Long Live Denim

I came across this phrase “Denim is dead. Long live denim!” on one of my jeans. The two phrases are curved on the buttons. It is a parody of the famous proclamation of the French monarch accessions, in which they say “The King is dead. Long live the King!”. The former ‘King’ means the monarch just died, while the latter means his heir, the successor of the throne. At some degree, “Denim is dead. Long live denim!” did certainly make sense because every time we think denim is out of the stage, it made a comeback, and it never completely out of history.

The Levi's 501 Campaign - Rebellious look

Denim mainly originated from America. In the 18^th century, worker wore denim because it’s strong and it did not wear out easily. It is still one of the best things about denim. In the 19^th century, the gold in California drew millions of workers to the west and a cloth company was born to supply jeans for the gold miners, which has later transform to Levi’s. In 1930’s, denim became very popular due to the rise of western films. The cowboys who wore jeans and denim jackets have transfer their “tough man” quality into the clothes. In 50’s, denim became popular with the youth in America, for it is somehow associated with being cool and rebellious. Later the rise of rock bands has further push the fad about denim. From then the design starts to diversify. Different colours appear, along with different way to treat the fabric. Pre-wash, stone-wash, sandblasting, shabby, rotten or dirty look. There’s always something about denim that keeps it in the game. That’s another good thing about denim; you never worry your jeans is old or worn out, it’s always casual, it’s cool.

Last, a very innovative video to share, it is a Diesel campaign, showing various jeans, in a very cool and fresh presentation.

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