Retro Denim & Jeans History
Instructions: From workwear to fashion statement, how well do you know the story of blue jeans through the decades?
- 1.
Which iconic Levi's jean style, featuring a button fly and straight leg, is the oldest continuously produced jean in the world?
ALevi's 505BLevi's 550CLevi's 501DLevi's 517 - 2.
What film star's appearance in jeans and a white T-shirt in 'Rebel Without a Cause' (1955) made denim a symbol of youth rebellion?
APaul NewmanBJames DeanCMarlon BrandoDElvis Presley - 3.
What were jeans originally called before the term 'jeans' became standard?
ADenim pantsBWork trousersCDungareesDWaist overalls - 4.
In the 1950s, some schools banned students from wearing jeans because they were associated with what?
ABeing unkemptBWorking classCPovertyDJuvenile delinquency - 5.
What popular jeans style, featuring a flared leg from the knee down, dominated 1970s fashion?
AWide legBStraight legCBootcutDBell-bottoms - 6.
Which jeans brand, founded in 1947 and known for its 'W' back pocket stitching, was originally designed for cowboys?
ARustlerBLevi'sCWranglerDLee - 7.
What special wash treatment, using pumice stones to soften new denim, became popular in the early 1980s?
AEnzyme washingBSand blastingCStone washingDAcid washing - 8.
What 1980s denim treatment created random bleached patterns on jeans using chlorine and pumice?
ASnow-washed jeansBBleached jeansCTie-dye denimDAcid-washed jeans - 9.
What did teenage girls in the 1970s commonly do to make their jeans fit as tightly as possible?
ASew them tighterBWear them wet in the bathtubCUse clothespinsDIron them smaller - 10.
Which Lee jeans style, designed specifically for women with a higher waist and slimmer fit, was introduced in the 1950s?
ALee MissesBLee SlimCLee Lady RiderDLee Riders - 11.
What decorative technique did hippies use to customize their jeans in the late 1960s and early 1970s?
AEmbroidery and patchesBSpray paintingCBedazzlingDLaser cutting - 12.
What denim item, cut from jeans just above the knee, became essential summer wear in the 1970s?
AJean romperBDenim caprisCJean skirtDCut-off denim shorts - 13.
What was the 'designer jeans war' of the late 1970s and early 1980s?
AA trade dispute over denim importsBA rivalry between Levi's and WranglerCCompetition between high-fashion brands putting their names on jeansDA legal battle over denim patents - 14.
What did the small pocket inside the right front pocket of jeans originally hold?
AKeysBA pocket watchCCoinsDA lighter - 15.
Which 1980s jeans brand used the advertising tagline 'Ooh la la, Sassoon!' in its TV commercials?
AGloria VanderbiltBSassonCJordacheDSergio Valente
Answer Key
The Levi's 501, originally produced in 1890, is the original riveted blue jean and the oldest continuously produced jean style in the world.
James Dean's iconic look of jeans, white T-shirt, and red jacket in 'Rebel Without a Cause' made blue jeans the uniform of teenage rebellion.
Levi's originally called their riveted denim pants 'waist overalls.' The term 'jeans' didn't become the standard name until the 1950s.
Many 1950s schools banned blue jeans because they were associated with juvenile delinquency, partly due to their appearance in movies about rebellious youth.
Bell-bottom jeans, with their dramatic flare from the knee down, were the definitive jeans style of the 1970s, often worn with platform shoes.
Wrangler was launched in 1947 specifically targeting the cowboy and rodeo market, becoming the official jeans of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.
Stone-washed jeans, created by tumbling denim with pumice stones to give a worn, faded look, became hugely popular in the early 1980s.
Acid-washed jeans, created by soaking pumice stones in chlorine and tumbling them with denim, were a defining 1980s fashion trend.
A common 1970s trick was to put on jeans, sit in a bathtub of hot water, then let them dry on your body so they would shrink to a skin-tight fit.
Lee Riders were originally designed as cowboy jeans but became popular with women in the 1950s and 1960s. Lee later made women-specific styles in response to demand.
Hippies embroidered flowers, peace signs, and colorful designs on their jeans, and applied patches over holes, making each pair a unique work of art.
Cut-off denim shorts (also called Daisy Dukes after the 1979 TV character) became a summer staple, made by simply cutting the legs off old jeans.
The designer jeans war saw brands like Calvin Klein, Gloria Vanderbilt, Jordache, and Sassoon competing fiercely to put their names on premium denim.
The small 'watch pocket' inside the front right pocket of jeans was originally designed by Levi's in the 1800s to hold a pocket watch.
Sasson jeans ran memorable TV commercials in the early 1980s with the catchy 'Ooh la la, Sasson!' jingle that became part of pop culture.