Encyclopedia of Jewish History and Culture Online

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Levi’s
(1,701 words)

Work pants made from denim or cotton ticking, produced since 1873 in San Francisco by the German-born Jew Levi Strauss. In subsequent decades, the item of clothing evolved into a cultural icon and is considered the epitome of jeans to this day. The success story of the “Levi’s” can also be read as a history of Jewish participation in the opening and settling of the American West.

1. The invention of “blue jeans”

The invention of the item of clothing now known as “blue jeans” dates back to …

Cite this page
F. Kahn, Ava, “Levi’s”, in: Encyclopedia of Jewish History and Culture Online, Original German Language Edition: Enzyklopädie Jüdischer Geschichte und Kultur. Im Auftrag der Sächsischen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Leipzig herausgegeben von Dan Diner. © J.B. Metzler, Stuttgart/Springer-Verlag GmbH Deutschland 2011–2017. Consulted online on 04 October 2023 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2468-8894_ejhc_COM_0447>
First published online: 2017
First print edition: 20200106



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