Liz Says: Denim Overalls. I could only find a few overalls with good prices. You won't find overpriced items here. Overalls first appeared in the British Army in the 1750s as a protective covering for formal clothing. With Levi Strauss' refinement of denim in the 1870s, overalls proved durable and comfortable enough that by the early 20th century, miners and railroad workers commonly wore them.