Why did Levi Strauss invent blue jeans?

Levi Strauss invented blue jeans in response to the need for durable pants for miners participating in the California gold rush of the 1800s. The original pants were made of tent canvas rather than denim.

Prospectors enjoyed the durability of the pants Strauss created, but they did not care for the rough fabric. Strauss imported from France a twill fabric known as "serge de Nimes." The blue fabric eventually became known as denim, the basis of blue jeans. The rivets on the jeans and the stitching on the back pockets were implemented to make the pants more durable, and these emblems are still icons of the Levis brand.