Jeans: A Cultural History of an American Icon

Fashion critics have called blue jeans "the American uniform." Whether torn and frayed or pressed and embroidered, they are the definitive icon of our contemporary culture. How did this simple pair of denim cotton indigo-dyed pants come to mean so much to so many? In "Jeans," journalist and pop culture critic James Sullivan tells the story of this amazing garment, from its humble utilitarian origins to its ubiquitous presence in the 21st-century global economy. Covering a broad range of topics - from the rise and fall of the indigo industry to the enduring mythos of the cowboy, the explosion of teen culture in the Baby Boom era, and the globalization of textile manufacturing - "Jeans" is a history of American culture as told through its favorite pants.