Rhetoric of Blue Jeans free essay sample

â€Å"Blue Jeans† by Fred Davis talks about denim jeans, their creation about 700 years ago, and how since then this item of apparel has served as a form of expression. Jeans were and still are made from sturdy indigo- dyed cotton cloth. Before the 60’s one did not see blue jeans on everyone, in the 30’s and 40’s painters and artist were the main consumers, and in the 50’s the denim trend spread to hoodlums and motorcyclist. Not until the 60’s did jeans become universally worn, crossing all genders, ages, regions and national boundaries. In the 60’s Jeans also crossed the occupational boundaries; no longer being looked at as a work tool but simply another article of clothing. What is it that makes jeans the one apparel item that has made them the fashion statement that they are today? According to Davis, the idea behind jeans was that they crossed over boundaries and did not look at class or status, jeans were simple and anyone could wear them. We will write a custom essay sample on Rhetoric of Blue Jeans or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page For the common man and unpretentious, they stood for the symbol of the American West free spirited and self-reliant. This way of thinking did not stand for a long time, according to Davis, because at the end of the day, social status still counts. Davis states that once Jeans hit the mass marketplace what they stood for changed. Jeans were no longer the same to all people because they became part of fashion, creating many different types and styles. The new message was one of the fashion industry, and if you were not â€Å"in fashion† you simply were not up to date. Elite vs. Populist status market In the 90’s Urban Denim made jeans a fashion garment by developing a men’s fall collection that eluded the idea of jeans no longer being about â€Å"western cowboys and country†. The word denim was versatile, not only meaning play clothes but also meaning office clothes. Jeans were now a symbol of taste, distinction, and hierarchical division. Conspicuous Poverty: Fading and Fringing Soon the faded and fringed look became more popular than ever, more so to the younger generations. With the growth in demand for the faded look, Davis says, companies manufacturing of these â€Å"older looking† jeans caused an inflammation of product cost. Labeling, Ornamentation, and Eroticization Designer jeans were the next popular trend in the American fashion and denim movement. With this new trend and shift towards individuality, silhouettes and overall fitting, jeans changed drastically. Men’s denim became more loose and relaxed fitting, while females squeezed into skinnier, tighter denim fits. Now when someone went in to purchase a pain of slacks, they had to think about their decision much harder. What kind material, wash, pocket, fit, etc. did they want? This complex decision was exciting to consumers. They felt a more individual sense of expression when they chose every aspect of their new jeans, truly exposing the real purpose of the fashion industry and movement at that time. Designer Jeans Soon, the new trend was designer labels on denim. Consumers, especially of the middle and lower classes, loved this new movement. Designers such as Yves Saint Laurent, Oscar de la Renta, Dolce Gabbana, or Gloria Vanderbilt would sew their prestigious labels on the back pockets of jeans and sell them at a price that every consumer could push to afford. With ultra expensive collections by these designers that only the upper class could buy, wearing denim with designer labels ultimately manipulated an image of an individual coming from any class. It gave the lower classes of America that vibrant feeling of wealth and hierarchy of social status. Davis concludes that fashion is a movement everyone follows weather intentionally or not. It is a movement that shapes our country, and influences the world. Trends are set through the aesthetically pleasing and unspoken language of fashion. Through articles of clothing like blue jeans, individuals can express themselves, their lives, and futures through a miniscule pair of pants. Through the evolution of these iconic blue denim pants, individuality and expression of ones self have been changed forever.