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Sunday Stories: Blue Jeans and the Golden Age of Hollywood

Levi's^® made their silver screen debut in the silent era, sparking a lasting love affair between blue jeans and Hollywood that included Katharine Hepburn's eschewing of fashion norms, Bing Crosby’s Canadian tuxedo, Cary Grant’s intimate relationship with the Levi's^® brand, and Lauren Bacall's hippie-inspired dress. In this video, you'll discover the origins of this unique denim garment and learn how Levi's^®went from western workwear to Hollywood fashion staple.

This video was originally published on The CJM's Facebook Live on May 3, 2020.

About the Exhibition

In 1873, at the end of the California Gold Rush, Levi Strauss & Co., named for a Bavarian Jewish dry goods merchant in San Francisco, obtained a U.S. patent with tailor Jacob Davis on the process of putting metal rivets in men’s denim work pants to increase their durability. It was the birth of the blue jean. The CJM original exhibition Levi Strauss: A History of American Style showcases the life of Levi Strauss, the invention of the blue jean, and their iconic place in the history of American style.

Seven women in cowboy hats lined up wearing Levi's jeans

“Showing their Levi’s” postcard from the California Rodeo Salinas (July 13–16, 1939), 1939. Levi Strauss & Co. Archives

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Take a Virtual Tour

Support for Levi Strauss: A History of American Style is generously provided by Maribelle and Stephen Leavitt; Gaia Fund; John Pritzker Family Fund; Lisa and Douglas Goldman Fund; Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. Fund; Mimi and Peter Haas Fund; The David Berg Foundation; John & Marcia Goldman Foundation; Suzanne and Elliott Felson; Colleen and Robert D. Haas; Dana Corvin and Harris Weinberg, in honor of Paulette Meyer and David Friedman, and Catherine and James Koshland; Kendra and Tom Kasten, in honor of Robert D. Haas; Michael Righi; Dorothy R. Saxe; David Saxe; Marilyn and Murry Waldman; and Rosanne and Al Levitt.

Lead Corporate Sponsorship is provided by Levi’s^®.

Media Sponsorship is provided by the San Francisco Chronicle and KQED. In-kind support is provided by Corduroy Media.