Levi Strauss & Co.’s 501® model is widely considered to be the “original” blue jean. Patented in 1873, Levi’s® denim trousers included copper rivets at different stress points. Now a mainstay of jeans around the world, the specific placement of these rivets has not changed in more than 150 years (except for the distinctive “crotch” rivet, which was removed during World War II due to rationing).