The Lowdown on Denim

In THE LOWDOWN ON DENIM, narrators JD and Shred take readers on a trip through the history of jeans, demonstrating that, whatever their style, jeans have always driven and reflected popular culture. They use their interest in denim to escort readers from wartime to the rodeo circuit and from environmental concerns to the rock and roll stage.

When blue jeans were invented in the 1870s, they were utilitarian — baggy, only a single pocket and held up with suspenders.

In the 1960s, they were bell-bottomed and embroidered, symbolizing the rebellion of the Woodstock era. Punks in the '70s held them together with safety pins, while '80s metal bands wore theirs acid-washed. Then the low-riding style worn by prisoners inspired '90s hip-hop fashion. Today, denim can be as personalized as an iPod playlist.