Denim Day

Denim Day History

Denim Day seeks to protest sexual violence. This day aims to educate others about forms of sexual violence. It encourages everyone to wear and buy jeans as a sign of solidarity for survivors and victims. Denim Day was started in response to a sexual assault case in Italy. In 1992, the Italian Supreme Court overturned a conviction of rape with the reasoning being that because the jeans the victim was wearing were too tight, she must have consented. They assumed that the criminal would not be able to remove the woman’s jeans without her help. This sparked an outrage. Many protested the verdict by wearing jeans in solidarity. The verdict would later become known as the jeans alibi.

Denim Day was established in 1999 by the executive director of Peace Over Violence, Patti Occhuzzo Giggans. It is observed annually on the last Wednesday of April.