How many times have you worn a pair of jeans in your life? Probably too many to count, but have you ever stopped to consider the use or the origin of those little tiny pieces of metal on your jean pockets??? Those aren't snaps. They are rivets. Originally the rivets were used to hold jeans together at places where they were most likely to come apart, like at the pockets. A jean expert also said that those rivets are usually placed very specifically to reinforce an area of high tension in a garment. That is probably why we see them near the pockets. Now you know and like G.I. Joe says knowing is half the battle.