Year that Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis received a patent for the use of copper rivet fasteners on denim trousers -- and thus blue jeans were officially born, according to Cotton Inc.: 1873
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Average number of pairs of blue jeans owned by the average U.S. consumer: 7
Source: Cotton Inc.
Percentage of 2013 graduates who stated that what they want is financial stability over other considerations, including an on-demand lifestyle (16 percent), freedom (12 percent) and travel experiences (5 percent), according to a survey conducted by Zipcar: 68
Percentage of college seniors who graduated in 2011 who had student loan debt -- with an average of $26,600 per borrower: 66
Source: Zipcar.
Percentage of executives who said clothing choices affect an employee's chances of earning a promotion, according to a survey from OfficeTeam: 80
In 2007, percentage of executives who tied professional wear to advancement prospects: 93
Among those 2007 respondents, percentage who said clothing significantly affects a person's chances of moving up the ladder, versus just 8 percent who feel this way today: 33
Source: OfficeTeam.
Average number of technology products used by Americans, according to a study by Ipsos Open Thinking Exchange: 2.3
Percentage of respondents who use mobile phones: 82
Percentage who use laptops: 66
Source: Ipsos Open Thinking Exchange.
Percentage of respondents who are planning a leisure trip this summer, according to the results of the 2013 summer travel survey by TripAdvisor: 86
Ranks of ocean, city, countryside, National Park and lake on the list of the five most popular summer destination categories this year: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Ranks of New York City, Boston and Washington, D.C., on the list of the most popular U.S. destinations for summer travel: 1, 2, 3
Source: TripAdvisor.
Percentage of shoppers who are more sensitive to price this year than they were in 2012, according to a Parago survey: 75
Percentage of those who feel their purchasing power has decreased: 42
Before shopping, percentage of consumers who now look for deals, rebates and the best prices compared to 69 percent in 2012: 80
Source: Parago.
Percentage of all speaking characters in 2012 films who were female, according to a study by the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism: 28
When they are on screen, percentage of women in 2012 who were shown with at least some exposed skin: 31
Percentage of female teen characters who were shown in sexy attire in 2012, compared with 39.9 percent of women between the ages of 21 and 39: 57
Source: Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.
Percentage of adults in their 40s and 50s who have a parent age 65 or older and are either raising a young child or financially supporting a grown child (age 18 or older), according to a Pew Research Center survey: 47
Percentage of middle-aged adults who are providing financial support to both an aging parent and a child: 15
Source: Pew Research Center's Social & Demographic Trends.
Percentage of those in a relationship who would "cheat" on their spouse/partner/significant other by streaming a TV program they had agreed to watch together before their partner had a chance to watch it, according to a survey conducted on behalf of Netflix2: 51
Percentage of U.S. adults (28 million) who confessed they had already cheated: 12
Source: Harris Interactive.
Percentage of employees who believe that businesses are not doing enough to instill in their culture a sense of purpose aimed at making a positive impact on all stakeholders, according to the annual Deloitte Core Beliefs & Culture survey: 68
Percentage of the respondents who said their organization had a strong sense of purpose who were likely to say their company had performed well financially over the last year: 90
Source: Deloitte LLP.
Idle Thought
"Everyone, in some small, sacred sanctuary of the self, is nuts." -- Leo Rosten (1908-1997), author
(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre(at)bwr.eastlink.ca.)