TheJPdude

Hey everyone - 

Not sure if it's OK to post eBay links here (let me know if it's not.) I'm selling my 1944 501 and 1976 501 - Just can't seem to get those last few inches off my belly. Probably just going to re purchase these in my bigger, beer belly size.

1976 - 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Levi-Vintage-Clothing-LVC-1976-501-Raw-Selvedge-34x30-Made-in-the-USA/302454435940

1944 - 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/302454427707?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649

I'm so sad that I've put on about 10 extra pounds; haven't been able to wear any of my LVC (most recently purchased the '76, as posted here.) Too much good food and drink out there this summer.

In the mean time, I've had to get some 'fat pants', they're the Gap 1969 Kaihara selvedge. At least I'm wearing raws...

16 hours ago, setterman said:

Nothing too wild with puckering along the seams. Roping at the hem is surprisingly strong. 

These are becoming my current favorite. Little bigger in the thigh than I like, but everywhere else is great. And with continued weight loss, my WH 800s are a little big in the waist with wear (gone have to wash them more often than planned) and the 76s are more comfortable since they're a little smaller.

 

Very nice - how many washes or soaks do you have at this point? looks like you've got a lot more puckering at the yoke than I do. Also, your roping is going to look great; i can already tell. I can take a pic of mine, but it's more of the same - very little movement with a hint of electric blue. Mine have also barely touched water and never seen the inside of a wash machine or dryer.

9 hours ago, propellerbeanie said:

I thought I might contribute with my observations of the '76 501. I haven't been counting the number of days I've worn my jeans, but it's probably around four weeks.

I do retail work in these jeans, and I've been kneeling down a lot, so the knees are fading the fastest (closely followed by the seat). I am finding that these are fading faster in comparison to my '47 501s, which I've stopped wearing because they're kinda uncomfortable. I feel like I've gotten most of the shrinkage out because of the initial hot machine wash, but I've noticed that there isn't much seam puckering. @setterman and @TheJPdude, are you finding the same thing?

Also, not sure if I just got a slightly dodgy pair, but the chainstitch at the top of the waistband is unravelling in two places: above the button hole and to the left of the centre back belt loop. It's not something I'm worried about, but I may just do a hand chainstitch in the near future.

I'll add that I like that my size 31/34 has five buttons because my '47s only have four. The front and back pockets are quite generously sized, and the taper is not too dramatic, albeit noticeable. I wish there was no taper at all, but I know that that may not be historically accurate haha. For that reason, I choose not to wear boots too often with these jeans, but rather just my sneakers.

I'll see if I can post some pictures in the following week. I'll try to even take some pictures of my 1880 Triple Pleat that I've worn for a few months!

I haven't got much puckering at all, really. Definitely nothing like my 1944/1947 do, at least. 

These pics might need some color balancing due to being taken in somewhat direct sunlight. But, you'd also have to look pretty hard to see the electric blue, I think. I've worn these just about every day since I first posted about them - March 8 maybe?

I got a little more shrinkage on my 2nd soak and dry for my 1976. 

I agree that these fade a little faster; just like the 1978, naturally. 

Ive got a wee bit of contrast 2 months in now. I can post a pic later on today. 

On 3/20/2017 at 0:02 PM, setterman said:

1976 fit after a little bit of wear. Waistband was just not giving, so I squirted it with some water and then it stretched it by hand. This stretched it out to a more comfortable measurement that's  a little closer to raw.

I noticed that the denim was not softening up as well. I've had them on my body literally every day since I got them, and they're just now starting to relax. The upshot is that they are now starting to get a little hint of whiskering only 3 weeks or so in. I've done my best to be active in these (played some outdoor hockey in them, walked around the city a lot) so maybe that helps.

Also forgot that I owed some post soak pics. Excuse the angle; my 4' tall son took these.

@Paul T As always, thanks for the pictures and insight. You're a living treasure. 

I also noticed that while the 78s didn't have the 'tear off tag' on the patch, the 76 do. It's yet another nice nod towards the original.

4 hours ago, propellerbeanie said:

Thought I might chime in, but my '76s shrank 2.5" after the first hot machine wash. Given that you like to wear them "as raw as possible", doing that method to shrink them would probably be out of the question. I've found that subsequent cold machine washes have still made my '47s shrink a tad more than 3" in the inseam, so maybe there's hope that your '76s hasn't arrived at it's final length. I, on the other hand, would prefer if my '76s don't shrink anymore since they started at around 33".

That would be nice if they shrunk a little on the inseam. I'm 5'8", but all torso, so my natural inseam is something like 27". This is the first pair of LVC that I've purchased to a 32" length in hopes of letting the original chain stitch hem do some beautiful roping.

I was just comparing the '76 to my '78, and I'm surprised they didn't use the lemon yellow stitching this time around. It's a small detail, but I quite like seeing the yellow against the shade of indigo here. Just an observation.

2 hours ago, setterman said:

Yeah, I'd give them a gentle wash, or let them soak for a half hour. They probably have a little further to go, but I wouldn't expect the inseam to shrink 3". 2.5" is the most I've seen out of lvc the past five or six years. 

Oddly, all of my recent LVC have shrunk 3" on nose (all from 2015 production) They've been 33/34 waist too. 

I'm not going to cry about chasing half an inch, though. I've been more of a 'wear as raw as possible without letting water touch them' kind of guy, and I like the results.

Aaaand, just as it says on the tag, these only shrunk 2 inches. I'm a little surprised, as every other pair of STF Levi's I've owned has shrunk 3 inches, without fail. The soak was hot,  but not all that long (maybe 5 minutes or so?) I am hoping subsequent washes shrinks the inseam a little more.

Just got mine in. 34 x 32 tagged. Actual measurements (BiG) as follows:

Waist - 17.5

FR - 12.25

BR - 15.75

Thigh - 12.5

leg opening - 8.5

I've attached some pre-soak fit pics. Will update with dry, post soak in a bit.

Also, the bag is a nice touch; it's the least I expect for $199 USD 

Very nice. I've still got my 1978, so I can take pictures for comparison and measurements of my 1976 when they get here tomorrow.  

Thanks for the recommendation. It looks like those models are using Cone denim? Maybe I'm looking at a different variation.

I actually acquired my '78 LVC through the sale and got them for $50, which to me is a steal. Does Levi's ever put them on sale on the site? Or is it only through the retail stores?

I guess that it does feel weird to pay $260 if you know there's a possibility that they could be much less during a sale. But then, what if you wait all year and they don't have or run out of your size? I would be mad!

Hey guys - I'm making my way over from /r/rawdenim. Looks like it's a very knowledgable group over here. 

I picked up a pair of '78s during the last LVC sale and absolutely love them. As Sympathy-For-The-Denim noted, whatever Cone denim they're using now is hairy and has a nice texture. I'm liking my '78s, except for maybe the rise. As someone noted a few pages back, compared to a pair of true 78-83's, the rise is probably 1" shorter. 

So, I've begun to study up and look around for some 1890s, 1944s, and 1947s. Looking for a really high rise is all. 

Also, I've seen some people note that they don't think these LVC are worth it? I guess I am a little confused. I've tried on dozens of pairs of premium Japanese denim and while the texture could be seen as unique, I felt like I couldn't find a fit I really liked. My proportions are all weird for Sugarcane 1947s, and they looked terrible on me. Any other button-fly that had a relaxed fit had a F/R rise that I didn't like as well. 

So, yes - $260 is a lot of money for a pair of jeans. But, if the material is nice and the fit is spot on, is it not worth it for something manufactured and made in the USA?