Denim books that make a difference (Part II)

DETAILS. A Life with Denim (by Piero Turk). This book can truly be called a vintage denim library. Its collection of more than 300 images of denim details will definitely leave you with a desire to drown deeper into the denim world. The book was published by Piero Turk, an Italian denim designer and the man who is really so into details. It´s a visual exploration of his favourite and most inspirational denim details from his personal archive. And if you´re not so into books the blog by the author himself  – A Life with Denim – will come in handy!

MY ARCHIVE. The history of denim from 1900-1950 (by Antonio Di Battista). MY ARCHIVE is a life-long denim research and a treasure trove for anyone with an interest in the origins of today’s denim made by Antonio Di Battista, an Italian designer. It features the most unique pieces of denim in 1900-1950 in all their beauty and value. There are some indigo denim items in this collection that are very rare and almost impossible to find, but with the passing of time they became the icons of adventure and symbols of rebellion and that´s why they are so important for different areas of the denim history. It´s a meaningful journey from yesterday to nowadays.

 

JEANS OF THE OLD WEST ( by Michael Harris)Author Michael Allen Harris writes about the inventors and manufacturers of strengthened work pants, from the well-known Levi Strauss to the almost forgotten Yung Chow. More than 300 illustrations, including some of rare pre-1873 jeans, accompany the text. This is invaluable information for fashion historians and collectors alike. The book uncovers the entire era of Old West denim and it shows never-before-seen pictures of antique “miner´s denim”. Jeans of the Old West is an archaeological research on denim, one of the few that is worth calling a relic. Admittedly, there is little glamour in old work pants and they are often no more than a piece of dirty cloth, but because of their connection to the modern world they have historical value.

The 501 XX. A collection of vintage jeans (Yutaka Fujihara). This book is a must have for anyone into denim and its history. It´s a carefully selected collection of 501 jeans dating back to the 19th century all the way up to the mid 20th century. It feature the transformation of the 5pocket jeans that we know and adore nowadays. The book brings up the rich heritage of Levi´s jeans which always remained true to its origin as tough work clothing – so tough that after over a century it is still wearable. The 501XX was strong enough to survive the test of time and still continues to be an essential part of denim history.

We´ve went over only a few denim books that make a difference to our modern society but there are a lot more coming out every day. The denim fades, leaving its roping, whiskers, honeycombs for us to remember its original beauty but its heritage is timeless and there´s still a lot to be discovered.