Levi's Vintage Clothing

[Dochunter]

I got a pair of LVC 47's made in USA 2007. They fit pretty good right now before the soak. What can I expect for stretching? Will they stretch back out to how they fit now or just slightly less after a shrink and a week of wearing/stretching?

[Johnnylazar]

Both of my pairs fit good pre soak and were hard to button up post soak, but they stretched and fit perfect, maybe a touch under what they were originally.

[Dr_Heech]

Is that the jean cycle? I have a Bosch and when I was deciding between models on of them had a jean cycle. I decided against it because the salesman couldn't explain what it did.

No, it's just called 'freshen up' on the prog.

I had a pair of 55's (555) and I must have washed them twelve times over 5 years, and I only got maybe an inch of shrinkage in the waist over that time.

[dreamkast]

So i know to size up 2 from your real waist size for 47 501's raw.

I have some predistressed lvc 47 501's (saddlemans and the hardup wash)

What size would I get in raw if I wanted to get the same fit after the wash if my predistressed pairs are size 30.

[rnrswitch]

Measure across the waist of your current jeans, then buy a pair of raws that are a half an inch to 3/4 of an inch larger than that measurement. If your current jeans measure 15in across the waist band when laid flat and buttoned, then buy a pair that are 15.5 or 15.75 inches across. they will shrink to be a tight fit, but will stretch back out.

[airfrogusmc]

I dont mean any disrespect to airfrog, but I think its just silly to not soak your unsanforized jeans.

just soak them.

I can't imagine the effect of one cold or hot soak would be in anyway noticeable in the long run. In fact what will be noticeable is the fact that your knee whiskers 2.5 inches higher than your actual knee.

airfrog can do as he likes with his. but I firmly recommend to anyone who is going to be wearing LVCs made of unsanforized denim to get them wet in some way shape or form before wearing them.

and I completely forgot to mention the ridiculous indigo stains you will find yourself leaving around if you dont soak. its bad enough when soaked, its terrible when raw.

word to the wise.

Hey Erk try it sometime and you to will be a believer too. They can only be raw once and even the first was takes out some stiffness and some color. Again some of those original vintage miner and farmers jeans would not have been pre soaked and look at the fades on those. And for those that think the fades will move well ya they will a bit but they going to even after the first soak. These puppies keep shrinking for about 10 wet to dry cycles.

[airfrogusmc]

Hawt dang! Dem whiskaz r bomb. How's the fit? Looks a lil' bit like 70's whiskers:

Altho I guess that fit of yours is quite different from the members of Hawkwind.

Now thats a band I haven't heard mentioned in YEARS.

They're pretty full at the moment but will fit nice when they've fully shrunk down.

[blm14]

Is the guy in the middle a Cro Magnon man?

[salaami]

its about time someone notices that the first soak is just the start of the shrinking. i cant see why a miner wouldn't presoak his jeans, and if not the wait period before the first wash couldn't be long, cause from doing physical labor in jeans i can tell you one cant go long without a wash, due to either sweat buildup, or exterior grime. and i most definitely can't see one of them intentionally going without a wash to get a fading result. if the color loss from the 1st fade is even noticeable, your jeans need a better dye job. i soak and dry mine 3 times or so to remove as much sizing as possible. to each his own, go get your contrast...

[the_ming]

Is the guy in the middle a Cro Magnon man?

the guy in the middle is lemmy kilmister from motorhead:

he was one of the original members of hawkewind who was kicked out of the band due to his arrest for amphetamine possession on tour (something he claimed all of them were doing at the time.)

he went back to london, screwed all their girlfriends, and started motorhead. the rest is history.

[airfrogusmc]

its about time someone notices that the first soak is just the start of the shrinking. i cant see why a miner wouldn't presoak his jeans, and if not the wait period before the first wash couldn't be long, cause from doing physical labor in jeans i can tell you one cant go long without a wash, due to either sweat buildup, or exterior grime. and i most definitely can't see one of them intentionally going without a wash to get a fading result. if the color loss from the 1st fade is even noticeable, your jeans need a better dye job. i soak and dry mine 3 times or so to remove as much sizing as possible. to each his own, go get your contrast...

Why would someone like a miner pre soak? No reason to and remember a day in the mine is like a month on the bar stool. And no they wouldn't go purposely between washes but would have no reason to wash until they got so bad they couldn't stand it. And back in those days they didn't have machines.

Have you ever gone 6 months without a wash? The sizing is what keeps the jeans stiff so you get those great combs and whiskers because they get great creases because of the rigidness of the fabric. I've done it both ways more than once and I can tell you the longer you go without putting them in water the better.

[blm14]

Airfrog - I think it depends more on the type of fade you want.... People on here fetishize different types of fade. Some people drool over the super-constrasty fades and some other the vintage ones.

I've seen AMAZING fades on jeans that were washed every 4 weeks, like clockwork. The quality of the fade has more to do with how much you WEAR not how much you WASH.

By the same token that the old miners didnt necessarily pre-soak, they also didnt wait forever to wash. My guess is that they washed pretty often. If you look back at all those early vintage jeans that have such sick fades, you'd better believe that they were washed pretty often...

[airfrogusmc]

I agree but remember even if they washed say once a week, a week in the mine would probably be like 7 months on the bar stool.

Again I've done it both ways MANY times over and best whiskers and combs I've gotten have come from more wear and less water....

[rnrswitch]

Airfrog - I think it depends more on the type of fade you want.... People on here fetishize different types of fade. Some people drool over the super-constrasty fades and some other the vintage ones.

I've seen AMAZING fades on jeans that were washed every 4 weeks, like clockwork. The quality of the fade has more to do with how much you WEAR not how much you WASH.

By the same token that the old miners didnt necessarily pre-soak, they also didnt wait forever to wash. My guess is that they washed pretty often. If you look back at all those early vintage jeans that have such sick fades, you'd better believe that they were washed pretty often...

My guess is that miners washed not too often and if they did it was done without soap. Also, remember they did have to hand wash and hang dry the jeans and many times they might choose not to wash, cuz they had to work the next day and the jeans might not dry over night.

I could care less. If the jeans are dirty, wash em, if they ain't wear them. If you're worried about it you are thinking too hard. One thing is certain, miners didn't contemplate the best time to wash or if they need a hot soak, or a hot hot soak, or a cold soak and line dry, or a warm soak and tumble dry.

[teardrop explodes]

I agree but remember even if they washed say once a week, a week in the mine would probably be like 7 months on the bar stool.

Again I've done it both ways MANY times over and best whiskers and combs I've gotten have come from more wear and less water....

Stop comparing weeks in the mine to months on the bar stool, it's a poor guesstimate at best.

[beautiful_FrEaK]

any pics of those "crazy-faded-miners-jeans"?!

[airfrogusmc]

Theres a couple of pairs in the last Levis book 501 The Evolution of the Jean the 1890 Calico Mine pg 6 & 7 the 1901 Big Bue pgs 8 & 9 and the 1937 pg 16 & 17.

This book came with the last pair (1917 501s) I bought and are photos of the jeans in Levis collection.

[beautiful_FrEaK]

ah, thank you very much!

[airfrogusmc]

Its copyrighted so I can't post it.

[rnrswitch]

Does the Lynn Downey book show a decent amount of old jeans or is more just a historical account of the levis company?

I think it would be great to have a 60-90 page book on levis categorizing all the jeans/models up until the 1960s, with specs and pics of each type of jean. Slim cut, hidden rivets, etc. I know this is kinda available if one just looks at the LVC models, but it would be nice to have them in one book.

[airfrogusmc]

Does the Lynn Downey book show a decent amount of old jeans or is more just a historical account of the levis company?

I think it would be great to have a 60-90 page book on levis categorizing all the jeans/models up until the 1960s, with specs and pics of each type of jean. Slim cut, hidden rivets, etc. I know this is kinda available if one just looks at the LVC models, but it would be nice to have them in one book.

The book is nice but small only 31 pages. A forward and brief history written by Lynn.

Photos of the original

1890

1901

1917

1927

1933

1937

1944

1947

1954Z

1966

1978

1983

and 2008 special edition natural indigo 501

[civicex]

Its copyrighted so I can't post it.

you could post it if you cite the author

[erk]

my brother and me wearing 1937s

thats my brother. hes been wearing his since early feb. 09. they've only been soaked once. his are starting to look pretty awesome.

i'm on the far left. the photo is a band picture from when we stopped in philly. check out my photo blog about the tour! www.lonniewalker.blogspot.com

[Dr_Heech]

The book is nice but small only 31 pages. A forward and brief history written by Lynn.

Photos of the original

1890

1901

1917

1927

1933

1937

1944

1947

1954Z

1966

1978

1983

and 2008 special edition natural indigo 501

The pictures of those 1901's and the 1937's are out of this world. Look at the legs on the 37's!

I normally give in to cuffing them up but would love to wear 'em long like those to get those deep pools.

[airfrogusmc]

Yeah I know they are incredible and the only way to keep the really dark denim where the fades aren't is to keep them from being washed a lot.

[Supawiwi]

post the pics!! please!!

[Guest Selvage Seb.]

trading my LVC knappave 1880 for a smaller size or any other vintage cut jeans that will fit my little waist, I know you guys like this one

http://www.superfuture.com/supertalk/showthread.php?t=152129

PM me any suggestions

[ChuckO]

my brother and me wearing 1937s

37's and a Rick 4001! Nice combo.

[king_levi]

I am told this is the place to sell the Levi's LVC leather Menlo Cossack jacket. I have one in size M which is used without buttons (easily replaced with cool buttons). I know these have sold over $1000 or so in the past. If anyone is willing to pay $800 plus s/h, write me at [email protected] !

[king_levi]

Cool jeans, those! Why are they called Knappave?