Blue Jeans

Object Lessons is a series of short, beautifully designed books about the hidden lives of ordinary things.Few clothing items are as ubiquitous or as casual as blue jeans. Yet, their simplicity is deceptive. Blue jeans are nothing if not an exercise in opposites. Americans have accepted jeans as a symbol of their culture, but today, they are a global good. Levi Strauss made blue jeans in the 1870s to withstand the hard work of mining, but now, jeans are the epitome of leisure. In the 1950s, celebrities like Marlon Brando transformed the utilitarian clothing of industrial labor into a glamorous statement of youthful rebellion, and now, you can find jeans on the c est fashion runways. For some, indigo blue might be the color of freedom, but for others, it''s the color of oppression and slavery. Blue Jeans considers the versatility of this iconic garment and investigates what makes denim a universal signifier, ready to fit any context, meaning, and body.Object Lessons is published in partnership with an essay series in The Atlantic .>

Like a best friend in a changing room, Purnell provides funny, fascinating, and sometimes horrifying commentary on your taste in jeans. Never again will you slip on a pair without thinking about the global historical and economic forces shaping your rear end.

Autorentext
Carolyn Purnell is a historian, writer, and lover of all things colorful. She is the author of The Sensational Past: How the Enlightenment Changed the Way We Use Our Senses, and her work has appeared in publications including Psychology Today, Wall Street Journal, CityLab by The Atlantic, Good Housekeeping, and Apartment Therapy.

Inhalt

List of Illustrations
Introduction: The Most Versatile Garment

1. Distress
   Blue Blood
   Blue Dye
   Blue Is Not Green
   Blue Collar
2. Cut
   The Wild One
   Hemmed In
   It's All in the Jeans
   The Denim Defense
3. Comfort
   Everywhere
   Everywhen
   Everyday
   Everyone
   Conclusion: The Paradox of Jeans
   Index