Women wearing jeans in the 1960s?

Question

My teacher said jeans for women were not available until the 1970s. Lies?

Answer 1

What? I was born in 1950 and I have worn jeans all my life. In the 50's they were called "dungarees" and were straight legged like regular cowboy Levis. In junior high in the early 60's we wore what we called "wheat jeans" made of tan denim. In my "hippy years" in the late 60's the jeans were low-rider hip huggers (even lower than today) with big wide bell-bottoms.

However, up until the early 70's jeans were mostly worn as casual wear (like for gardening or farm work) or by young people, students and bohemian artist types. Middle class, suburban women did not commonly start to wear them as everyday wear until after 1970 or so. Is it possible that what your teacher meant was that it was not widely acceptable for women to wear jeans to work or as dressy fashion until the early 70's? That would make more sense.

Answer 2

I am pretty certain the first jeans ever were made by the Levi-Strauss company. I think this 'factoid" may be correct: women were forced to wear jeans designed for male body shapes until the very first designs for women were created - and that might have been the 1970's. I just read that 'teenagers' - presumably both sexes - were already wearing jeans in the 1950's (the "Beatnick" generation). If you are really keen to know then find Levi-Strauss on the internet - I know they have been around longer than any of the others and there will be information about the history of the company.

EDIT:
I think the confusion is because you have asked two DIFFERENT questions:

1. Women wearing jeans in the 1960s? Were jeans worn by women in the 1960's?

2. ...Jeans [designed] for women (not for men or not 'unisex') but DESIGNED only for women - were not available UNTIL the 1970s?

EDIT: ASHLEIGH
Jeans designed for men don't fit women very well (usually). The 'cut' is is more accomodating on the jeans specifically designed for women. Women have hips and buttocks...men haven't. I have had to measure men for the costume department (films, TV commercials). It's hysterical - men cannot find their own "waistline'. Many never even knew they had one.

Answer 3

1960s Jeans

Answer 4

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Women wearing jeans in the 1960s?
My teacher said jeans for women were not available until the 1970s. Lies?

Answer 5

Of course girls wore jeans in the 1960's. Fashion designers caught on to the idea that they could charge extra for female jeans and the rest is history. All the Australian girls ever had to do was to jump into the pool and then let the material shrink/dry to fit.

Answer 6

I was born in 1960, went to high school from 1974 to 1978. When I started high school, I was already wearing jeans (also in junior high several years before). However, the jeans were not in womens sizes. Or junior sizes. You simply bought them by waist size and inseam. They were clearly made for men. I was pretty small then, and wore a size 28 waist, which was a little big. But even so, there was a large "gap" since they weren t cut for women. So, yes, women wore them, but they weren t designed for women.

Answer 7

I was wearing jeans in the 1960s. Your teacher told a fib.

Answer 8

Nonsense, Ellie May Clampett was wearing jeans in the 1960s, didn't you ever see the Beverly Hillbillies? I think your teacher was just a prude.

Answer 9

I think the tight disco jeans craze of the late 70s early 80s really cemented it. We were all intrigued when Brooke Shields said nothing came between her and her Calvins.

Answer 10

They had jeans in the 60's.They were often tye-dyed with bleach.They also had jeans long before that,,the cowboys had Levi's & Wranglers.