Jeans were worn by the working class population that was subjected to hard physical labour. During that time, it was common for the jeans pocket to get ripped off while at work. This was a problem for them because they needed those pockets.
Behold the wonderful pair of blue jeans that you just picked up from a sale!
Marvel at the contour and all the good things associated with this piece of clothing that you just acquired at a throwaway price.
As you’re looking at it, shift your gaze to the extremely small buttons on the pockets. Yes, the extremely tiny ones which might pass off as “unnecessary”?
Well, they are there for a reason!
Let me give you a little lesson in history
To the rescue, came a tailor named Jacob Davis, a local customer of Levi Strauss & Co., who came up with an ingenious idea in 1873, that would ultimately be hailed as genius.
Jacob thought of placing metal copper rivets as fasteners to reinforce the seam where the pockets attach. This held the pockets and the jeans together and prevented them from being ripped off of the jeans.
Jacob wanted to get it patented but he didn’t have enough money! So, in 1872, he wrote to Levi Strauss and offered him a deal if Strauss would pay for the patent!
It has stuck ever since. Ingenious and marvelous!
Also, in case you were wondering why jeans have that tiny pocket above the front one, read this.