Levi Strauss, a Bavarian, founded his company in 1853 in San Francisco, California. In 1873 he and Jacob Davis patented trousers made from denim that were reinforced with copper rivets on stress points. For years they were mostly sold to working people, but after the Second World War jeans became popular with young people. In the 1960s and 1970s jeans became very popular.

In Eastern Europe jeans became the symbol of freedom and as a Westerner you could make many friends by giving them as gifts.

In Europe they were marketed as exclusive and at high price, while in the USA they were normal work clothes and sold on the cheap side.

Levi’s can be easily recognised by the red tab on the right back pocket.