In the early 1980s, jeans were outfits, meant for rugged and rough use, and never made a fashion statement. Four Marciano brothers'”Georges, Paul, Armand and Maurice'”decided to give a twist to the perspective of jeans, and manufactured a three-zipper style of jeans, called 'Marilyn'. After several attempts to sell their product, they signed a contract with Bloomingdale's to sell 2 dozen pairs; the pairs got sold within no time. A new brand by the name 'Guess?' had set its foot to make it huge in the fashion industry.

Marciano brothers had their upbringing in France, and hence the passion and romance of the French, influenced them to design their jeans from a perspective of sensuality and sex appeal. Guess always featured models like Claudia Schiffer, Carre Otis, Eva Herzigova, Laetitia Casta, Carla Bruni, Naomi Campbell, Paris Hilton, Drew Barrymore and Anna Nicole Smith. Their first range of jeans in 1983 was for ladies; their line of jeans for men was introduced in 1984. The trend of designer jeans, was set by Guess in the 1980s, and needless to say, soon became the market leader. However, Guess soon succumbed to the tough competition it faced, from Calvin Klein, Diesel, Tommy Hilfiger and Gap. The company also faced legal problems in the 90s and went through a bad phase. However, Guess resurged with a new range of jeans; all set to styles ultimately sensuous, bold and sexy. Guess used their original strategy of 'sexy jeans', to market their new range to the younger generation.

Guess jeans gradually paved way for other Guess' products, such as, watches and jewelry. A variety of fragrances are the latest to have made entry in to Guess' line of products.