Blue jeans celebrate 140 years

By Daphne Sashin and Toby Lyles, CNN

Updated 1822 GMT (0222 HKT) May 20, 2013

Denim jeans -- or trousers, waist overalls or dungarees -- started out as work-wear for hard labor in mines, factories and fields, as seen on <a href="http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-965233">two fruit pickers</a> in British Columbia in 1942.
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Blue jeans through the years – Denim jeans -- or trousers, waist overalls or dungarees -- started out as work-wear for hard labor in mines, factories and fields, as seen on two fruit pickers in British Columbia in 1942.
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By the '50s, denim had become popular with everyday Americans, children included. The grandmother of <a href="http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-965623">these twin boys</a> "thought it was time they looked like little boys instead of babies," said iReporter Janie Lambert, whose husband, right, was about 3 years old in this 1952 photo. The pants were a deep blue denim (no prewash in those days).
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Blue jeans through the years – By the '50s, denim had become popular with everyday Americans, children included. The grandmother of these twin boys "thought it was time they looked like little boys instead of babies," said iReporter Janie Lambert, whose husband, right, was about 3 years old in this 1952 photo. The pants were a deep blue denim (no prewash in those days).
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In the '60s and '70s, people began experimenting with flares, bell-bottoms and extensions to personalize their jeans and get a few extra years out of them. As a teenager in 1972, <a href="http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-970927">Jim Heston</a> was growing faster than his jeans were wearing out, so his mom sewed on the red extensions.
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Blue jeans through the years – In the '60s and '70s, people began experimenting with flares, bell-bottoms and extensions to personalize their jeans and get a few extra years out of them. As a teenager in 1972, Jim Heston was growing faster than his jeans were wearing out, so his mom sewed on the red extensions.
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Not all those looks were successful, especially early renditions of what's now known as the Canadian tuxedo. Patricia Alfano <a href="http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-964521">sewed this ill-fitting outfit</a> for her husband, which he wore quite a bit until "I had to admit to him it was a 'fail'." All that denim, plus the large blocks of contrast "made him look like a hippie Smurf."
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Blue jeans through the years – Not all those looks were successful, especially early renditions of what's now known as the Canadian tuxedo. Patricia Alfano sewed this ill-fitting outfit for her husband, which he wore quite a bit until "I had to admit to him it was a 'fail'." All that denim, plus the large blocks of contrast "made him look like a hippie Smurf."
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Clothing became another way for young people to challenge norms and minimize the gender gap, paving the way for the mainstreaming of jeans across all spectrums of society. Shown here in 1975, <a href="http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-970927">Jim Heston</a> wore the belt buckle on the side of his waist.
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Blue jeans through the years – Clothing became another way for young people to challenge norms and minimize the gender gap, paving the way for the mainstreaming of jeans across all spectrums of society. Shown here in 1975, Jim Heston wore the belt buckle on the side of his waist.
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Men were historically the ones promoting denim fashions, until <a href="http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-965235">cutoff denim shorts</a> came along. Barb Mayer, second from left, in 1974, says she would be embarrassed to wear such short shorts today.
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Blue jeans through the years – Men were historically the ones promoting denim fashions, until cutoff denim shorts came along. Barb Mayer, second from left, in 1974, says she would be embarrassed to wear such short shorts today.
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The '80s saw the development of more <a href="http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-965234">prewashed denims</a>, stone washing and other techniques to achieve a worn-out look. Jeans really were for everyone by then, from children to Brooke Shields, who famously proclaimed: "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YK2VZgJ4AoM" target="_blank">You wanna know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing."</a>
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Blue jeans through the years – The '80s saw the development of more prewashed denims, stone washing and other techniques to achieve a worn-out look. Jeans really were for everyone by then, from children to Brooke Shields, who famously proclaimed: "You wanna know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing."
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<a href="http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-973440">Acid-washed</a>, severely bleached and ripped jeans were trendy in the mid- to late '80s, thanks to punk and heavy-metal rockers who popularized the style.
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Blue jeans through the years – Acid-washed, severely bleached and ripped jeans were trendy in the mid- to late '80s, thanks to punk and heavy-metal rockers who popularized the style.
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Just about every '80s kid in America <a href="http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-966292">had a jean jacket</a>, preferably with patches, pins or rhinestones. In 1983, when Beth Barret was 13, her mom bought her this jacket and her grandmother sewed the patches. Barret's daughter, shown here in May, often wears it now.
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Blue jeans through the years – Just about every '80s kid in America had a jean jacket, preferably with patches, pins or rhinestones. In 1983, when Beth Barret was 13, her mom bought her this jacket and her grandmother sewed the patches. Barret's daughter, shown here in May, often wears it now.
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In the 1990s, denim fell out of high fashion as other fabrics and styles overtook style trends in casual wear, like khakis and cargo pants. But the <a href="http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-964620">high-waisted</a> and grunge styles of the decade are coming back.
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Blue jeans through the years – In the 1990s, denim fell out of high fashion as other fabrics and styles overtook style trends in casual wear, like khakis and cargo pants. But the high-waisted and grunge styles of the decade are coming back.
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To this day, blue jeans remain the uniform for cowboys young and old. Here, Bruce Beasley and his grandson <a href="http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-971568">load cattle on their farm</a> in Patricia, Alberta, in May 2013.
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Blue jeans through the years – To this day, blue jeans remain the uniform for cowboys young and old. Here, Bruce Beasley and his grandson load cattle on their farm in Patricia, Alberta, in May 2013.
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