( CNN ) -- Jim Heston , an American guesthouse operator in Cambodia , has lived a life in denim and has the photos to prove it . There were the dungarees he wore as a little boy , the dark bell-bottoms he had on for a hike up Japan 's Mount Fuji , and the Levis straight-leg 501 jeans he 's stayed with for the past 36 years . At 54 , Heston does n't get embarrassed anymore , `` but if I had to share any of these blue jean moments a few years back , I would have been a little more reluctant , '' he says . In particular , there was the snapshot of him on a Hawaii beach in a Daishiki and jeans his mother extended with red fabric because he was growing faster than his pants were wearing out . May 20 , 1873 , is considered the birthday of blue jeans . Readers shared their favorite and most cringe-inducing moments in denim ( hello , acid wash ) to mark the occasion . `` They 're the most unique piece of clothing everyone owns because they keep changing as you wear them , '' said Angelika Corrente , who runs Denimhead , global trend forecaster WGSN 's denim division . A few facts about denim : . 1 . Jacob Davis , a tailor in Reno , Nevada , came up with the idea of riveted pants in response to a customer whose pockets kept ripping . He feared someone might steal his idea and recruited Levi Strauss , owner of dry goods wholesaler Levi Strauss & Co. , as a business partner . They obtained a patent on May 20 , 1873 . 2 . Denim jeans -- or trousers , waist overalls or dungarees -- started out as work-wear for hard labor in mines , factories and fields . By the 1980s , as high fashion brands began to introduce the concept of designer jeans , the shape and fit began to slim down . 3 . Consumers in the United States buy approximately 450 million pairs of jeans every year . 4 . On average , U.S. consumers have seven pairs of jeans in their wardrobe , according to Cotton Incorporated . 5 . Environmental awareness has pushed denim laundries to improve techniques for bleaching and coating jeans to give them different looks , Corrente said . Where lots of water , aggressive washing and sandpaper was once the norm for creating that worn vintage look , lasers and and ozone gas cameras are now being used to minimize water waste and chemical runoff . 6 . This year 's trends are marked by a hybrid appreciation for fads of other eras . You 're as likely to see someone rocking the heavy raw denim popular among '60s bikers and rebellious youth , an '80s-inspired high-waisted , flower print , or the acid-washed , ripped-up grunge look of the '90s . CNN 's Emanuella Grinberg contributed to this report .
Blue jeans were invented in May 1873 . Every U.S. consumer owns seven pairs , according to Cotton Incorporated . iReporters shared their favorite denim looks .