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Calvin Klein Jeans - Late 1970s
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Close up: Calvin Klein label
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The garment pictured here is a pair of women's jeans, manufactured in the late 1970s, owned and worn by Clarita Anderson, a faculty member at the University of Maryland. For many years jeans were only considered to be work clothes, but became to be seen as leisure wear in the 1940s and were usually referred to as "jeans" or "levis." In the 1950s, jeans became associated with teen-age rebellion when worn by film icons such as Marlon Brando, James Dean and Elvis Presley. The counter-culture message of the garment was not lost on those dictating the dress code at the University of Maryland in the 1950s and 1960s. In a 1953-54 university publication titled "Black-eyed Sue at Maryland U" there is a suggested packing list for new female students, which suggests including jeans for picnics off-campus. However, the 1954-55 publication "Information Please" tells new female students to choose their campus clothing with the intention of making "a good impression on our co-ed campus" and clearly states that jeans are definitely not for on-campus wear in dress rules that declare "'jeans' are not allowed in the library, dining hall or anywhere else on campus." In 1955-56 the rule was expanded upon when the authors felt the need to clarify that jeans were "not allowed (even when covered by a coat)" and also instituted a penalty of an "automatic campus" for infractions. As fashion became more relaxed in the mid-sixties, campus dress codes began to allow sportswear on campus, but in 1965-67 the "Information Please" booklet clearly stated that "'dungarees, levis' are not considered casual clothes and are not worn on campus." By the late 1960s, jeans became ubiquitous with hippie culture and campus dress codes disappeared. A new up-scale image emerged for jeans in the late 1970s as fashion designers such as Gloria Vanderbilt, Armani and Calvin Klein began producing blue jeans that sported their labels. With price tags around $50, they were more expensive than traditional blue jeans, but not out of reach for many college students. The garment that was a counter-culture symbol in the 1950s and a hippie icon in the 1960s became high fashion in the late 1970s and early 1980s. What was banned completely from the campus became acceptable dress even for professional staff.
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