你注意過沒？很多藍色的牛仔褲都是用橙色的線縫制的。這個傳統背后還有一個小故事,我們一起來了解一下吧。
The orange thread traditionally used to
sew Levi Strauss blue jeans was intentionally selected to match the
copper rivets that doubled the
durability of the jeans.
Levi Strauss, however, neither envisioned this
particular use for copper riveting, which the orange thread complemented, nor
the unique stitching on the rear
pockets of the jeans.
Jacob Davis, a Russian immigrant, and a tailor, who plied his trade in Reno,
Nevada, formulated the idea for the riveted
seam, an idea that would vastly extend the life of the jeans,
and would revolutionize the
garment industry. Alas, due to
financial constraints, Jacob could neither afford to obtain a patent for his
invention, nor to produce the new garment.
Out of necessity, Jacob approached the wholesaler he purchased his
denim from with a proposal that he
sell him the West Coast rights to the riveted blue jeans, in exchange for the
required to obtain a patent for them. The wholesaler whom accepted Jacob's
proposition was none other than Levi
Strauss.
Levi gave Jacob a position with his Company in 1873 and, during his tenure,
Jacob ensured that the orange thread be used in all stitching on the jeans, and
that the curved, formally named "arcuate," stitches adorn the rear pockets of
the jeans.
Initially the fancy, unique stitching on the rear pockets of the jeans served
a purpose. The rear pockets of the first Levis the Company produced were lined
with cotton, and the orange stitching prevented the padding from buckling. The
Company dropped the cotton lining
early on, but the stitching remained, and was registered as a trademark in 1942.
Only once did it appear as if the orange stitching on the rear pockets would
become a thing of the past. The material shortage during World War II prompted
Levi to contribute to the war effort by temporarily ceasing production of jeans
with the trademark stitching on the rear pockets, as this was considered
frivolous and wasteful. To avoid a break in continuity of the Levi tradition,
the Company had the design hand painted on the rear pockets of each pair of
jeans produced.
To this day, the copper rivets, matching orange thread, and ornate stitching
on the rear pockets still adorn all Levis produced. The legend of Levi Strauss
lives on, while Jacob Davis has been lost in the annals of history.
copper rivets: 銅鉚釘
stitching: 縫紉
riveted seam: 鉚縫
revolutionize: 使徹底變革
garment industry: 服裝工業
denim: 粗斜紋棉布
none other than:不是別的，正是……
cotton lining: 棉襯里
（來源：coolquiz.com 英語點津 Annabel 編輯）
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