The two individuals most closely associated with the adaptation of denim to create Levis were Jewish European tailors who immigrated from Germany and Russia.

Strauss is reputed to have imported denim to America to sell to prospectors during the Gold Rush. The material at the time was used for blankets, tents, and wagon covers among other uses. Soon the material was being used to create sturdy pants.

Rivets were added by Jacob Davis, the other of the Jewish tailors, when he apparently heard a woman complaining that her husband's pockets were constantly ripping, so he used copper rivets to make the pant pockets more secure.