Jeans are great, you can wipe your dirty hands on them, you can play around in the mud with them, they're so great Fatboy Slim even made a song about them. But as with everything else in the world, there's some strange facts and figures when it comes to these universal blue trousers. Read on!

1. The Origin of Denim and Jeans

The word jeans originates from Middle French "jean fustian," fustian being a type of twilled cotton cloth. Although the word originates from the French language, it's debated whether the first jeans were made in the Italian city of Genoa in the 15th century or the town of Nîmes in France. It's most commonly accepted that denim fabric was founded in Nîmes, France while jeans originated in Genoa, Italy. Meanwhile, America started using denim in the 18th century.

2. Why Most Denim Is Colored Blue

Although there was once another similar type of pants known as the duck trouser that was brown, the most common color for denim is blue. The indigo dye used for denim reacts differently than most natural dyes. When the dye is heated and paired with the chemical agent called mordant, the color only binds to the external threads. When the denim is washed, some of the dye is stripped away and takes bits of the thread with it.

3. Denim Made From 100% Cotton

The denim weave is one of the strongest and longest-lasting textiles that is formed out of cotton. When cotton is made into denim, the fabric forms a diagonal ribbing pattern. Twill fabric is warp-facing, where the warp yarns are more prominent on the right side. This pattern is what separates denim from other cotton fabrics such as canvas, even though these are sturdy cotton fabrics as well. Although Denim is commonly made from 100% cotton, that doesn't mean what you're wearing will always just be cotton. Elastic materials such as spandex are often blended into the denim fabric to make your clothes stretchable.

4. The small pocket on the side

What is this little pocket actually meant for? What do you usually put into it? Your coins, your keys? In fact, this small pocket on the side has a very specific use. This video shows a lot of funny possibilities and finally reveals the truth... Amazing! Before the invention of wristwatches, people kept their watches in a jacket pocket. Since most people didn't wear jackets while working, Davis and Strauss added an extra watch pocket to their jeans. Very clever!

5. Small metal buttons

You would think that these little "buttons" are just there to add some style to our jeans. But the original reason is much more practical. When Davis created the first jeans, he had the idea of using copper rivets that he had used in previous designs. The purpose of these rivets was to keep all the sewn parts in place so that even after years of intense wear and tear the jeans do not fall apart. They're almost unbreakable! Today most people don't need this kind of rugged clothing so the rivets are actually just for show. But they still look good, don't they?

6. Washing your jeans

Most often we just throw our jeans in the laundry with everything else. But did you know that jeans actually don't need to be washed that often? "A good pair of denim doesn’t really need to be washed in the washing machine except for very infrequently or rarely," explains Chip Bergh, president of Levi's. Jeans are made to be worn without washing and a study even proved it. Researchers tested several pairs of jeans and found that they had as much bacteria on them after two weeks without washing as they did 15 months after washing! What a great way to save money on laundry detergent. Denim also stretches to form to our bodies, so the more you wear your jeans, the better they'll fit. Washing them shrinks the fabric and this natural form fitting gets lost in the process.