointly held by Levi Strauss and tailor Jacob Davis marks the recognized start of blue jeans as a distinct garment.

• Early jeans were called “waist overalls” and only became popularly known as “jeans” around 1960, after widespread cultural adoption.

Background

• Levi Strauss was a dry goods merchant in San Francisco who supplied fabric; Jacob Davis, a Reno tailor, devised the rivet reinforcement and enlisted Strauss to co‑file the patent due to funding needs.

• Levi Strauss & Co. identifies May 20, 1873, as the official “birthday” of blue jeans, underscoring the rivet reinforcement as the defining feature distinguishing jeans from earlier denim trousers.

Broader origins

• Denim as a sturdy cotton twill fabric predates jeans and was long used for workwear; jeans evolved from this tradition but became iconic through the patented riveted design popularized by Levi Strauss & Co..