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The life cycle of a pair of jeans - Madhavi Venkatesan

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The first pairs of jeans were designed for durability; denim was constructed as a sturdy weave worn by sailors and miners. But over the course of the 20th century, as the demand for jeans has gone up, their durability has gone down. Today, most pairs last no longer than a year. And each new pair you buy has a much higher cost than you might think. Madhavi Venkatesan traces the life cycle of jeans.


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Meet The Creators

  • Educator Madhavi Venkatesan
  • Director Sofia Pashaei
  • Narrator Pen-Pen Chen
  • Music Salil Bhayani, cAMP Studio
  • Sound Designer Amanda P.H. Bennett
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
  • Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Editorial Producer Dan Kwartler
  • Script Editor Alex Gendler
Additional Resources for you to Explore
Read the following articles to learn more about this subject:
4 Truths Behind Your Fast Fashion Jeans
A New Textiles Economy: Redesigning fashion’s future
How ethical is the denim supply chain?
Denimosity
Your ripped jeans aren’t cheap. Fast fashion costs a lot and the planet is paying the price
The life and death of your jeans

Customize this lesson

Create and share a new lesson based on this one.

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Madhavi Venkatesan
  • Director Sofia Pashaei
  • Narrator Pen-Pen Chen
  • Music Salil Bhayani, cAMP Studio
  • Sound Designer Amanda P.H. Bennett
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
  • Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Editorial Producer Dan Kwartler
  • Script Editor Alex Gendler

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