Levi's were the first brand of jeans. They continue to be made by Levi Strauss & Co, a company that was founded in 1873 by a Bavarian immigrant to the US, Levi Strauss. The company is still privately owned by Levi Strauss' descendants. A subsidiary company in Japan is traded on the Japanese stock market.http://www.levistrauss.com/Company/

Levi Strauss and a tailor friend invented and patented the process of riveting pants to make them more durable. This was the basis for the invention of jeans. When he first immigrated to San Francisco from Bavaria, Levi Strauss was selling cloth to the miners in the California mining camps. One of Strauss's frequent customers was a tailor by the name of Jacob Davis. Davis often purchased bolts of fabric to reinforce rips and tears in miners pants. Over time, Davis came up with the idea of using copper rivets to reinforce areas that were subjected to the most strain such as pockets, outer seams and the fly. Unable to afford a patent, Davis went to Strauss with his idea. Strauss and Davis soon became partners, and in 1873 they received US Patent number 139,921.http://www.levistrauss.com/Company/ http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/theymadeamerica/whomade/strauss_lo.html

Levi's makes and sells jeans for men, women and children. Levi's 501 jeans are the original cut and design. There are more than 50 other cuts available. The jeans come in light blue, medium blue, dark blue, black and gray. The Levi's brand is also put on jackets, T-shirts, sweaters and accessories like belts and wallets.http://us.levi.com/shop/index.jsp?clickid=header_men&categoryId=3146842