What’s up with Barbed Wire?

Where did it come from? Is its sole purpose to torment hikers and trespassers? Believe it or not, barbed wire took years of experimentation and hundreds of patents to perfect. There is much debate about whether this pointy fencing aided in ruining or taming the Wild, Wild West.

1500 – 1800

Thorns and goat-hair sounds deadly, doesn’t it? Well, that is what nomadic Arabic herders weaved together to keep their stock in line. And this was groundbreaking; most livestock enclosures consisted of whatever material existed in the area: Rail fences where there were trees, rock walls where there was stone, and brush, cactus, ditches and hedges were utilized. Obviously the limits of terrain limited where fences could be placed, resulting in small enclosures around homesteads and ranches. Smooth wire, which dated back to 400 A.D, was relatively available. A problem, however, surfaced. Apparently, livestock were not deterred by smooth wire. The solution? Wire with points.

1868

A man named Michael Kelly applied for a patent: diamond-shaped barbs that were threaded onto iron wire. It didn’t catch on for various reasons until the 1873 Delkalb Illinois County Fair. Three men, Joseph Glidden, Jacob Haish and Isaac L. Ellwood saw a new invention: Sharp nails protruding from a wooden rail, strung up with a smooth wire fence. The race was on: The demand for dependable fencing was enormous, and the man lucky enough to invent it would be crowned champion. Using a coffee grinder to add the barbs, the Supreme Court awarded him the title of “Father of Barbed Wire.”

The Devil’s Rope

Now, you just might be wondering where the debate concerning barbed wire surfaces. Well, I’m about to clue you in: religious groups declared the new invention barbarous (pardon my pun). They called it the “work of the devil,” because of the pain it inflicted on livestock. Barbed wire quickly became known as “The Devil’s Rope,” and its removal was demanded. Eventually, the issue was resolved, but another surfaced: Free range grazers became alarmed that the new barrier would destroy their livelihood; trail drivers were worried that their herds would be blocked by settler fences. This began another chapter in barbed wire history:

The Fence Cutter Wars.

Violence between landowners and the free ranger grazers and trail drives erupted. After many deaths and huge financial losses, the wars ceased. The turning point in this saga was when John “Bet a Million” Gates began a campaign to prove the importance, durability, and usefulness of barbed wire in successfully controlling livestock. His salesmanship made him the larges stockholder in American Steel and Wire Company and made him a legend in the saga. Barbed wire was unofficially accepted after large ranches (such as The Frying Pan Ranch, the XIT and the JA Ranch) in Texas began fencing with barbed wire, and it caught on. As a result:

• There are over 530 patented barbed wires

• Around 2,000 variations

• More than 2,000 patented barbed wire tools.

• There are countless collectors of barbed wire paraphernalia; the biggest collection is housed in the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, which has over 8,000 samples of barbed wire in their archives.

Quite the story, isn’t it? And who knew that such a simple thing as pointy wire could change so many peoples’ lives. It just goes to show that even the simplest, most unassuming things can change history.

This research was gleaned from the American Cowboy magazine, and from barbedwiremuseum.com. Thank you!

Outback (out’back), n. 1. isolated rural country, esp. of Australia. 2. harsh, untamed environment. 3. beyond civilization

Our family recently watched Return to Snowy River. Not only is the footage iconic, but the clothing is striking. While we watched it, we noticed the costuming, and how similar it was to a vendor that we sell: Outback Trading Company.

This unique company began making clothing in 1983; supplying oilskin, outerwear and head wear. Tough, well-constructed, efficient and durable, Outback’s clothing is designed to withstand any foul weather mother nature can provide.

Outback’s most distinctive piece is the oilskin duster: a key survival piece for any Australian horseman. The duster originated in the late 1800′s. It’s design was taken from oil sail cloth that sailors used to protect themselves from the lashing winds and seas. The early Australian stock men faced similar weather conditions; their job consisted of herding herds of cattle across the outback, during rain season. And they had a schedule to keep. The oilskin duster literally became a survival piece.

When is an oilskin duster fashionable?

The excerpts below are taken from outbacktradingcompany.blogspot.com

Monday, March 8, 2010

Outback Oilskin Duster always in fashion!

“I was at a very formal dinner affair this Saturday. The ladies and gents were dresses for the red carpet. I was aware that a band was hired for the affair. I walked in and I spotted a member of the band wearing an oilskin duster. I had to go and chat with him and get all the dirt on him and his duster. His face lit up as he told me his duster story. Of course it is his absolute fav coat and it goes with him everywhere. One of the other band members offered some info that he maybe didn’t want me to know, he stated that he even sleeps with his duster. Of course I told him that I want pictures of that! We all had a good laugh.Every time the band had a 5 min. break he would throw on his most prized possession ( his duster), walk through the sea of top hats and gowns, and out the door he went. I just love that no matter the venue, or the class of people, the Outback Duster is always in good fashion!”

And here is another example:

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Vancouver Weather Man wearing Outback Duster

“During the Winter Olympics the big talk was the weather. So every time you tuned in to watch there was always someone reporting what the weather was doing. Rain and warm temperatures put people in rain slickers instead of down jackets. Of course I am in the outerwear industry and I am always checking out people jackets. Don’t you know, I am watching yet another weatherman standing out in the rain giving his predicted forecast and he is wearing an Outback Duster. I went nuts, my family thought that we won another gold medal. Well to me we did, Outback went to the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver Canada!”

If a picture is worth a thousand words, how much is a video worth?

Check out these videos:

How about this one, which explains Outback Trading Company’s story?

Outback Trading Company Story

Or this one, which explains the  quality construction of their products?

Construction of Products

And then, there is this video, which shows riding through the Outback.

Riding through the Outback

We hope you’ve enjoyed this look into one of our favorite vendors, Outback Trading Company. If you have any questions, comments, or want to know more about this unique company, just comment or email!

What is the answer to the question, “what was America’s first footwear?”
That would be moccasins.

Columbus discovered America, but Native American’s discovered moccasins. They truly are America’s first footwear. The definition of casual, moccasins are the quintessential ingredient for relaxation and a comfortable lifestyle. Since 1946, Minnetonka Moccasin has molded the moccasin’s place in the world.

After World War II, Americans relished their freedom, taking to the roads and discovering their countries’ natural rugged beauty. They also discovered moccasins – Minnetonka supplied to resorts and souvenir shops all over the country. Americans had discovered a classic.

Minnetonka is a mainstay of American style. They create:

“It’s a simple idea… Classic design that never grows old combined with a natural, free-spirited heritage. Minnetonka Moccasin continues to define casual and comfortable American style.” Minnetonka describes themselves in these words:

“We are told again and again that the world is fast-paced, ever-changing and that busy lives drive people apart. Minnetonka does not believe that is true. It’s not the way human beings are programmed. We create memories and store them within us. Whether it’s a sight, a touch, a melody or a place once visited, we find comfort and refuge in memories. No matter how busy, or how distracted, we will always be drawn back to those experiences that frame us.

I’ve
been here before…

I remember. I relive. It could be a personal experience or a shared experience. It could be something I aspire toward. But, to me, it is real. It can give me a moment of pleasure in a time of stress or motivate me to work harder. It can center me when the world seems disoriented.

I will
be here again…

We seek moments in our lives where we feel relaxed. At peace. We strive to find balance. Because special memories don’t live in the past. They are woven within the fabric of who we are. For over 60 years, Minnetonka Moccasin has created products that create those special memories and has become a placeholder for things natural, casual, comfortable and real. And we are honored that you have chosen to share a part of your life with us.”



Born West of the Western Slope: Ethan Bruce

That’s right- the F.M. Light and Sons family  has a new member! Ethan Bruce was born on April 1st, (and no, we’re not trying to fool you). The stats are below:

• He weighed 8 .lbs, 2 .oz, and was 19 3/4 inches.
• He has visible dark hair.
• His mother, Bethany, is the great-great-granddaughter of Francis Marion Light.
• He has learned to smile already.
• His family is quite proud of him.
• He is named after his grandfather, Delano Bruce Lockhart, great-grandson of F.M. Light.
• He is the future 2020 boot salesmen of the year.

Big Yawn for a Little Guy!

Eyeing a new world

The Pony Express was founded by three men; William Russell, William Waddell and Alexander Majors. These three were businessmen who had made their money by running stage coaches and freight services to and from government outposts. Seeing the need to keep Americans informed about important events, such as Lincoln’s inauguration, the men wanted a monopoly on government mail contracts. Other mail services providers used the much slower method of delivery by stagecoach. The Pony Express trail used the old freight routes, but utilized them much more effectively by placing relay stations every 10 miles. What kind of person took the job? This wanted ad (although thought to be phony), still paints a pretty accurate picture.

“Wanted, young skinny, wiry fellows not over eighteen. Must be expert riders willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred. Wages $25 a week. Apply Central Overland Express.”

Most riders were around the ages of 19 or 20 (except one man; 40 year old Major Howard Egan), who could not weigh over 125 pounds. Most were single, and many were foreign-born. The work was extremely hard – as evidenced by these job descriptions:

• Each rider had is own 75-100 mile route.

• Each route took about ten hours.

• Each rider changed horses about 10 times during a ten hour ride.

• Occasionally a rider would fill in for another – taking on two or three (and sometimes more) routes, resulting in an around the clock ride.
• The pony riders covered 250 miles in a 24-hour day.

• Riders ate while riding.

• The Express went through Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and Nevada.

Riders were also held to strict standards; Alexander Majors always presented a Bible to new riders, and the founders required them to take this oath:

“I…do hereby swear, before the Great and Living God, that during my engagement,
and while I am an employee of Russell, Majors & Waddell, I will under no circumstances use
profane language; that I will drink no intoxicating liquors; that I will not quarrel or fight with
any other employee of the firm; and that in every respect I will conduct myself honestly, be
faithful in my duties, and so direct all my acts as to win the confidence of my employers.
So help me God.”
- Pledge of the Central Overland and California and Pikes Peak Express Company owned by the founders of the Pony Express.

While it is doubtful that all riders obeyed this oath, it provides an insight to the men who began the Express.

Some interesting facts:

• Time it took for first westbound trip: 9 days, 23 hours.  First eastbound trip: 11 days,  12 hours.
• Between 400 and 500 horses were used
• Only one mail delivery was lost, despite hazards.

The amazing courage and physical strength of the 180 men who reportedly rode for the Pony Express led to an unheard of feat: mail could travel from coast to coast in a matter of ten days. Amazing, isn’t it? Although the Pony Express was never successful, and ran for only 19 months, it still serves as the perfect symbol of the ingenuity, courage, physical strength, and determination of  early Americans. At the initiation of the Pony Express on April 3, 1860, a man named Major M. Jeff Thompson said this:

“More than that, I say to you the wilderness which lies between us will blossom as the rose, cities will spring into existence….Mountains will be tunneled, streams bridged and the iron monster…will ply between our confines and those far distant shores.”

He sure was right, wasn’t he?

Some other memorable quotes:

“There were about eighty pony riders in the saddle all the time, night and day, stretching in a long, scattering
procession from Missouri to California, forty flying eastward, and forty toward the west, and among them making
four hundred gallant horses earn a stirring livelihood and see a deal of scenery every single day of the year.”
~ Mark Twain, “Roughing It”, 1872

“It was not until December, 1860, that I had an opportunity to ride. The boys were dropping out pretty fast. Some
of them could not stand the strain of the constant riding. It was not so bad in summer, but when winter came on,
the job was too much for them… My first ride was in a heavy snow storm, and it pretty nearly used me up.”
- William Campbell, 1932. His Pony Express route ran from Ft. Kearney to Big Sandy in Nebraska.

“The pony rider was usually a little bit of a man, brimful of spirit and endurance. No matter what time of day or
night his watch came on, and no matter whether his ‘beat’ was a level straight road or a crazy trail over mountain
craigs and precipices, or whether it led through peaceful regions or regions that swarmed with hostile Indians, he
must be always ready to leap into the saddle and be off like the wind!”
- Mark Twain, “Roughing It”, 1872

Information taken from the following: American Cowboy Magazine, https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http://www.stjomo.com/uploadedFiles/Content/Things_To_Do/quotes.pdf&pli=1, the Pony Express National Museum website, and St. Joseph’s history museum.

The answer to your questions:

What genius created such a trademark look? That would be John B. Stetson, a prospector and cowboy in the 1850′s.

Where did the cowboy hat come from? Mr. Stetson created the cowboy hat because of his experience as a cowboy and prospector; he needed one. The cowboy hat’s functionality includes (but is not limited to): sun-blocker, wind-blocker, head warmer, rain-blocker, water carrier, bowl, a flag, horse trough, or the stylish finishing touch to any and every outfit

All that shaping, creasing and steaming – where did that come from? The shaping of hats goes back to individual cowboys wanting to create their own unique style. It quickly beacame a “road-map” of the wearers political leanings. Read below for more!

The Story

John B. Stetson, who spent time as a prospector and cowboy, realized the need for a functional hat. His design was the basis for the modern cowboy hat – The Boss of The Plains.

This legendary and distinct looking hat was crafted of fur felt. It could withstand whatever a rough cowboy or prospector could dish out. Using hot steam, the wearer could create their own unique style by creasing the crown and shaping the brim. The crease became, over time, a “road map” of the wearer,  an identification tag of sorts. Creases became so specific, an observant person could tell from which region the wearer hailed – even which ranch he worked! Political leanings could also be discovered.

The brim readers guide for telling political persuasion:

Flat-top hat: The wearer has Monarchist views.
Rounded crown: The wearer favors democracy and individual freedoms.

Today there are over 20 different creases available in felt hats. The style of hat a person wears can still be an insight into their personality.  If a person sports an original Boss of The Plains, chances are, he or she is a Western purist. This sort of person might also wear the

Tom Mix, Gus and Hesperus styles; all different takes on the 10-gallon hat of the movies and TV Shows. Also iconic: The Royal Canadian Mounty and U.S. Army Drill Instructor hat with the creases known as “Mountain Peaks.”

Modern style dictates change and variety – so cowboys today enjoy shaping brims as well as the crease.  While the Boss of the Plains is less common, newer styles that signify the modern cowboy are the Classic Rancher and Laredo, which are seen in rodeo grounds all over.

Different regions produce different popular styles. For example:

Australia or New Zealand: The Outback crease.
Mexico: The Mountain Peak or 10-gallon hat are both reminiscent of the Mexican sombrero.

The cowboy hat has always been the assumed accessory. But, it is also very functional, as well as stylish. The symbolic quality it provides has kept it a favorite for generations throughout history. Hats today still serve as a road-map of the wearer – just like their ancestors.

If you have a question we didn’t cover here – just ask! Use the form below, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

cforms contact form by delicious:days

Information on hats, creases, brims and shaping referenced from American Cowboy article written by Sarah Haslerud.

Did you know?

• That Cary Grant and Clint Eastwood have written letters to Levi, thanking them? You can view others as well…
• Levi has an Archive? Their historical collections of documents, clothing, photographs, films, posters, advertising materials and artifacts date back to the mid 1800s and include such items as the 1974 Levi’s® edition of the Gremlin automobile.  But their Archives are more than boxes of jeans or reels of old commercials. It’s  a kind of laboratory for innovation and new design ideas. Their designers from around the world are its most frequent visitors. Here’s a sampling of part of the collection:
  • The “XX” – the oldest pair of 501® jeans in the world, from c1879
  • 10 pairs of jeans from the 19th century
  • A pair of jeans from 1938 that towed a car
  • Denim jackets redesigned or decorated by Elton John, Queen Latifah, Yves St. Laurent, Elizabeth Taylor and others
  • A pair of jeans that prevented a child from being burned
  • Letters from Cary Grant, Henry Kissinger, Clint Eastwood, Lady Bird Johnson, and silent-movie cowboy William S. Hart
  • A one-piece garment for women called “Freedom-Alls” from 1918
  • A denim tuxedo jacket made for Bing Crosby in 1951
  • A jacket and pair of jeans signed by The Rolling Stones.

You might think that a “Levi” started Levi Strauss & Co., but such is not the case.

In 1847, a man named “Loeb” Strauss left Bavaria and sailed to New York with his mother and sister. His half-brothers were in a wholesale dry goods (cloth and linen bolts, clothing, etc.) business. In 1853, Loeb decided to take the hazardous trek to a bustling (because of the Gold Rush) San Francisco to seek a new start. Sometime around 1850, he reinvented more than just his location: he changed his name to “Levi.” We should all be grateful for this change:

If he hadn’t have taken that step, the world would be wearing “Loeb’s.”

There are some myths and ambiguity (due to the loss of records from the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire) surrounding how Levi actually started making his signature jeans. What is known is that a Nevada tailor, Jacob Davis, contacted Levi about becoming a business partner in his new venture: tough, riveted work clothing for miners in the Reno area. Levi realized the import of such an opportunity, and in 1873 Levi Strauss & Co. and Davis received a patent for an “Improvement in Fastening Pocket-Openings.” And you know the rest! Read the time-line below for exactly when everything happened.

Time-Line

19th Century

1829 – Levi Strauss is born in Buttenheim, Bavaria.

1847 – Levi Strauss, his two sisters and mother sail for America, where they join half-brothers Jonas and Louis in New York. Levi joins their dry goods business.

1853 – Levi becomes an American citizen and sails to San Francisco to set up a small dry-goods house, which grows into a prosperous business over the next twenty years.

1854 – Levi Strauss donates $5 to a San Francisco orphanage only one year after arriving in the city to open his dry-goods business. This is equivalent to approximately $110 U.S. and begins the company’s tradition of sharing its prosperity with the community.

1866 – LS&CO. headquarters are at 14-16 Battery Street, where they remain for 40 years.

1871 – Levi Strauss & Co. gives $100 to the Chicago Relief Fund to help rebuild after the fire of 1871.

1872 – Jacob Davis, a Reno Nevada tailor, writes to Levi Strauss & Co., telling him of the process he invented to rivet the pocket corners on men’s pants. He suggests the two men take out a patent on the process together.

1873 – Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis receive the patent for rivets on men’s pants. They begin making copper-riveted “waist overalls” (the old name for jeans) in San Francisco. The denim comes from the Amoskeag Mill in New Hampshire.

1897 – Levi Strauss donates funds to endow 28 scholarships at the University of California,Berkeley. These scholarships are still in place today.

1900~1919

1902 – Levi Strauss dies at the age of 73. His nephews inherit the business.

~Levi Strauss’ will contains a number of bequests to Bay Area charities which serve children and
the poor.

1906 – The earthquake and fire destroy the headquarters and two factories of Levi Strauss & Co. The company extends credit to its wholesale customers so they can get back on their feet and back in business. Employee salaries are continued, and temporary headquarters and a showroom are opened in order to keep employees working. A new factory is built at 250 Valencia Street, and new headquarters are erected on Battery Street.

1912 – Simon Davis, son of Jacob Davis and the superintendent of the Valencia Street factory,invents “Koveralls,” a one-piece play suit for children and the company’s first nationally distributed product.

1915 – L &CO. receives the Highest Award for waist overalls at the Panama Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco. The company begins to purchase denim from Cone Mills in North Carolina.

1919 – Walter A. Haas, Sr. joins the company

1920s

1920 – A factory is opened in Frankfort, Indiana to make Koveralls.

1920s – During this decade, the assembly-line technique is adopted at the Valencia Street and Frankfort factories. In addition, the climate for selling denim products is unfavorable; the price of cotton drops sharply, rendering cotton garments subject to price reduction. Despite this, Walter Haas, Sr. maintains the company’s $25,000 advertising budget, as he feels advertising (in the form of billboards and painted signs) is crucial to the success of the waist overalls.

1926 – Bonuses are given to the workers at the Valencia Street factory, possibly a first in theapparel industry.

1928 – The company registers the word Levi’s® as a trademark.

1930s

1930s – The Depression strikes and the demand for products declines. Workers at the Valencia Street facility are put on a short work week to avoid layoffs, and others are given non-manufacturing tasks such as laying the hardwood floors that are still in use today. At the same time, the company adopts the cowboy as its advertising and image-building icon, associating the rugged individualism of the cowboy (and his Hollywood counterpart) with the famous 501® waist overalls.

1934 – LS&CO. creates “Lady Levi’s®,” the company’s first blue jean for women.

1940s

1940s – During World War II, the design of waist overalls is changed due to government
mandates regarding the conservation of raw materials. U.S. soldiers wear their Levi’s® jeans and jackets overseas, giving the products their first international exposure.

~African-American workers at the company’s California plants work in integrated facilities.

1948 – LS&CO. discontinues its wholesale business in order to concentrate on manufacturing apparel.

1950s

1952 – The Levi Strauss Foundation is formed to coordinate the company’s charitable giving.

1954 — “Lighter Blues” casual slacks and the “Denim Family” line mark the company’s entry intothe sportswear business.
~An Army colonel on an American base in Frankfurt, Germany, bans military wives from wearing blue jeans, saying it reflects poorly on the U.S.

1958 – Levi’s® jeans are chosen for the American Pavilion at the World’s Fair in Brussels.
1959 – Levi’s® jeans are exhibited at the “American Fashion Industries Presentation” in Moscow.
~The company begins exporting garments to Europe and appoints an Export Manager.

1960s

1960s – LS&CO. opens its first southern plant. Located in Blackstone, Virginia, the company insists from its inception that the facility be integrated. This occurs before desegregation is mandated by federal law.

1961 – Clothing is exhibited in Paris by our French distributor.

1962 – LS&CO. receives President Kennedy’s “E” award for significant contributions to the United States export program.

1963 – Pre-shrunk Levi’s® jeans are introduced.

1964 – STA-PREST® slacks —the first wrinkle free products — are introduced. Levi’s® jeans become part of the permanent collections of the Smithsonian Institution.

1965 – Levi Strauss International and Levi Strauss Far East are established, beginning the
company’s expansion into Europe and Asia.

1966 – The company airs its first television commercial.

1967 – Levi’s® jeans are exhibited in Moscow, Prague and Warsaw.
~Rock groups such as The Jefferson Airplane and Paul Revere and the Raiders record radio commercials for the Stretch Levi’s® and White Levi’s® lines.

1968 – The Community Affairs department is established, formalizing the company’s
philanthropic efforts.

1969-1970 – LS&CO. introduces bell bottoms into its jeans line.
~LS&CO. renovates the Valencia Street plant and the surrounding areas, creating a community gathering place and contributing to the improvement of the community.
Peter Haas, Sr. becomes President.

1970s

1970s – Corduroy and polyester pants are added to the Levi’s® range, reflecting the styles of thetimes.

~The first Community Involvement Teams are formed at the headquarters office.

1971 – LS&CO. becomes a public corporation, and includes a statement of its values in its prospectus.

~Levi Strauss Japan is established, marking the company’s first official entry into the Asian marketplace.

1974 – Company headquarters move to a large office complex at Embarcadero Center in San Francisco.

1980s

1982 – The Levi Strauss Foundation makes its first matching gifts to the Kaposi Sarcoma Clinic at San Francisco General Hospital.

1984 – LS&CO. is the official outfitter of the U.S. Olympic Team and the Los Angeles Gamesstaff.
~The “501® Blues” television campaign is launched at the Olympic Games, leading to  resurgence in sales of the 501® jeans.LS&CO. receives the Lawrence A. Wien Prize in Corporate Social Responsibility.

1985 — LS&CO. wins the Governor’s Committee Media/Advertising Award from the New York

~State Office of Advocates for the Disabled, for its positive portrayals of disabled people in the “501® Blues” television ads.
~LS&CO. completes the largest leveraged buyout in the apparel industry and the company becomes private again.

1986 – Dockers® Khakis are introduced in the United States. The company holds its first auction of celebrity-decorated denim jackets to benefit AIDS research and education at Barneys in New York.

1990s

1990 – LS&CO. receives the German Apparel Supplier of the Year award, the first non-German and the first jeans company to win the award.

1991 – “Project Change,” an initiative to fight institutional racism in LS&CO. communities, is launched.

~The first Original Levi’s Stores® are opened in the United States, in Columbus Ohio.

~LS&CO. develops the first known set of comprehensive standards for manufacturing and finishing contractors worldwide, dealing with wages, hours, working conditions, ethics and the environment.

~Levi Strauss North America is formed to better coordinate the strategies and needs of the business in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.

1993 – Business Ethics magazine names LS&CO. as one of three companies to win its
“Excellence in Ethics” award.

~Due to positive changes in South Africa, LS&CO.’s South Africa Policy Group recommends that the company modify its policy to consider doing business in that country (if free, fair, non- racial elections have been held and a Government of National Unity has been installed).

1994 – Levi’s® Dockers® are introduced in Europe..

~Employees at the Customer Service Center in Canton, Miss., are honored by the White House and Congress for their volunteer work in support of children and families in the Jackson and Canton communities.

1995 – Dockers® Khakis, invented in Japan ten years earlier as Docker Pants, are re-introduced to Japanese consumers.

~LS&CO. places No. 1 among apparel firms and No. 16 overall in Fortune magazine’s annual list of America’s most admired corporations.

~Hispanic magazine names LS&CO. among the top 100 companies that provide the most
opportunities for Hispanic employees.

~LS&CO. launches its first site on the Web at www.levi.com.

~Levi Strauss Japan sponsors the Rolling Stones’ “Voodoo Lounge” tour.

~”Clayman” becomes LS&CO.’s first global commercial for the Levi’s® brand and runs in countries on all five continents.

1996 – Levi’s® Vintage Clothing is introduced globally. LVC is a line of authentic reproductions ofclothing from the Levi Strauss & Co. Archives.

~The Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change presents LS&CO. with the 1996 Management Award. The Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees (UNITE), which represents several LS&CO. owned-and-operated manufacturing facilities, made the award nomination in recognition of the unique partnership between LS&CO. and UNITE.

1997 – LS&CO. receives the Organizational Award for a Large Business from the Centers for Disease Control.

~The company also receives the Quality of Life Award from Auburn University.

1998 – LS&CO. celebrates the 125th anniversary of the invention of jeans.

~A flagship Original Levi’s Store® opens on San Francisco’s Union Square.

Present

2000 – LS&CO. introduces Levi’s® Engineered Jeans™, the reinvention of jeans for the 21^st century. LS&CO. named No. 2 in Fortune’s “America’s Best Companies for Minorities”.

~Levi Strauss & Co. sponsors D’Angelo and Christina Aguilera concert tours.

2003 – Levi Strauss & Co. celebrates the 150th anniversary of its founding and the 130th
anniversary of the invention of blue jeans by Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis.

2004 – The Levi Strauss Foundation is presented with the Corporate Philanthropy Award by the Ms. Foundation. The theme of the awards is how community participation builds and strengthens democracy.

~Case studies involving LS&CO. and the Levi Strauss Foundation are featured in the book called Compassionate Capitalism: How Corporations Can Make Doing Good an Integral Part of Doing Well.

For more information, time-lines and facts, visit the Levi Strauss Co website.

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Do you want to help Haiti?

Do you want new shoes?

Visit F.M. Light and Sons: we are partnering with Soles4Souls to benefit you and Haiti. Here’s the scoop:

old shoes + need for new + F.M. Light and Sons and Soles4Souls = 10% off (or more) and a donation for Haiti

We have a large selection of sale shoes (up to 50% off). If you donate gently used shoes, we’ll give you the sale price, plus 10% off. And, you help those in need. How great is that?

Questions about shoes – such as what gently used means, exactly?
Click Here for more information.

Susanna and the Gang at F.M. Light and Sons

What kind of shoes do we accept?

Soles4Souls accepts all types of shoes: athletic, running, dress, sandals, pumps, heels, work boots, cleats, dance, flip flops, just as long as they are new or gently worn.

How do I know what is gently worn?

We define gently worn as shoes that you would still wear. They should have solid soles with no holes, laces if applicable, clean (no mud). We never like to see anything thrown away, so please, if there is any question, send the shoes along and we will sort and utilize the best possible way.

Do we accept half pairs?

Yes, Soles4Souls accepts half pairs. Hopefully they can match them up one day!

More questions? Visit the Soles4Souls website for more information.