What is the correct name for the legendary jeans, Levi's or Levis

Levi's jeans are impeccable quality, perfect cut and perfect style. Despite the huge popularity of the brand, its name still raises questions. Many people doubt how to pronounce it correctly: Levis or Levi's - today both options are actively used in speech. In order not to be known as an illiterate person, it is worth understanding the nuances of pronunciation of the word Levi's. You should also find out about the origin of the company, which explains the peculiarities of writing its name.

History of the legendary brand

Jeans, as a type of trousers, were invented in the 19th century by Loeb Strauss, a Bavarian Jew. At the age of 18, he emigrated to America, where he and his brothers went into the haberdashery business. In order to quickly adapt to the new country, the young man changed his name (it began to be pronounced in the American manner) and became Levi Strauss (some sources mention Strauss and Strauss).

One of his trips for goods completely changed his life. Levi sold the new products he bought abroad on the way to San Francisco. All he had left was the old canvas. According to his plan, he was supposed to return for another batch, but he did otherwise. Levi came up with a new model of durable trousers for farmers and gave the remaining fabric to a tailor to sew them. The finished products were immediately bought up by local gold prospectors. Inspired by the success, the young businessman increased production volumes by buying fabric from all the ships in the local harbor. Soon he created his own company, Levi Strauss & Co.

The haberdashery business developed widely. Rigid canvas was eventually replaced by denim, a dense twill fabric. Thanks to it, the blue color of jeans is now considered traditional. Levi used this material to sew the first classic jeans, which have not lost their popularity to this day.

The company, founded by a Bavarian Jew, still exists today under the management of his nephews. Despite intense competition, it occupies one of the leading positions in its field.

The first official model released by Levi Strauss & Co was the Levi's 501 jeans.

Over the past hundred years, little has changed in the company's work. Levi's heirs successfully use the developments of their ancestor. Levi's jeans are valued not only for their good quality. The fact that they were the first and will remain so forever adds special significance.

Reasons for the discrepancies in the title

The jeans produced by the company founded by Levi Strauss are called Levi's. The version Levis is considered incorrect. Such a spelling on the label can only mean a fake:

1. The presence of an apostrophe indicates that the noun is in the possessive form. According to the rules of the English language, the ending 's is added to such words. After all, literally Levi's jeans means "Levis jeans".
2. The name of the brand's creator is written in English as Levi, and pronounced as Levay. Accordingly, the name of the trademark will sound like Levais.
3. If you read the name in the Russian manner, it will definitely be Levi. And logically, the brand name turns into Levis. However, many believe that the originality of the sound of English names should be preserved, so the first option is used more often than the second.

When discussing the correct spelling: Levis or Levais, it is also worth paying attention to the transcription of the word Levi's. There are 2 versions of the English language, and they differ significantly from each other:

• British - [li:vaɪz];
• American — [levəs].

From the British point of view, branded jeans should be called Levi's, which is different from Levis or Levi's. But according to the rules of American transcription, the name sounds like Levi's. And this is the correct option, because the birthplace of jeans is America, not England.

The debate over how to pronounce Levi's will probably continue for decades. But to be fair, it won't affect the quality of the jeans. They won't lose their value, no matter what they're called.

How to Pronounce Other Fashion Brands Correctly

The Levi's brand is not the only one whose pronunciation in the CIS countries causes certain difficulties. Foreign names are always written in Latin letters and pronounced according to the rules of English, German, French and other languages. Without knowing them, a Russian risks calling a branded item in a way that no one abroad will understand. In the worst case, the mistake made will become a reason for ridicule.

Let's look at some of the most popular brands that raise questions about their correct pronunciation.

In the 60s, the founders of Wrangler were forced to conduct an educational advertising campaign. They emphasized that the first letter W is not pronounced.

There are also a number of other names that are difficult to pronounce. For example, there are no brands like Hermes or Givenchy. The names of the French fashion houses Hermès and Givenchy are pronounced only as Erme and Givenchy. And the well-known ugg boots are actually called UGGs.

The name of the Italian fashion designer Emilio Pucci will involuntarily raise a smile. His last name is often pronounced as Pusi or Pukki. In reality, it sounds exclusively like Pucci. There are many similar examples, and what is familiar and obvious to Russian-speaking people may seem funny and inappropriate to a foreigner. It is better to inquire about the correct pronunciation once than to make mistakes many times.

Video

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