First published last year, Jeans of the Old West is by far the most fascinating and in-depth book on the history of denim that I’ve come across. Packed full of pictures, drawings, and old patents, the author spends an incredible amount of time exploring over a dozen companies and the denim they created (Levi Strauss & Co. being the only survivor from the time period and area focused on).
For me, the best part of it is that it also highlights many great design details that have faded away into history (just the sort of details that we repro nerds like) and it will be interesting to see if it has an influence on the some of fledgling companies out there today who are still looking for something to set their jeans apart from the rest. This is a must own I think, for any denim fan.
