The ubiquity of jeans across social classes in modern America might be surprising given that throughout history jeans have transmitted very specific cultural messages. Their crude, durable fabric initially made them symbolic of poor, working-class men, but when women hung up their skirts in order to take their turns at the heavy machinery while their husbands fought fascism in Europe, jeans were transformed into a hallmark of patriotism and early feminism. In the 1950s, after exposure in films as the garments of choice of brooding icons such as Marlon Brando and James Dean, jeans also served as an emblem of rebellious youth. Ultimately, their rise to dominance over the American wardrobe in the 1970s did nothing to lessen the ability of jeans to align the wearer with a certain social group, thanks to the scope of brands and styles that became available.

The passage implies all of the following about people who have worn jeans throughout history EXCEPT

A. their social affiliations are not exclusive to one particular social class
A. they found jeans more suitable for some working environments
B. the early adopters wore jeans in order to identify with certain social groups
D. they progressively gained more control over the symbolism of the jeans they wore
E. they were members not only of a variety of economic classes, but age groups as well



What is the function of the highlighted portion?

A. to provide a specific example of another shift in the symbolism of jeans
B. to present a viewpoint that differs from that of the initial premise
C. to summarize an argument in favor of the inconsistent historical symbolism of jeans
D. to weaken the author's premise by conclusively demonstrating why jeans gained widespread popularity
E. to reconcile an apparent contradiction presented in an earlier sentence