A Brief History of the Denim Jacket

Image via Complex Original

Date: Mid- to Late-19th Century (Edo Period)

The history of the denim jacket truly begins with indigo dye. Indigo has been a crucial dye in garment production for centuries, dating back to when the Silk Road was a major trade route, and the dye moved across the globe. In Japan, now known in modern times for its sheer mastery of indigo dye and denim, the origins of the denim jacket were first seen with indigo-dyed garments in the 1800s.

Back then, firemen wore specific chore coats known as Hanten. These ancestors to the modern denim jacket were woven out of wool, as silk and finer fabrics were forbidden by the Tokugawa Shogunate to those in the laboring classes. Indigo dye was used to denote what fire squad an individual belonged to, along with symbols to inspire luck or bravery. Naturally these weren't the best materials to fight fire with, and were constantly doused in water to prevent stray embers from lighting them ablaze while on the job.

Date: Late-19th Century

French for “work blue,” these coats were obviously named for their rich indigo-blue color, and were used (among other things) to denote a worker from a boss, who instead would wear a white or grey shirt or jacket. This type of work jacket would rise to prominence during the European Industrial Revolution and, as the name implies, in France in particular.

Though they proliferated in the pre-denim era, these jackets were actually pretty close to the modern denim jacket. They were constructed with cotton or canvas, but not in the style of the cotton denim that we know today. The word "denim" does have its origins in France, and refers to the fabric being from Nîmes, France (“de Nîmes,” get it?), but the material didn't truly proliferate through France until after Levi's and its contemporaries created their versions of denim in 19th century America. For a modern understanding of these “bleus” look at street style photographer Bill Cunningham. He wears a French work coat while snapping photos to this day.

Date: Circa 1905 (with updates in 1928, 1936, 1941, 1944, and 1947)

At the onset of the 20th century, Levi's entered the modern era with its "Type I" jacket. With a different cut and fabric than its predecessors but with the same purpose of providing rugged, comfortable workwear, Levi's set the standard for all denim jackets to come. The "Type I" had a particularly simple design, with one front pocket and a silver buckle cinch in the back. The front pocket did not include a flap covering until the '30s, and the “Big E” red tab was missing until 1939. These jackets are noted by their “506XX” lot numbers. While cowboys had been rocking chore coats and early denim “shackets” in some form since the 1880s, they wouldn't have been recognizable to today's consumer until the “Type I” was born.

Date: 1919 (With updates in 1933 and 1938)

In June of 1919, “working blues” were dubbed the standard by the U.S. Army, replacing the brown twill and canvas that was used prior. The uniform of the era included a jacket with a five button placket, a traditional shirt collar, a watch pocket and two open top pockets. If you were to walk into a shop today to cop a chore coat, they would most likely resemble this. In 1933, the Army opened up its uniform to include a one-piece worksuit that was worn by mechanics, drivers, machinists, and other machine-based technical laborers. This coverall would switch over to herringbone twill in 1938.

Date: World War II (1940-1945)

The Navy authorized denim as a part of its uniform in 1901, but only following the fabric's spread to officers and sailors in 1914 did denim truly took off on the high seas. The major usage was during World War II, where, as an on-board fatigue, members of the Navy wore indigo blues as part of their uniform. Traditionally produced in 12 oz. cotton denim, the jacket (which is more of a shirt jacket) featured open top pockets at the hip, a shawl collar, and cuff placket. This was worn with straight leg dungarees to complete the uniform. Often times, during work or while on board, it would be common to see sailors not with the denim jacket, but with a chambray shirt (traditionally in a lighter indigo) that would have normally been worn under the uniform's jacket.

Date: 1951

American singer Bing Crosby was barred from entering a Canadian hotel for wearing denim from head to toe and not keeping up to the establishment's dress code. While the hotel immediately realized who Crosby was and let him in regardless, word of the incident made its way back to Levi's, who whipped up a tuxedo for Bing—made completely out of denim. The tux was made up of the era's 501 jean denim and included a red tab mock corsage. Bing was given the tux in Elko, Nevada where he was honorary mayor, but the tux rose to cult status after he wore the one-of-a-kind get-up during press events for his latest film, “Here Comes the Groom.”

Date: 1953

In 1953, innovation would strike over at Levi's yet again as the brand reworked its original “Type I” denim jacket into what quickly became known as the “Type II.” Superficially, you can tell a “Type II” from its older brother by its two chest pockets and the loss of the back cinch. Looking closer, the “507XX” had a few more differences than the earlier “506XX” model. Like its predecessor, the “Type II” starts with a lighter 9 oz. denim, but adds bar tacks instead of rivets on the breast pockets and waist straps. Originally, the jackets had leather labels, but these were ultimately (and unfortunately) replaced throughout the '50s.

Date: 1957

Jeans were associated with the working class during World War II, but started crossing over to the youth in the '50s. Denim jeans quickly became the de facto image of cool after Marlon Brando rocked a ton of denim in the landmark film Rebel Without a Cause, but the jean jacket had to wait until Elvis Presley's performance in “Jailhouse Rock” to truly shine.

During the major dance sequence in the movie, Elvis sings the title track, clad in head-to-toe denim. Presley, who at the time was controversial for his “provocative” hip swinging on stage, added his rebellious cool to the look, thrusting the all-denim look into cool territory. The movie made such an impact, Levi's ultimately released a line of revolutionary black jeans under the “Elvis Presley Jeans” name. While Elvis was noted to dislike denim, the line made big bucks for Levi's as suburban kids rushed to imitate the bad boy look, and could be considered one of the first celebrity denim lines in history.

Date: 1962

There are many denim jackets, but there's one to rule them all. The “Type III,” also infamously known as the “trucker jacket” is easily distinguished from its older incarnations by the pointed flaps on its front chest pockets. The jacket is noticeably more tailored in design, and constructed out of 14 oz. preshrunk denim as opposed to the earlier models' 9 oz. raw denim base. The stitching thread of the "557XX" was also orange, as opposed to the earlier yellow thread. Considering this model's permanence in modern culture, there have a been a few alternations to the model, in the form of the “70505,” “71205,” and the “70518.” The changes between these different models are minimal, but a few details have shifted through the decades. With a few branding changes under its belt, these minute elements are critical in calculating the date of a vintage jacket. If it's a "Big E" jacket, meaning the red tab reads "LEVI'S,' then the jacket dates from the '50s to around 1971. If the red tab reads “Levi's,” then that jacket is from 1972 or later, and is known as a "Little e" jacket.

Date: Late-'60s to Mid-'70s

As a way to cash in on the hippie movement of the '60s and '70s, Levi's introduced its Orange Tab line, which created the same garments the brand had created and pioneered for years—but at a friendlier price. The Orange Tab Trucker Jacket was much like it's “Type III” predecessor, but instead used bar tacks in place of copper rivets, used a “like-leather” label patch, had simple stitching for the chest pockets, and was made with Line 8 construction, “a simple and more cost-effective method that involved fewer steps.” A major cosmetic change is the notable orange tab, which is how the line got its name. If you're looking at the very small details, noting that the Orange Tab line began in the late '60s, orange tab items are generally “Little e” items. Most importantly, the wallet-friendly price allowed for the denim jacket to really take off across the country and around the world.

Date: Mid-'80s to Mid-'90s

Calvin Klein, Diesel, Guess; these were some of the major designer labels that were lending their name not only to runway collections, but to one of the least high-fashion fabrics in history. Designer denim took jeans way out of the workplace and instead instilled the idea of a downtown cool to denim—a cool factor that had been significantly lacking once jeans became a staple in American suburban households in the middle of the 20th century. The cuts were typically cropped or significantly tailored and, like much of denim in this era, washed like crazy. Like Elvis in the '50s, the designer denim was provocative in its sex appeal, putting models like Kate Moss, Mark Whalberg, or Claudia Schiffer in denim (and not much else) to illustrate that denim wasn't just what your grandpa worked in anymore, it was sexy as hell.

Date: Late '00s to Today

When the Americana fascination brought people back to the idea of retro (like, turn of the 20th century retro) workwear around 2009-2010, stylish guys were investing in pieces that were replicas or carefully crafted recreations of what their fathers and grandfathers wore during work and at war. As the sentiment went at the time, investing in rugged clothing that was meant to last was a wise move, and allowed for a sense of masculinity to shine forth in an era where most men's toughest daily choice was kale or quinoa. 

In terms of modern-day designers, many labels have used the Levi's Trucker Jacket (which, at this point, has become the unofficial standard for all denim jackets) as a foundation, and applied the details and twists that are indicators of each brand's unique DNA. A lot of times this meant construction with super-luxe materials and techniques that have elevated the denim jacket to a veritable status symbol. Other times, it means taking the expensive production points out of the process, so that the masses can enjoy a timeless wardrobe staple. 

Going even further, avant-garde brands have gotten their hands on the essential item and played with the very concept of a denim jacket. Envelope-pushing entities like Hood By Air have re-worked the garment into concepts that break down previously untreaded territory with new silhouettes and cuts that are based on the classic. But no matter how you look at it, both schools of thought represent the contemporary wearer of the denim jacket.