Blue jeans are the heart of American fashion. From the movie stars of Hollywood across to the folks of the south and up to the business men and women of New York, every walk of life owns a pair of jeans. The pants themselves, however, can differ in style just as much as the people who wear them. Looking back at the fashion trends of jeans over the past several decades gives use a little insight into how impactful this pair of pants has been. We owe our thanks to Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis, the inventors of the rugged, blue trouser that we all love today.

Blue jeans were patented way back in 1873. The patent for this type of pants was unique because it was the first that included rivets in order to make them more durable for work. The rivets were placed at points in the pants that underwent the most strain, like the hips and pockets. Although the blue jeans were an instant hit among men and their wives (women did not wear them at this point in time), they were not even called jeans until 1960. Up until then, the pants were called overalls.

In the 1950s, these trousers were worn mainly by men. The style in trend was to wear them with a cuff around the ankles.

In the 1960s, blue jeans became a true part of women's fashion.

The 1970s were the years of the bell bottoms. These wide leg pants came in numerous colors and were long enough to reach the floor.

The 1980s is when the high waist came into style.

The 1990s were the reign of the "mom jeans."

How could we ever forget Britney and Justin's denim ensemble in the early 2000s? Thankfully, this trend did not last for long.

From 2010 and on, skinny jeans became the most popular style.

The style of blue jeans has obviously changed over the past several years. This versatile article of clothing will continue to morph as the years go on and fashion trends change but one thing will stay the same: denim will always be in style.