Who co-invented the first blue jeans with Levi Strauss?

Jacob Davis co-invented the first riveted blue jeans with Levi Strauss. Davis was a tailor in Reno, Nevada, while Strauss operated a San Francisco wholesale dry-goods business that supplied Davis with fabric.

Around 1870, Davis began reinforcing the stress points of work trousers with copper rivets, especially pocket corners and the base of the button fly. The idea came from the practical problem of pants tearing under hard manual labor. Demand grew quickly, but Davis needed financial backing and a manufacturing partner to patent and produce the design.

He contacted Strauss in 1872, and the two formed a business partnership. Their patent, issued in 1873, covered an improvement for fastening pocket openings. Davis is often described as the inventive tailor behind the rivet concept, while Strauss supplied commercial support and helped turn the design into a large-scale clothing business.