propellerbeanie

Hey, is it okay to switch the pair we've chosen after the 1st of November? Currently tossing up between two pairs... I know that this will mean that I'm a bit behind in the comp, but that's okay.

Nice purchase. A bit harsh to say it's boring though... The '76s develop subtle vertical fades with wear, and in terms of the hairiness, it gets better after a wash. If you look at @Broark's post here, I think it's definitely hairy enough to counter the "not hairy" part. Maybe I'm just a Cone defender, but hopefully it works out well for you! =)

6 hours ago, Iron Horse said:

Was the LVC 33 made with White Oak denim? Sites say "Cone" only but I know they have other plants.

I don't have a source on hand, but I've read in the past that only the White Oak plant utilises narrow looms to make selvedge denim. Maybe @Paul T will be able to confirm this as he's been to the mill before. I'm unsure if Cone Mexico and Cone China make selvedge denim, but maybe I've been misinformed all along (hopefully not).

In the following video, if you skip to around 2:25, you'll hear the gentleman mention making denim for LVC in the beginning, and I'm assuming that has continued to present day for the rigid LVC 501 models. Would love to have had a flick through the book of fabrics that's in the video.

It's quite upsetting watching the 501 video when you hear how long some of the people have been working there. For me, the history really makes White Oak denim something special.

https://www.heddels.com/2017/10/cone-mills-close-white-oak-plant-last-american-selvedge-denim-mill/

Ummm... The White Oak plant is closing at the end of the year. What does this mean for LVC stuff?

4 hours ago, ALB said:

What's everyone's opinion on the state of denim and "heritage" related shops in 2017? Seems like there has been some rather seismic shifts going on where some brands/retailers are closing down, inventory movement seems slow, and others are moving away from denim and "heritage" related apparel i.e. BiG. Not too mention the over saturation of stores popping up to fill the same niche even when raw denim thing has died down compared to a few years ago.

Just curious as to how our favorite shops are holding up since it looks rough in the foreseeable future.

Indigoshrimp can probably tell you more about the state of denim/heritage shops in Australia. I must admit that I don't really shop locally because the prices tend to be a lot higher than when shopping online, but that might change mid-2018 when Australians will have to pay import duties/taxes on everything (currently, you only have to pay when it's over AUD 1000).

The only shops I care about in Melbourne are Pickings & Parry, Godspeed Store, and Corlection. I saw on Instagram that there's another denim store called Urban Lupe that opened in late-2016, but they're less "heritage" with RGT, Railcar, and Tellason. I think the three stores I mentioned are doing okay, but wouldn't really know... Only saying this because I know P&P are opening a sister store for women, the peeps at Godspeed seem to have good connections with Japanese brands such as RMC and Fullcount, and Corlection has got the Asian/mainland Chinese demographic covered. 

4 minutes ago, free2hear said:

This thing of taking photos to show on a forum - mostly to people you don't know, might come mainly as a bit of a vanity thing, but that's only partial true because I did learn a few things...

I think the majority of us appreciate photos!

Also, have you tried the '44 501s? I'm not sure if you are going for a particular fit, but it might be worth looking into. They definitely have a high front and back rise, and are pretty straight from the waist to the hips. The seat and thighs are also quite small, so it might work if you feel you have no bum. I have a relatively small waist compared to my thighs/butt, so it is a cut that won't work for me (if I go snug or TTS in the waist, the thighs/knees are suffocating). If you go to the Cultizm, Unionmade, or Hinoya store sites and look up the '44s, you'll see what I mean where it's tight from the hip to knee.

Obviously, your mileage may vary, but it's worth having a peep at the '44 measurements to get an idea.

This is a nice little video of 501s from the Levi's archives. Not quite LVC, but rather true vintage Levi's.

Hey guys, do I just send USD 20 as a gift..?

Edit: Payment sent, and I'll be participating with my LVC '66 501s. Playing the game on hard(-ish) mode woohoo =)

The new rep system seems very Facebook-like. I'm a fan of simple UI design, and there's no real need for "TRASHrep" and "SUPERrep" especially since they're semantically the same as "NEGrep" and "POSrep" respectively (i.e. you get the same amount of rep). Also, for me, the weird diagonal arrows are not an obvious symbol for rep unlike the up and down arrow.

Maybe they could also fix the letter avatars since they're currently pixelated and not centred. It definitely reminds me of Android's current design for contacts without a photo except I'm unsure if you can change the colour of the background on this forum... I actually liked the way they had it before because it was like Twitter where an egg is just used for those without a photo.

Not hating, but just my opinions on my experience.

@alvin_cheong I managed to measure my '76s. It's last wash was a few weeks ago, so I believe this will forever be their final size as long as I continue doing cold machine washes without tumble drying. The tag size is 31/34 (Pre-wash measurements -> Current measurements).

Waist 41cm -> 40.75cm

Front rise 29.5cm -> 28.25cm

Back rise 38.5cm -> 38cm

Thigh 31cm -> 31cm

Knee 23.5cm -> 22.75cm

Hem 21cm -> 20.5cm

Inseam 83.5cm -> 77.5cm

So the waist will basically stretch back out to the pre-wash size. Keep in mind that measuring the jeans when they're raw is a bit difficult because it's pretty stiff. I think I remember there being a bit of room around the waist pre-wash, but I've also put on weight since then. If you can find pre-wash measurements then it will make is easier to find your size.

@alvin_cheong I should be able to help a little bit with the sizing of the '76s. Best to note that sizing is pretty subjective, but I'll try my best to describe what's up with my pair. 

I'm not too sure how long I've been wearing my '76s, but I've had them since February/March of this year, and I've washed them four times. I'm confident in saying that all the shrink has disappeared, and you can find the initial pre-wash and post-wash measurements by clicking here.

I'm currently busy with a few things, but I can measure my jeans later tonight to show you how much they stretch out. I can proudly say that I have sized them perfectly to my liking because I can comfortably wear them with or without a belt. I'll edit this post in a few hours time with some extra details!

I think others will be agreement when I say that this post does not warrant its own thread. If you want to talk or ask about denim shirts in particular, we already have a denim shirt topic. Either that, or the small questions thread would be more suitable.

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure that sufu is the right place for your queries because it doesn't seem to be aimed at the same demographic. I'm not trying to alienate anyone, but I just don't think this discussion will be fruitful over here...

These aren't my photos, but looking at these '47s makes me want to try wearing another pair. If I do, hopefully it's not too slim for me. I found these pics on a website, which also has fade photos of other LVC jeans.

Here's the link: http://denim-gallery.heavy.jp/world-collection/levis-501xx-501zxx-505l.html

On 04/10/2017 at 6:52 PM, Megatron1505 said:

We currently have 22 entrants.

Ahh sweet. I want to join, but I have commitment issues haha At least I still have time to decide whether to join or not.

38 minutes ago, jeffrx said:

Hi gents, I bought a very slightly used pair of 1947s online for $100.  They are tagged size 34 and after a wash and a dry they are now 33.  They are fitting me very tight, like nutcracker tight.  I am able to button them up and wear them but I feel like a male hooker or maybe Robert Plant in 1972 when wearing them.  i need these things to stretch at least 2 inches.  Possible? 

Having owned a pair of '47s, you most likely won't get 2 inches of stretch in the hip/thigh/crotch area, especially if they're nutcracker-tight. I wouldn't recommend trying to forcibly stretch these areas because you'll probably wear out the inseam and cause quite a bit of stress on the fabric. When I bought my '47s, I went TTS and I can no longer wear them because it's too tight across the hips. In saying that, do you have any pics of you wearing them so we can see how tight they actually are?

Currently, how many participants are there, @Megatron1505?

5 minutes ago, kicks79 said:

Nice review @free2hear

I copped a pair of 66s on sale. The price was just too good to pass up.

I haven't worn them yet as I'm still working on my 76s  

 

I bought a pair of '66s a month or so ago. I went up one size from my '76s, and they pretty much fit identical to the '76s after they've both been washed. Surprisingly, I really like the shape of the '66 back pockets, but the only real downside for me in that the 32/34 in the '66s only have four buttons instead of five. I feel like they're a bit too far apart, and whenever I unbutton my jeans, I always do an extra pull for a nonexistent button.

How are your '76s going?

@HGS I ended up doing exactly that. Hot machine wash with a fast spin, but tumble dried on low (whatever is used for delicates). Took a little while to dry, but at least the patch doesn't look like crap. Jeans are really soft now, which is a welcome change, and I'm happy with the results! I may end up tumble drying my jeans from now on...

To people that tumble dry their jeans: do you chuck it in the dryer right after you pull it from the washing machine? I remember that I used to only soak my jeans to shrink them, but then it turned to machine washing them. I'm now at a stage where I kinda wanna try doing a machine wash + tumble, but am not sure. It seems that tumble drying will help your jeans shrink more, thus producing better seam puckering, roping, etc. Maybe I'm overcomplicating it...

4 hours ago, alvin_cheong said:

*Hi Mandel, how about a fit picture? I still haven't decided to machine wash or hot soak the 55.

My suggestion is to machine wash especially if you plan on washing your jeans in the machine down the line.

Here's a pic of mandel.

3 hours ago, alvin_cheong said:

Thanks dude, I think stick to my actual size will be a better choice. Size 32 measurement might be slightly too snug for me. Will the 55 or 76 expand beyond tagged size measurements?

At the moment, I can't say whether the '55 will stretch beyond its pre-wash waist measurement because I haven't worn them enough. I also wear a belt with it, so I'm most likely limiting it's stretching potential.

As for the '76s, mine started at about 41cm, and after a couple of proper washes and wear, the waist is like 40.5cm. 

9 hours ago, alvin_cheong said:

Planning to get the 76, can I ask who is able to provide the measurement of a pair in size 32 or 33?

I bought the 55 in size 33 ...my actual waist is around 33 around 84cm.

Hey dude,

I'm currently wearing a size 31/34 in the '76s, but I also have a size 32/34 that I'm keeping as a slightly looser pair. I haven't washed them yet, so here are the measurements (BiG style).

Pre-wash 1976 501 (32/34)

Waist - 42.5cm

Front rise - 30.25cm

Back rise - 39.5cm

Thigh - 31.5cm

Knee - 24.25cm

Hem - 21.25cm

Inseam - 85cm

Not too sure about a size 33/34. I think @TheJPdude had a size 34 (?), which he might have the post-wash measurements for, so the size 33 would be somewhere in between.

1 hour ago, free2hear said:

anyone knows what this? lvc? stf?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Levis-Selvedge-Denim-Jeans-36-LVC-Goodhood-/232487332190

Pretty sure that's not LVC...

Edit: Thought it might be more helpful if I gave some reasons as to why I think it's not an LVC product, and why I reckon it's just a Levi's mainline item. The red tab is a little 'e', which means it would be a post-1971 jean, and the only ones that I know of that LVC made were the '76, '78 and '83. Quite certain that all those models had a paper patch instead of a leather one. Speaking of the patch, you can see on their current MiUSA STF 501s that it is the same. The pocket shape and stitching are also a giveaway (you can see how towards the opening of the pocket, the stitching flares out). Also, the "This is a pair of Levi's" print on the pocket bag is something they do nowadays as a throwback since the originals had a separate label sewn to the back right pocket. Someone else can probably chime in about this, but all my LVC 501 care labels are sewn horizontally on the outseam, and the one you linked is vertically sewn on the waistband, which is what they do today for all (?) their jeans. Plus, that Levi's batwing label sewn to the outseam is something I haven't seen on my LVCs.  The overlock at the top of the outseam also doesn't look like something I've seen before on LVC jeans either.

There are probably more details, but these are most noticeable to me.

@shovett, I have found that when you machine wash (including spin), then you can get 2 inches of shrinkage in the waist. If you don't wear a belt, then the waist will pretty much stretch all the way back to its pre-wash measurement.

Oh yeah, here's a quick pick I took of me in my '76s and the '55 Sawtooth.

This is all I have at the moment. Hoping that when it's no longer cloudy, I'll be able to take some pics outside, and maybs some better detail pics as well.

And this is the end reveal... I might have to pick these up when they're available just for funsies.