The first U.S. patent for riveted blue-jeans trousers was granted in 1873.
The patent was issued to tailor Jacob W. Davis and businessman Levi Strauss on May 20, 1873. It protected a method of strengthening pockets and other points of strain with copper rivets. This innovation addressed a practical problem: ordinary work trousers could tear when subjected to heavy use.
The patented garment was not yet the fully standardized fashion item recognized today. Early versions were workwear, and manufacturers used several fabrics and colors. Denim eventually became the dominant material, while blue became the most recognizable shade because indigo-dyed denim was durable and practical.
The patent’s twenty-year term ended in 1893, allowing competing manufacturers to copy the rivet concept. Riveted work trousers then spread beyond the original business and helped establish the basic construction associated with jeans.