From School Library Journal
Grade 6-10–Kyi traces the history of these pants from the early life of Levi Strauss and the patented riveted pocket to the stiff competition and controversy of production in our modern world. With many full-color and black-and-white photos and advertisements, the book gives readers an inside look at what has become an ordinary part of our lives. History and social issues are intertwined to show how activities, jobs, and the economy influence the development and production of clothing. The book covers the individuals and companies as they produced their products and kept their businesses going during the Great Depression and World War II. Readers are introduced to concepts such as supply and demand and how the country's economy affects many aspects of our lives. The final chapters discuss the social issues and injustices of sweatshop labor as well as the need to come up with new and innovative styles to keep up with competition. This is an enjoyable read for anyone wishing to know more about this fashion item and an excellent resource for an introduction to product development and economy.
–Denise Moore, O'Gorman Junior High School, Sioux Falls, SD Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Gr. 6-9. This colorful book surveys the history of blue jeans as well as their many-storied intersections with our culture. Other books that consider the subject, primarily biographies of Levi Strauss, document the garment's origins in 1873, but this one continues where those leave off, explaining issues from the rise of Levi's main competitors to the marketing of jeans, which in different eras appealed to the yen for practicality, patriotism, rebellion, and sexuality. The final chapters discuss consumer pressure for fair economic and environmental practices in international garment making as well as recent trends in making and advertising jeans. A chapter-by-chapter list of sources is appended. Kyi organizes a good deal of information and communicates it clearly, though with a decidedly informal tone. With a sidebar or color illustration on nearly every page, the book has an approachable look that adds to its appeal.
Carolyn PhelanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
