Riveted in Time: Pivotal Moments in Levi History

It was 1873. It was the peak of California’s gold rush. A woman entered the local miner and cowboy outfitter store owned by Levi Strauss. She expressed that her husband’s dungaree pockets routinely ripped under the strain of hard labor as a gold miner. Wasn’t there something that could be done? He happened to be working on a saddle rivet. So he applied a metal rivet to dungarees, improving the durability to withstand the strain by laborers and cowboys. And history was made. 

The dungarees were quickly popular, creating a statement for wealthy visiting Easterners of an icon of the western cowboy. They became a statement. Denim-wrapped rebels, Hollywood stars, and everyone chasing a piece of the American spirit made Levi’s their own. The brand flourished through decades, becoming synonymous with individualism and resilience.

More than 100 years of business does not come without struggles. The 2000s rolled in, Levi’s found itself in a slump. Denim had lost its charm for many, as comfort became paramount. The company, struggling to remain relevant, needed a spark to reignite the brand.

On a night out at a nice restaurant with his wife, the new CEO of Levi’s in the mid-2000’s observed women wearing leggings and the fashionable acceptance of such apparel was mystifying him. His wife explained how uncomfortable jeans are. Any woman can relate — just listen Heather’s commentary on the topic! 

The simplicity of her insight was undeniable. Levi’s decided to focus on the untapped potential: comfort. In 2015, they launched a new line of women’s denim designed to rival the flexibility and ease of leggings—stretch denim that gave without sacrificing style. It was a gamble, a radical departure from the traditional stiffness of denim. But it was exactly what Levi’s needed to adapt, and the gamble paid off. Women flocked back to Levi’s jeans, and the company saw eleven straight quarters of growth.

The StirredUp take? Women are the quiet force behind Levi’s existence, not just its success. It’s a story not of grand strategy but of being present, listening to whispers of change, and taking risks to evolve, forever riveted into the history of American fashion.

And Levi is not done. At the force behind yet another powerful woman, Levi is at front stage with a huge partnership, product and content deal with superstar, Beyonce. 

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