Levi's

Levi's could be described as the dons of denim or the godfather of jeans. The company was established by Bavarian Loeb Strauss (he later changed his name to Levi) who emigrated to the US in 1847. In 1872 he was approached by a tailor, Jacob Davis, who had an idea for using metal rivets in overalls to increase their strength and wanted Strauss to share the cost of the patent. Using Jacob's rivet innovation the first pair of Levi's were produced in 1873.

While worldwide sales of Levi jeans have fallen in recent years, there's no doubting the emotional association many people have with the brand. Levi's are one of the only jeans which retain their value - secondhand styles are sought after by collectors and often bought in preference to new ones. Levi's are also regularly cited as 'the first pair of jeans' bought. The introduction of Engineered Jeans is 200 was hailed as reinventing jeans for the 21st century and has helped to boost sales but in September 2001 Levi's had to recall its new Glossy Finish jeans after two employees reported experiencing minor skin irritations.

www.levis.com