Hemp Levi's jeans urban legend

An urban legend states that the first pair of Levi's jeans was made of hemp canvas. In fact, the fabric was cotton, made by the Amoskeag Cotton and Woolen Manufacturing Company.[1][2]

The misinformation may have been spread by Jack Herer.[lower-alpha 1]

In March, 2019, Levi's did actually begin allowing manufacture of hemp jeans with its brand.[4]

Footnotes

1. The 'fact' that hemp sailcloth was used for the first Levi's is cited to Herer's 1985 The Emperor Wears No Clothes in at least one counterculture book.[3]

References

1. Micha (March 11, 2014). "The 10 Most Common Myths About Weed" (Sensi blog). Sensi Seeds.
2. Browne 1915.
3. Deitch 2003, p. 222.
4. Angela Velasquez (March 6, 2019). "Levi's Wellthread and Outerknown Introduce Cottonized Hemp Denim". Sourcing Journal.

Sources

• Browne, G.W. (1915). The Amoskeag Manufacturing Co. of Manchester, New Hampshire: A History. Printed [by] Amoskeag Manufacturing Company.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Deitch, R. (2003). Hemp: American History Revisited: The Plant with a Divided History. Algora Pub. p. 222. ISBN 978-0-87586-226-2. Retrieved 2019-04-19.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)