Jeans have long been an integral part of modern fashion, and it seems that it is difficult to surprise with this wardrobe item.
This is reported by “URA-Inform” with reference to Ukr.media.
But have you ever wondered why there is always a leather or paper patch on the waistband or back pocket of jeans? Even with the variety of brands, styles and colors, this element remains constant.
Why do you need a patch?
Modern patches are made of jacron, a material called “vegan leather”. Jacron consists of 95% cellulose with the addition of latex, which makes it waterproof, strong and durable. Such patches usually contain the brand name, fabric density (denim) and other information about the product.
However, the history of patches on jeans began long before the appearance of the jacron. Levi's was the first company to sew a leather patch on its products in 1873 to protect them from counterfeiting.
The History of Leather Patches
At the end of the 19th century, the market was flooded with counterfeit overalls and jeans made by small manufacturers. These fakes copied the appearance of the originals, but were inferior in quality. To protect their products, Levi's began using leather patches, which served as a kind of “guarantee of authenticity”.
The patches featured the famous “Two Horses” logo, depicting horses trying in vain to rip jeans. This symbol visually emphasized the durability of the product and made the products easily recognizable even for illiterate buyers.
At that time, genuine leather was an expensive material, and it was difficult and unprofitable to counterfeit such patches on an industrial scale. This has become an effective barrier to counterfeiting.
Modern meaning
Today, leather or jacron patches have lost their original function of protecting against counterfeiting. Now they are an element of design and marketing. The patch not only informs about the brand and characteristics of the product, but also serves as a recognizable symbol emphasizing the style and history of jeans.
It will also be interesting to know how to distinguish genuine leather from leatherette in 10 seconds: a simple method has been named.
