The Fabric Maverick says... The envelope, please.

Here are the answers to yesterday's quiz.  I know that you all did well.

 1.True or False  Denim originated in America.

Answer- False  I would have bet my last dollar that this was true. This is probably why I do not win the lottery. Denim is actually derived from the French word "Serge de Nimes"  It was a sturdy, rugged blend of wool.

2. True or False  Denim and blue jeans are considered the same.

Answer: False This is somewhat a trick question. When denim originated in America, the terms were not considered the same. Jeans is derived from a material used by Genovese sailors.

3. True or False  Loeb Strauss began a business selling clothing to the miners in the Gold Rush. He later changed his name to Levi.

Answer: True Levi Strauss did begin a business that sold rugged clothes to the Gold Rush miners. He met a tailor, Jacob Davis, who had a unique method of applying rivets to fabric. Denim was born from the efforts of Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss.

4. True or False  Cowboys in the movies made jeans popular.

Answer: True Cowboys did popularize the wearing of jeans.

5.  True or False  Denim is considered a symbol of revolution.

Answer: True Denim was considered a symbol of youthful unrest when James Dean wore them in " A Rebel Without a Cause". It was suggested that denim was the perfect fabric for school wear because of its durability and comfort. There were protests from parents about allowing blue jeans in school. The 60's re-enforced the idea of young rebels with their stand against the Vietnam War and nuclear war.  Today we worry about baggy pants.

6. True or False  The original name for denim was waist overalls.

Answer: True  Levi Strauss did call them waist overalls since they were overalls without a bib.

7. True or False  Before the 1930's, denim was only sold west of the Mississippi.

Answer: True  The people in the Eastern United States considered denim to be a very low class fabric only fit for menial work.

8. True or False  Bing Crosby was denied hotel accommodations in 1951 because he was wearing blue jeans.

Answer: True On a hunting trip in Canada, Bing Crosby tried to register in a hotel wearing his favorite blue jeans and was turned away because his clothing was not appropriate.

9. True or False  Zippers were not used in blue jeans until the mid 1950s.

Answer: True  Zippers were not used in denim until 1954. Before this time, all blue jeans had button closings.

10. True or False  Denim has never been out of fashion.

Answer : False Denim has never been completely out of fashion, but in the 1990's teenagers and young adults did not care to wear jeans for the simple reason that blue jeans were popular with their parents. In the year 2000, designers brought denim back with fresh designs.