Duconos los Grecos

http://www.hustontextile.com/shop/

Navy blue chambray, out of stock. Not the heterogenous weave I was hoping for anyway.

Thanks for the link, Iron Horse. I've been there and quite a few other general sites as well, and checked out what seemed closest, but it seems that they're mostly out of touch with what chambray used to look like (like vintage denim, in a way). The closest looking sample I found on fabric.com was the one below, but no idea how it'll turn out in reality. I ordered fabric that seemed legit from another site, but when I got it, man did it look bland.

I guess I could just order a sample first....

@Edmond: I didn't get that...

Hi all!

I've been looking for basic cotton chambray fabric, to have a basic navy/worker shirt made for myself. Most of the regular craft places have really ugly supposed chambray that's usually nothing like chambray- more like oxford, and very solid in color. This used to be a staple of surplus stores and jeans outlets alike, but apparently no more, hence the search for decent fabric to make my own instead. I grew out of my old LLBean's and Big Macs. It appears Japanese mills have undertaken the task of recreating the kind of chambray typically used by all the US mainstream trade shirtmakers from the 40s to the 80s. If anyone can direct me to sites selling small quantities (enough for a shirt or 2), I'd be most grateful.

Mr. Freedom made shirts in a really neat chambray (I didn't like the design tho), and the supplier seems to have been Buzz Rickson or Sugar Cane. I doubt they'd direct me to their supplier, or that their supplier would agree to sell 3-6 yards retail...

Hit me up if you're a 34. I still have the pair pictured the page before, post #10534

If you're referring to mine, they're up for sale

here. I'll consider ending early with the right offer.

I don't know if the "Bootleg" model has been mentioned? These are from around 1997, and some of the last ones made in France, before they moved production to Tunisia (Jean Touitou's homeland). Actually better quality denim than their current stuff, redline selvage, straight cut (kinda like an LVC 1947). The ones pictured have been worn several years, never washed.

Sorry for the pics turned every which way: they were all posted straight on imageshack, but turned out like this

Yeah, I know, I'm usually right above the most common W / L measurements. There's plenty of 35x30s around; sometimes I see 30x35, but seldom my size. 34 waist can do, but 33x34 would be the kind of tight that makes me look gay or poor... or like I need to give them back to my baby brother... lol

Thanks for your input, guys.

I'll actually try to haggle because I do like these (and there's so few available in my size), but I'll pass if no adjustment is possible.

BTW, I already have the '44 Edwin-made replicas, which I adore (beautiful fade, nice manufacturing), but I'm more fond of the real thing when it comes to more affordable (more recent) models..

Cheep, I just checked out the Riders you sent a link to. Unfortunately, 35.5x30 would fit like bermuda shorts on me. I really actually need the 35 inseam.

that seems kinda pricy, but still cheaper than getting a distressed repro of them.

id offer 100 and see if they take it...

Actually, the price is already set. I still have the possibility to opt out, because the inseam is a little shorter than advertized. I'm mostly trying to figure out if it's worth taking the chance of these being too short. If they're worth the price, I sell if they don't fit; if not but I still buy, I'm stuck with a pair of unwearable jeans I'll never get my money back for.

So that would make these '70-'72... A little less aged than I suspected. Do you guys think paying $180 US (postage paid, $150 originally) for these is a fair price? Considering the scarcity of the size (actual 35x35), but also the paint stains issue?

Also, any ideas on how to remove boiled-in paint stains??

Hi. Vintage Lee jeans in decent sizes (i.e. non-midget, non-wire skinny) don't show up very often. I have a hard time making out when these could be from, and what they could be worth, if anything at all.

Any ideas?

I can only see they have:

_the slanted front pockets,

_back pockets in yellow, other body panel stitches in orange

_lined back pockets

_the little Lee tag is either totally worn out, or it only has the R (no TM)

_the outer seams are split, but it's hard to tell if they're single- or non-selvage

_the very thin (lightweight) denim

_zipper closure (brand not known)

_scratchless rivets (with mirrored capital LEE)

It seems most women who sport fugly jeans think matching them with pumps make them even classier... I'll let you be the judge:

"Hiya, sailor!! Ya wanna have a good time?...... (I need to score me some crack, quick!!....)"

The jacket department:

.

Let's go back in time (1988) with a record cover sporting 3 very elegantly dressed fellows, in the most beautifully styled denim. One would hope some would have learned lessons from the past...

I wonder if the guy with the leather civil war cap realized his hat was the height of fashion in gay bars, where tattooed, muscle-bound, mustachioed, and leather-covered dudes wearing the same hat hanged out, waiting to have some man-on-man action in the backroom...

lets bring this back up

I volunteer to distress these with a baseball bat...with the maker still in them!!!

.

These are definitely not original 60s Levi's, they don't look anything like them (denim for one thing looks different). And they are definitely not recent LVC. The main indicator is the legend on the pocket linings, which is typical of fakes.

Paul, Thanks so much for your kind help.

Spastic_Koala, thanks as well.

datasupa, if your attitude in the streets is the same as it is here, you must have one beat-up head...

Ha ha!!! i didn't even bother to check the printing on the pocket: I always assumed they would photocopy the writing & logo- not recreate it (and personalize it). How hard is it to double-check your spelling; or, better still, not trust the task to a 4 year-old kid??!??

In my experience, the back pocket opening corners are enough to blow the whistle on Thai fakes. Although the principle is similar (apparently) to the construction on original and LVC big E's, the Thais always leave more fabric protruding down, which you can really see on faded jeans. You can see the extra fabric evidenced in the white circle below. (sorry for the crappy blow-out)

Paul, thanks so much for your time and help.

Hi. This thread is a call to those knowledgeable in the field of vintage big E 501's ! Please check out the pics in this eBay listing.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320219035384&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=011

The seller claims these are vintage, and authentic. A call to 1 800 Levi USA has gotten a positive response from the rep, saying he thought these are authentic.

In my opinion, these are current, not vintage, Thai-made fakes.

Evidence:

_phony-looking LEVI'S red tab, too short for vintage, letters too boxy, almost even for LVC

_the mix of 1.no rivets under back pockets; 2.selvage in change pocket; 3.chainstitching over the selvage in said change pocket. In less phony-looking jeans, I guess these could coexist if the jeans were made at the transition period of 1964-1967.

_paper tag with tear-off, too centered for the era.

_very phony-looking inner care tag with WPL

_fabric extensions under top of back pocket corners, typical of Thai fakes

I need an opinion from people who have experienced actual vintage Levi's, and who can give a definitive opinion on the subject. THANKS!!!

P.S. The denim looks like it may have been sourced at the purveyors to LVC. The question is really: Are these vintage big E's? Is there any chance they could be real?

There's an expression in french for these jeans: "JEANS D'ENCULE". In Spanish, I believe it translates into: "PANTALONES PARA PUTOS"...............

Well, I looked around, and found the GMT was only featured in 2 Ian Fleming films: Goldfinger on Pussy Galore's wrist, and Casino Royale sported by Peter Sellers.

Mk1 GMT-Master. I wear it with suits, and jeans & white tshirts alike. Rugged, carefree, maintenance-free, and (almost) accurate. It looks like it needs a good wash and polish, too!

To continue on the topic of James Bond watches, which was the (only) Roger Moore flick where he was wearing a GMT?

The bikes are a 2004 Speed Triple with clip-ons, an Innocenti GP200, a Vespa T5, a P200E, and a heavily modded PX200E.

I wasn't really impressed with the jeans in the "try-on" session pictures -maybe because I was too distracted by the shirt!!

But the latter pics show great detail. They appear obviously preshrunk, and will take a long time to fade if they're anything like the originals. I like the lemon stitching; I wish LVC would use the lemon thread in the same places on their 501 repros....

I would guess the "customized" notion relates to the fact the waist is WAY lower than original.

I have a freak model of seemingly the same jeans, which I showed here:http://www.superfuture.com/supertalk/showthread.php?t=30295

I see what you mean. It has to do with the cut of your jeans, and how loose you wear them. The catastrophic LVC 1955 501 cut from 2006 was the kind of cut that necessarily did that, as the rise was low despite a classic 501 waist construction (i.e. not low-waisted; rather high-crotched),and the legs and waist were ridiculously large. The rise being "tight" and the waist/legs being loose, all the extra fabric tended to create a wave on both legs, right next to the crotch. Conversely, the wave existed within the ass area in the back, creating a "permanent wedgie" effect...

To remedy this, I'm having a seamstress dismantle the whole fly area, removing more material as she leaves the waistband, thus tightening the crotch, and lengthening the rise. The same will be done in the back, , and when the entire rise is stitched back together, she'll take in the thighs, to make them slimmer. Needless to say this is a complicated operation, but it's either do that, or throw out the jeans. And since the denim is the most true-to the original and best-looking I've ever seen, I won't resort to the latter.

Basically, there's a solution to your problem, but it's not an easy one, and could prove quite costly and disappointing (if not given to the right seamstress...)

Here's another creative beauty:

http://cgi.ebay.com/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290138182802

http://www.auctiva.com/hostedimages/showimage.aspx?gid=369857&ppid=1122ℑ=57673697&images=57702777,57673737,57673706,57673697,57673718,57673723,57673685,57673649&formats=0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0&format=0

http://www.auctiva.com/hostedimages/showimage.aspx?gid=369857&ppid=1122ℑ=57673697&images=57702777,57673737,57673706,57673697,57673718,57673723,57673685,57673649&formats=0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0&format=0

These have an old style of Gripper Zipper...

Back then they tried to make it look double stitched but lacked the proper equipment...

Not true. Look at the top of the pockets, the belt loops, the stitches between and above the back pockets, The technology was there. When they introduced double-stitched arcuates, it was to enhance productivity, not because the technology had just been discovered...

Beautiful pair of 501s, by the way.