In the mid-19th century, massive labor demands of the California Gold Rush created a need for stronger clothing among miners and laborers in the American West.
An immigrant merchant, Levi Strauss moved to San Francisco in 1853 and began selling durable work pants made from heavy fabric, and a tailor named Jacob Davis later solved the common problem of torn pockets by reinforcing stress points with copper rivets.
The two partnered for a patent in 1873, creating the first riveted work pant—and the direct ancestor of modern jeans.
But, are they professional attire?
Such a question was postulated during Wednesday night’s working session of the Trigg County Schools Board of Education, in which Superintendent Dr. Rex Booth stated that certified employees like teachers and administrators have so enjoyed “Blue Jean Fridays” and special allowances this year, that they would like to see the district’s employee handbook changed to allow denim as part of the working dress code.
In a roundtable chat with board members Theresa Cunningham Pool, Jim Mullen and Jamie Gapp, Booth said he’s not so sure it’s a good idea to make the change.
Director of Curriculum and Instruction Lacey Schrock remembers a more lawless time in Trigg County’s dress code history, and it prompted an idea from board member Mindy Hargrove.
Hargrove noted that a year-long pilot program allowing “appropriate” blue jeans across the district might prove successful, but she also agreed that grade-school educators might need them more than middle- and high-school teachers.
Hargrove further suggested that, in the end, the decision needed to bring district consistency, but that it should also be less of a board issue, and more of a principal issue.
Board Chair Jo Alyce Harper also urged that consistency matters, and that a lax dress code has seeped into the student population — a different message altogether.
Schrock also confirmed that some students have been removed from their co-ops entirely, due to dress code issues.
Booth said that “if” this change is allowed, he would like to see his principals collectively define what is “appropriate.”
Trigg County’s Board of Education meets in regular session next Thursday, March 12.
