“American” Montana jeans: the story of a brand that never existed

If you were around the 80s and 90s, you probably remember the classic American Montana jeans. They appeared on the then black market for imported items quickly and immediately became a bestseller. Jeans from this brand can be called a phenomenon, because if you look for them, you can buy them in our country today. But where did this “American classic” come from and what is known about this reputable manufacturer?

A person whose wardrobe included the treasured jeans with an eagle and the word “Montana” on a badge was considered cool by default. It was very difficult to get a high-status item - it didn’t get into stores, and black marketeers were charging fantastic prices. The confidence that a company bearing the name of one of the American states was located in the United States was unshakable.

But is it? If you ask an American about this clothing brand, you are unlikely to get an answer. The West is full of companies whose names include the name of this state, but none of them have ever produced jeans. But 30-40 years ago no one knew about this, and no one really wanted to know - the quality of the products was excellent, and the design - modern and practical.

Typically, jeans from this company were made from thick dark blue fabric. The tri-color badge hints that the material is made in Italy. What distinguished Montana from other jeans was its triple side seam and high-quality brass fittings. Back pockets were almost always equipped with zippers with stylish “dangles”.

The quality of these items was head and shoulders above that of most denim consumer goods presented on the domestic market. The fabric resisted abrasion for a long time, but even when it did rub on the folds, it only gave the jeans a special chic.

The first models, which appeared in the mid-80s, were impossible to fake. Only by the beginning of the 90s did replicas begin to appear, which could still be distinguished from the real thing upon superficial inspection. The counterfeit was distinguished by the quality of the fittings, as well as by the stitching, which in copies was rarely neat.

It’s interesting, but such a cult brand in our country is completely unknown abroad. Also, attempts to find out the history of the company come to nothing - the brand does not have its own resource and official online store. It is absolutely clear that the stories that “Montana” is an American product do not stand up to criticism, because if this were true, then jeans would be known not only in the countries of the former Soviet Union.

It turns out that the company, which has been producing high-quality “American” jeans for decades, is a successful hoax that probably made the authors rich. At one time there was a legend that Montana products were originally produced in West Germany, but did not find a buyer there due to the unreasonably high price.

The company went bankrupt, the equipment went under the hammer, and a huge batch of unclaimed items somehow ended up on our market and quickly sold through black marketers and currency stores. But the story of excellent jeans of unknown origin continued. Agree, it would be strange if a “nobody’s” brand, which enjoys enormous authority on 1/6 of the land, was simply forgotten.

The baton of the German manufacturer was picked up by the Poles and after a short break, the legendary Montana jeans appeared on sale again. Moreover, the quality has not become worse, and the model range has expanded significantly. The goods arrived from Polish workshops to stores, but in our country, as one would expect, they did not reach the shelves. Our sailors also contributed to the spread of jeans, buying thousands of them in stores in Polish and German port cities.

Today, buying Montana jeans is not a problem - you just need to enter the brand name into the search bar in your browser and hundreds of suppliers will offer their services to you. But as knowledgeable people say, modern jeans produced under this brand are very far from the quality of those sold in post-perestroika Russia.