In his 2003 novel, Pattern Recognition, William Gibson creates the coolest character ever to grace the pages of a book. Cayce Pollard is the world’s best coolhunter, and her highly astute ability to judge brands is largely due to the fact that she’s literally allergic to corporate logos and mascots.

She wears a series of uniforms referred to as “Cayce Pollard Units,” or CPUs. Gibson describes these as “things that could have been worn, to a general lack of comment, during any year between 1945 and 2000.” Her go-to items include shrunken Fruit of the Loom T-shirts, a Buzz Rickson MA-1 bomber jacket, and black Levi’s 501s with the arcuates on the back picked out and the branding on the buttons filed off.

It’s just one of many testaments to the humble jean’s ability to transcend trends. Its straight leg, regular waist, and enduring appeal will truly never go out of style. Of course, the main leg up Levi’s has on its competitors is a big differentiation point: They literally invented the modern jean.

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