Hey there, smarty pants. Picture the scene.
I was at the mall, doing some shopping, When this happened.
You know what that means. Feed me. Relax, tummy.
I got you. So I decided to head down to the old food court for a snack.
Of course, they don't make it easy. I had to choose between pizza, burgers, giant soft pretzels, fried rice, hero sandwiches, tacos, fried chicken, or Let's just say I couldn't make a decision.
So I got one of each. Nom nom nom nom nom.
Big mistake. While it was very delicious, I'm now so stuffed that my blue jeans barely fit.
Have you ever had that feeling, smarty pants?
Now that I'm home, I think I might loosen my belt a notch.
Or two. Oh boy, my pants still feel really tight.
I sure hope I don't. Oh boy, the button to my jeans just popped off.
Great. There's only one thing I can do. Put on some sweatpants.
And head back to the mall to buy a new pair of jeans.
Okay, I'm back at the mall. Now I just need to find somewhere to buy some new blue jeans.
Ooh, is that cinnamon buns I smell? No, no, no, I'm here to buy new jeans.
No more eating. Ah, here we go. Eugene's Jeans Emporium.
Looks like they've got all kinds of jeans and all kinds of colors and styles.
Smartypants, do you own a pair of blue jeans?
I'm hearing a lot of yeses. Well, you're not alone.
Blue jeans are a super popular clothing item.
But how much do you know about your pants, smarty pants?
For instance, when were blue jeans invented?
How are they made? And why are they blue?
It's time for another whiff of science and history on...
Who smarted? Who smarted? Who's smart? Is it you?
Is it me? Is it science? Or history? Listen up, everyone.
We make smarting lots of fun on Who's Smarted?
Okay, smarty pants.
I spent the theme song wandering around Eugene's Jeans Emporium.
And I gotta say, this really is the place for jeans.
I mean, there are just... racks and racks of blue jeans as far as the eye can see.
Which is good on one hand, but for people who have trouble making decisions, like me, this is starting to feel a little daunting.
Hello! Ah! Perhaps I could offer some assistance.
Sorry, you startled me. My apologies. I didn't mean to sneak up on you.
At the same time, you were just standing here talking to yourself.
Oh, I'm not talking to myself. I'm recording my podcast, Who Smarted?
Have you ever heard of it? Is it about blue jeans?
No. Then I haven't heard of it. My name is Eugene, and I'm the proprietor of Eugene's Jeans Emporium.
All I know and all I care about is blue jeans.
Welcome. Is there something blue jeans related I can help you with?
Actually, yes. I need some new blue jeans thanks to a... snackcident.
A snackcident? Yeah, you know, when you eat too many snacks and pop your button.
I see. So, because you're such a genes expert, perhaps you could help me find some new jeans, and answer some questions the smarty pants and I have about blue jeans.
Smarty pants? Um, we only sell blue jeans at Eugene's.
Right. The smarty pants are the listeners of the Who Smarted podcast that I mentioned earlier.
But you know what? Don't even worry about that.
Let's talk blue jeans. Ah, that's much better.
Come, we've got every type of gene you could ever want. and I can answer any genes-related question you could ever ask.
Great, let's start at the very beginning.
When were genes invented? Smarty Pants, before Eugene tells us, Would you care to hazard a guess?
Was it A, 1950? B, 1990? Or C, 1873? Eugene, what's the answer?
The answer is... See? 1873. May 20th, to be exact.
That was the day that Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis obtained a U.S. patent on the process of putting rivets in men's work pants for the very first time?
Aha! But Smarty Pants, do you know what a rivet is?
The next time you look at a pair of your blue jeans, notice the tiny round metal things near the pockets.
Those are known as rivets. and they're placed on areas of your genes that are most likely to be pulled apart by strain Or movement.
Or snacksidence. Yes, or snacksidence. Nom, nom, nom, nom, nom.
Thanks to rivets, your jeans will last longer.
If only I had a rivet for my butt. So how exactly did they come up with the idea to do that?
Well, my overly inquisitive customer, the story goes the wife of a local laborer asked Jacob Davis to make a pair of pants for her husband that wouldn't fall apart.
Jacob came up with the idea of putting metal rivets in denim pants at points of strain. like pocket corners and the base of the button fly.
These riveted pants were an instant hit.
Davis wrote to Levi Strauss, a clever businessman, that they should go into business together on this new invention.
Soon after, the first riveted clothing was made and sold.
However, They weren't originally called Blue Jeans.
They were first called... What, Smarty Pants?
What were the first blue jeans called? Were they rivet pants? tough trousers, super slacks, or waist overalls.
The answer is waist overalls. Waist overalls?
Waist overalls doesn't have the same... or any ring to it.
Agreed. Regardless of their name, within a short time, The waist overall, or blue jean, was a massive success.
Wow, to think we've been wearing jeans for so long.
I wonder if my great-great-grandfather ever had a snackcident and broke the button on his jeans.
Something tells me it runs in your genes.
Ha! Anyway, moving on. Did you have any more questions for me?
Absolutely. Eugene, I'm curious, how exactly are jeans made?
Oh. I was hoping it would be a question about some jeans you'd like to purchase, but I suppose I can help answer that.
True or false, smarty pants? Jeans are made from cotton.
Did you say true? If you did, you're right.
Yes, jeans are indeed made from cotton, but the true blue magic has to do with the weaving process.
You see, machines process the cotton, which is then turned into into very fine yarn known as denim.
The yarn is then dyed. Typically blue. Why blue?
Blue. was the chosen color for denim because of the chemical properties of blue dye.
Most dyes will seep through other fabrics in hot temperatures. making the color stick onto other pieces of clothing.
Natural indigo dye, used in the first jeans, however, would stick... only to the outside of the threads of denim.
Nowadays, jeans can be all sorts of colors.
I see. And I see them all over your store.
There's black, white, red, yellow, orange, brown, tan, There's even green jeans!
Plus lots of variations of blue, from very dark to very light.
So what happens after the yarn is dyed? After the yarn is dyed, it's weaved together using a method of very tight vertical and horizontal threads.
After the pattern is weaved, the two sides of the jeans are then sewn together followed by the addition of Pockets, buttons, or zippers?
Wow, making jeans sounds tough. which makes sense considering you want your genes to be tough.
Yep. Blue Jeans became the pant of choice for some pretty hardworking professions like farmers, truck drivers, cowboys, cowgirls, and construction workers.
Ooh, I've got another gene-related question, Eugene.
Let me guess. You want to know how many jeans are sold in a year.
Actually, I found a pair of bell-bottom jeans I like, and I was wondering where your fitting rooms are.
Oh! Oh, they're in the back. Thanks. But now that you mention it, The Smarty Pants and I would love to know how many pairs of jeans are sold in a year.
You can tell me right after I try these on and after this quick break.
Now back to Who Smarted? Okay, I just tried on some bell-bottom jeans.
And for those smarty pants who aren't familiar, bell-bottom jeans get wider from the knees down so that the bottom half sticks out like a big bell. very popular in the 1960s and continue to have fashionable fans to this day.
Ah, but did you know there was actually a purpose to bell-bottom jeans?
Besides looking awesome? Do tell. The trouser material is made of cotton fibers that swell when wet and can hold air.
In the event of a sailor falling overboard, or having to abandon ship without a life vest.
The bell-bottom trousers can be removed quickly in the water without having to take off your boots or shoes.
Who knew? Well, I like them because they're groovy.
Right. So how do they fit? Um, a little snug.
Maybe now isn't the best time to buy new jeans.
I should probably digest first. But I promise I'll be back to buy jeans soon.
Speaking of, how many people buy a new pair of jeans each year?
It's estimated 450 million pairs of jeans are sold each year in the USA alone.
And Levi Strauss' company, Levi's, leads the way, doing $6 billion in sales in 2022 alone.
Every American tends to own between six and seven pairs of jeans.
Wow. What about worldwide? Globally, it's estimated to be close to a whopping 1.25 billion pairs of jeans Sold each year!
That's a lot of denim. Indeed. You sure you don't want to buy anything today?
We've got stonewashed, acid washed, straight leg, straight taper, skinny jeans, wide cut, boot cut. relaxed fit butterfly distressed small rips huge rips destroyed Oh boy, that's a lot of choices.
Um, changing the subject. What happens to old pairs of jeans?
After all, the material is intentionally very tough.
Great question, trustee, and an important one.
Denim production has unfortunately caused some environmental issues.
The chemicals used to dye jeans have been linked to contaminating local water supplies around denim factories.
Additionally, the numerous pesticides used on the cotton crops needed to make denim also causes...
Pollution. That's not good, Eugene. No, it's not.
Fortunately, many companies have found safer alternatives to making blue jeans that don't affect the environment as much.
Plus, many jean retailers, such as Eugene's Blue Jean Emporium, have started accepting old jeans as store credit for exchanges.
Old jeans, like the ones I just popped my butt in Precisely.
I can recycle the denim of your old jeans to make a new pair.
Or, depending on their condition, I might just fix them up and sell them as used.
Ooh. Wow, you hear that, smarty pants? When you're done with your jeans, do not throw them in the garbage.
Instead, find a store that will accept them for store credit or will take them off your hands to sell secondhand to others in need.
You may not want to wear your old jeans anymore, but they might just become somebody else's new favorite pair.
This benefits you, others, and especially the environment.
Well, Eugene, it has been a pleasure. I must say I feel bad taking up so much of your time and not buying something.
Oh, which jeans would you like? Uh, um...
I can't decide. I'll just take one of each.
Good thing I had such a big snack. I can't afford dinner.
A big old shout out to Jackson in Spring Lake, North Carolina.
We hear you love Whosmarted because it introduces you to things you didn't know about and makes you feel smarter and calmer.
Now that is a dream combo. Thanks for smarting with us, smarty friend.
This episode, Blue Jeans, was written by James Blue Jeans Butler. and voiced by Adam Slacks-Davis, Max Corduroy-Kamasky, and Jerry Colbert.
Technical direction and sound design by Josh Bellbottoms-Hahn.
Who's Smart It is recorded and mixed at the Relic Room Studios.
Our associate producer is Max Kamaski. The theme song is by Brian Trouser Suarez with Lyrics written and performed by Adam Tex-Davis.
Who Smarted was created and produced by Adam Tex-Davis and Jerry Kolber.
This has been an atomic entertainment production.
Too smart and...
