Anyone still got a pair in the back of there cupboards or in the loft?
THE search for the perfect pair of jeans can be a struggle.
Just ask staff at the new Museum of Liverpool, who are trying to hunt down a city fashion original – a pair of Fleming’s jeans.
The Liverpool-based manufacturer’s handmade denims went from docker’s work wear to the casual trouser of choice during its heyday in the 1960s and 1970s.
And there was one small detail on them that could have a hidden tale to tell.
The jeans were unique, because each treble-stitched 14oz pair was stitched from start to finish by the same worker.
The seamstress would then stitch her initials into the label, and sometimes even put a short note in the pocket.
Curators are looking for a pair of the jeans to go on display in the new Museum of Liverpool which opens in 2011, and are particularly interested in a pair that has the seamstress’s initials sewn onto the label.
The waterfront museum is to have a special exhibition called Leaving Your Mark in the “People’s City†section of gallery.
Jen McCarthy, head of social history at the museum, said: “This part of the museum will be all about the different ways ordinary people in Liverpool left their mark on the city, those lovely hidden stories and tiny snapshots of Liverpool life.â€
Fleming’s jeans were a ubiquitous brand in the city in their day.
Local businessman William Henry Fleming was inspired by the American sailors who docked in Liverpool wearing denim jeans.
He set up his company, Fleming’s Ltd, in 1881, and sold jeans from shops in Scotland Road and Walton Road.
Originally, his customers were dock workers, before the look became a more mainstream youth fashion. More than 4m pairs of jeans were sold over the shop’s 175 years in business.
he Walton Road branch closed down in 1998 as the company turned to concentrate on providing industrial workwear for firefighters.
Fans included radio DJ Billy Butler, who said: “Keep your designer labels of today, no jeans could equal the ones made by Fleming’s in Scottie Road – a pair of their ‘Supertuf’ jeans would last forever.â€
Jen McCarthy said: “A pair of Fleming’s jeans is probably one of the last objects we need to find, and we’re keen to do so.
“Like any trend nowadays, people would see them around and they became a craze.
“Although they were originally made as workwear, they became popular for men to wear and be seen in at football matches, for example.â€
NML last displayed a pair of Fleming’s jeans in 2004.
They were donated by the company’s then-managing director Mike Gold, whom curators have not been able to track down for this exhibition.
Staff have been searching for a pair for the last 12 months and say this appeal is a “last-ditch attemptâ€.
ANYONE who may be able to donate or lend a pair of Fleming’s jeans to the museum is asked to contact assistant curator Katie Brown on 0151 478 4074 or email katie.brown@liverpoolmuseums.org.uk
THE search for the perfect pair of jeans can be a struggle.
Just ask staff at the new Museum of Liverpool, who are trying to hunt down a city fashion original – a pair of Fleming’s jeans.
The Liverpool-based manufacturer’s handmade denims went from docker’s work wear to the casual trouser of choice during its heyday in the 1960s and 1970s.
And there was one small detail on them that could have a hidden tale to tell.
The jeans were unique, because each treble-stitched 14oz pair was stitched from start to finish by the same worker.
The seamstress would then stitch her initials into the label, and sometimes even put a short note in the pocket.
Curators are looking for a pair of the jeans to go on display in the new Museum of Liverpool which opens in 2011, and are particularly interested in a pair that has the seamstress’s initials sewn onto the label.
The waterfront museum is to have a special exhibition called Leaving Your Mark in the “People’s City†section of gallery.
Jen McCarthy, head of social history at the museum, said: “This part of the museum will be all about the different ways ordinary people in Liverpool left their mark on the city, those lovely hidden stories and tiny snapshots of Liverpool life.â€
Fleming’s jeans were a ubiquitous brand in the city in their day.
Local businessman William Henry Fleming was inspired by the American sailors who docked in Liverpool wearing denim jeans.
He set up his company, Fleming’s Ltd, in 1881, and sold jeans from shops in Scotland Road and Walton Road.
Originally, his customers were dock workers, before the look became a more mainstream youth fashion. More than 4m pairs of jeans were sold over the shop’s 175 years in business.
he Walton Road branch closed down in 1998 as the company turned to concentrate on providing industrial workwear for firefighters.
Fans included radio DJ Billy Butler, who said: “Keep your designer labels of today, no jeans could equal the ones made by Fleming’s in Scottie Road – a pair of their ‘Supertuf’ jeans would last forever.â€
Jen McCarthy said: “A pair of Fleming’s jeans is probably one of the last objects we need to find, and we’re keen to do so.
“Like any trend nowadays, people would see them around and they became a craze.
“Although they were originally made as workwear, they became popular for men to wear and be seen in at football matches, for example.â€
NML last displayed a pair of Fleming’s jeans in 2004.
They were donated by the company’s then-managing director Mike Gold, whom curators have not been able to track down for this exhibition.
Staff have been searching for a pair for the last 12 months and say this appeal is a “last-ditch attemptâ€.
ANYONE who may be able to donate or lend a pair of Fleming’s jeans to the museum is asked to contact assistant curator Katie Brown on 0151 478 4074 or email katie.brown@liverpoolmuseums.org.uk
