Denim was invented by accident in 18th-century France in the city of Nîmes. Attempting to copy an Italian fabric, serge, the French created a material they called "serge de Nîmes," which was shortened to "denim."

In turn, Levi Strauss (born Loeb Strauss) introduced denim to America when he emigrated from Bavaria in 1853. Living in San Francisco and working at his family's dry goods store, Strauss teamed up with Jacob Davis, a tailor from Nevada. Together, they registered a patent for pants strengthened with rivets that catered to the mining industry.