Dirt-defying denim.

• Position: What's New? - From Old Toledo Brands Inc - Brief Article

If there is a single fabric that has come to personify American clothing over the years, it has to be denim. Since Levi Strauss first started purveying rugged pants made from the material to miners during the 1849 California Gold Rush, denim clothing has become nearly universal, spreading around the world, especially in the late 20th century, as a symbol of youth, even in countries that profess to detest the U.S. and what it stands for. So, more than a century and a half after it first made an appearance, what possibly can be new with this durable fabric?

Jeep clothing from Old Toledo Brands Inc., New York, has treated this venerable cloth with Teflon, the chemical originally created by DuPont to prevent pots and pans from sticking. The result is a water-repellent, stain-resistant fabric that is durable, comfortable, and, most important...