Young Blonde Girl Undresses Her Red Shirt And Blue Jeans On The Antique Chair

Jeans (at the time known as "dungarees"), along with light-blue stenciled "cambric" shirts, became part of the official working uniform of the United States Navy in the first part of the 20th Century. A working uniform was selected to protect traditional uniforms from becoming soiled or torn in the ship's rugged working environment, leaving them for ceremonial occasions. They were first issued in 1901, and were originally straight-legged but by the mid-20th century the trousers became Boot-cut style to permit ventilation in the ship's hotter working environments and to ensure sailors could shed their dungarees if they fell overboard or had to abandon ship.
The same type of uniform consisting of jeans and chambray tops was issued as prison uniforms in some correctional facilities mainly because of the durability and low-maintenance of denim which was deemed suitable for the rugged manual labor carried out by inmates. A popular example of the use of denim as prison wear can be seen in the film Cool Hand Luke.