Jeans are the most popular and arguably the most comfortable clothing item. It’s safe to say that most of us own at least one pair of jeans.

1. It is believed that denim fabric first appeared in Genoa in the 1500s. It was intended for making clothes for Italian sailors.

2. According to statistics, the average American owns about 7 pairs of jeans.

3. The word “jeans“ comes from the French word “Genes,“ which is how they refer to Genoa.

4. Jeans were invented by a Bavarian Jewish merchant named Leiba Strauss (or Levi Strauss, as he was nicknamed by the Americans), who arrived in California in 1853. The first customer for his tailor-made pants was a drunken gold prospector who demanded “durable pants that would be comfortable not only for work, but also for sleeping on the ground.“ Levi Strauss fulfilled the order, charging only $1.20. These were the very first jeans in the world.

5. Jeans were considered workwear for rural residents until James Dean popularized them in his movies. Since then, they have become an iconic symbol of rebelliousness.

6. There is no country on our planet where people have never worn jeans.

7. Levi Strauss, the creator of jeans, never wore them himself. They were inexpensive clothing for the working class, while Strauss was a wealthy businessman.

8. In July 2008, Levi Strauss released a model of jeans with built-in pockets for connecting to a computer and a remote control for an iPod player.

9. In the 1950s, young people wearing jeans could easily be expelled from school, denied entry to theaters or restaurants.

10. The majority of jeans in the world are produced in China.

11. There is a Jeans Museum, opened in July 2006 in Xiamen, China, at the “Fashion Slavery“ exhibition.

12. Britney Spears became the proud owner of Marilyn Monroe’s jeans, which were worth almost $80,000. The gift was given by the famous designer Tommy Hilfiger.

13. It takes 225 pairs of jeans to make one bale of cotton.

14. During World War II, American soldiers loved wearing jeans during their free time and gladly sold denim to the local population. This is how jeans became popular in Europe.

15. In 1936, jeans were first sewn with a label. It was a red tag next to the back pocket of Levi’s jeans.

16. In the Soviet Union, jeans were first introduced to a wide audience in 1958 at the International Congress of Students and Young People. Soviet youth immediately fell in love with this fashionable overseas novelty.

17. The most expensive pair of jeans costs $60,000 – original 501 Levi Strauss & Co jeans from 1951. They were purchased by a Japanese collector in 2005.

18. The longest jeans in the world measure 68 meters in length and 35 meters in width. They weigh three tons.

19. The trend of ripped jeans only emerged in the 21st century. Before that, ripped jeans were equated with any other torn clothing and were not valued.

20. Although Italians were the first to produce this fabric, the material itself originated from the French city of Nîmes. “De Nîmes“ means “from Nîmes,“ hence the name “denim.“

21. The worldwide celebration of Jeans Day is observed on February 26th.

22. Italian designer Roberto Cavalli made a significant contribution to the development of jeans. He invented Lycra, which made jeans stretchy. Fashion historians still consider this an important technological breakthrough in the history of jeans in the 20th century.

23. In the 50s, 60s, and 70s, baggy or cropped jeans were popular. Nowadays, people prefer to wear skinny jeans. They are made by combining denim with elastane, which makes the material more stretchy.

24. Bruce Willis played his first role in an advertisement. It was a Levi’s jeans commercial.

25. If you’ve ever wondered why the inside of jeans is white, it’s because only the outside is dyed.

26. The oldest pair of jeans was found in an old mine in 1998. According to the date, the jeans were 115 years old.

27. Yoshida Kogyo Kabushikikaisha is the company that produces 90% of the zippers for jeans. The initials YKK can often be seen on zipper fasteners.