Who made denim jeans and why?

The denim fabric originated in Genoa, Italy and was used for sails because it was so sturdy. It was then used for clothing for peasants because the material was so durable. Sailors exported denim pants throughout Europe. Denim arrived in the US near the end of the 18th century.

Levi Strauss sold denim in California in the 1850's. Jacob Davis, a tailor, came up with the idea to use rivets to reinforce points of stress to make the pants he made our of denim last longer. Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss obtained the patent for "Improvement in Fastening Pocket-Openings," on May 20, 1873 and began to sell "waist overalls", a work pant which later became known as "blue jeans".