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Toughskins 1974 product publicity photo, boy's jeans.
Toughskins 1976 advertisement, boy's jeans.
Toughskins 1981, advertisement, boy's jeans.
Toughskins 1988 product publicity photo, men's work clothes.
Toughskins 1993, advertisement.
If the Sears Silvertone was the unofficial first guitar for musicians, then Toughskins is the unofficial first pair of pants for schoolchildren. Printed and online testimonials abound from people whose first memory of their childhood is going to the first day of school outfitted in Toughskins.

Sears touted the new line of Toughskins children's pants as "The toughest of Sears tough jeans...lab tests prove it!" Toughskins debuted as a new blend of materials, including Dacron Type 59 polyester, DuPont 420 nylon, and cotton.

The "tri-blend" was a conscious effort on the part of Sears to develop a brand of jeans that was exclusive to Sears.  In the 1960s, Sears' children's jeans were made of the same material as that of its competitors.  When market research showed that durability was the most important feature for parents buying children's jeans, then Sears' engineers headed into the laboratory to develop a stronger material than either the 50-50 blend of cotton and polyester or 100-percent composition of jeans most commonly found in stores at the time.

To demonstrate just how tough the new jeans were, Sears launched a famous "Tough Jeans Territory" ad campaign in 1974, in which Sears constructed a trampoline out of the Toughskin material.  Sears was so sure of the new line of pants that they were sold with a guarantee that children would grow out of their Toughskin jeans before the jeans wore out.

Toughskin jeans were marketed for both boys and girls, ranging in age from toddlers to teenagers.  Sears later expanded the line of Toughskins jeans to include corduroy jeans, denim jackets, and men's work clothes.

In the 1990s, a second generation of children wore Toughskins, which were featured items in the new Kids & More departments at Sears stores.

 
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