any flourished. Oftentimes, Strauss would travel to the gold mines to sell his goods. Upon high demand, Levi started to provide miners with durable overalls constructed from his canvas fabric. One day, he received a shipment of denim because they ran out of canvas. (Goldish) Upon seeing the positive response, Levi took advantage of this discrepancy and expanded the business to include numerous forms of the material. His blue jeans, denim jackets, coats and dresses were seen quite frequently (Goldish 27) . However, for the already enthusiastic Strauss, it was just a minute sample of what was to come. As the years went on, Levi’s continued to enlarge itself to become a common household name. Critical junctions of the Levi Strauss Corporation included additions to the company, shifts in power, new products, markets and ideas. Some made progress, while others caused digression. One example is of tailor Jacob Davis, who proved to be a defining point in Levi’s success. In 1873, Strauss accepted Davis’ idea of adding metal rivets to the pockets of his pants, thus making them stronger. “His riveted pants were a smashing success,” (Gromer 94) . This addition, as tiny as it was, greatly impacted the company. Within a year, 20,000 pairs of these jeans were made (Goldish 34) . Until his death in 1902, Levi Strauss continued to improve the quality and appearance of his products. Trademark additions still present today include two orange arcs sewn into the back pockets and a leather patch of, “two horses trying to pull apart a pair of Levi’s jeans. The company wanted to show just how tough it’s fabric really was,” (Goldish 35) . Following the originator’s passing, power resided in many different hands. Levi Strauss’ family took over the reigns of his company in the beginning of the 20th century, and maintained presidency until 1928. Succeeding Levi’s...
