Denim has been around for centuries, but only in the past 100 years has it become a fashion power player in pop culture, dating back to when James Dean wore his blue jeans in Rebel Without a Cause.

Since their invention, jeans have helped mold some of the coolest guys in history, from James Dean to Kendrick Lamar ... rendered in inky-blue cotton—were invented way back in the late 1800s ...