Denim Day

The origin of Denim Day traces back to an infuriating court ruling in Italy. In 1992, a young woman was raped by her driving instructor during her first driving lesson. Although he was initially convicted and sentenced to prison; the verdict was later overturned by Italy’s Supreme Court. Their reasoning? Because the young woman was wearing extremely tight jeans, implying she must have helped him remove the jeans and therefore making the assault consensual. This ruling became known worldwide as the “jeans alibi”.

In protest, women in the Italian Parliament wore jeans on the steps of the Supreme Court, igniting an international movement. This stance inspired leaders in California to launch the first Denim Day in 1999. Since then, millions of people across the globe have worn denim each April to send a powerful message to dispel the myth of “what was the victim wearing?”. No matter what someone wears is never an invitation for sexual violence.

Denim Day is more than symbolic; it is a call to action! By wearing jeans on April 29, 2026, we challenge victim blaming narratives, educate our communities, and show survivors they are believed and supported. Participants can wear denim, share educational materials, and tag CVC on social media to help spread awareness and solidarity. You can be the person that wears denim and says enough is enough to sexual violence.