Levi Strauss & Co. is a legendary American clothing company that invented the modern blue jean in 1873. Founded in Levi Strauss & Co. in 1853 by Levi Strauss, an immigrant from Bavaria, who opened a wholesale dry goods business in San Francisco during the California Gold Rush. The Invention: In 1873, Strauss and tailor Jacob Davis combined copper rivet reinforcements with tough denim to patent the first “waist overalls,” which are now known as blue jeans. The iconic Lot 501 designation was first applied to the original riveted design in 1890.