Levi's Vintage Clothing

[cheapmuthafukr]

hi. post pics of some of your collection!

[colgems1966]

let me see if i can figure out how to cheep. i'll take some pics and see if i can get it to work.

[colgems1966]

i tried to download it from a memory card and i can't get it to work. i don't have the images self hosted anywhere. anyway here is a list of my LVC. 1920's 201 555, 1933 501 2 prs., 1937 201 555, 1937 501, 1944 501 2 prs., 1947 501 3 prs., 1955 501 2 prs., 1966 501, 1966 501 jpn, 1966 646, 1967 505, 1971 517, 1983 501 1936 506 jacket 555. about 3/4 of them are dark with little wear. i kind of horded them because big sizes (38/36) are a little harder to find and i was worried production would not last. it should be noted almost all were bought cheap. for instance i paid $50 for the 555 201's, $68 for the 555 jacket etc... my most expensive were the japanese 66's $200 plus shipping but i was flush at the time. if anyone can tell me how to download from a memory card i'll put the photos up. sorry i can't at this time.

[colgems1966]

one other thing. i have a question for Paul T. i have long wondered about this. i am certain my original 11 mwz's are selvage but cut so the line doesn't show. i once had several pairs of original vintage levi's i had original 505's that had redline selvage and later ones produced in the early (pre-75) 1970's that showed no line. they still had slight leg twist (despite being sanforized) and the fabric to me looked identical to sanforized red-line denim used in earlier production. i have always suspected that pre-75 or so 505's and 517's were in fact selvage denim but cut so the line didn't show thereby masking what they truly were. could you shed any light on this? thank you in advance.

[Charlie Delta]

Hey all,

I moved all recent posts with regards to non LVC Levi's projects to this dedicated thread.

Please refrain from posting anything that is not directly Levis Vintage Clothing related in this thread, this so the thread stays on topic.

Thank you!

[Paul T]

one other thing. i have a question for Paul T. i have long wondered about this. i am certain my original 11 mwz's are selvage but cut so the line doesn't show. i once had several pairs of original vintage levi's i had original 505's that had redline selvage and later ones produced in the early (pre-75) 1970's that showed no line. they still had slight leg twist (despite being sanforized) and the fabric to me looked identical to sanforized red-line denim used in earlier production. i have always suspected that pre-75 or so 505's and 517's were in fact selvage denim but cut so the line didn't show thereby masking what they truly were. could you shed any light on this? thank you in advance.

Yep, I'm certain you're right.

THe 501 was about the only jean where the makers liked showing the selvage. Others didn't consider it an issue.

One other factor, often misunderstood, is that mills were making wide selvage denim from the 1950s (there's a 64 inch loom for sale on eBay right here if you fancy making your own]. The denim was exactly the same, but there was simply less selvage to show. I haven't dismantled too many old 60s jeans but I'm certain you'll find pants or jackets form that period that have the odd selvage edge, hidden under a felled seam.

[Paul T]

Oh, and welcome, colgems!

TO load pics on here, you need to use a simple editing programme to make them around 500 pixels wide, then download them to photobucket.com or imageshack.us (I find photobucket slightly easier to use). THey each show you a little code, starting with that you simply paste onto your posts, and you photos will appear as if by magic. Can't wait to see all the LVC...

[colgems1966]

thank for the reply Paul. it confirmed what i long suspected. some of the best looking denim i ever owned was a pair of 517-0217 with a 12/73 tag. super high contrast and very natural looking. that's what i liked about true vintage. very natural looking, i think generally the fades just evolved---they just were. personally i just wear my LVC wash them when needed and how they turn out is how they turn out. (not knocking how others choose to do it btw)

[colgems1966]

thanks for the advice on the pics. one of the members was kind enough to PM me right after i posted that with instructions. now i just have to make myself do it! i'm in my 40's and a little slow about such matters. the only pics i've ever downloaded was off the card onto ebay.

[Vinneus]

info on Kiyas elusive handmandmade, cone mills, 505's here

[oboy_oboy]

Apologies if this is in the thread, but I didn't find it. Can someone tell me which numeral sequence on the LVC tags (in garment) indicates the season they were produced? I have a pair of '47s I'd like to to determine this about.

thanks in advance!

[Paul T]

Apologies if this is in the thread, but I didn't find it. Can someone tell me which numeral sequence on the LVC tags (in garment) indicates the season they were produced? I have a pair of '47s I'd like to to determine this about.

thanks in advance!

The form varies, but it's usually hard to mistake:

2007:

MArch 2000

[oboy_oboy]

Many thanks Paul! It's less obvious on mine, so was just looking for some help.

[Paul T]

Just so others get the benefit of this

These images are terrible, almost negating their usefulness, but my older iPhone can't get much focus for close-ups, and I'm at work w/out any other camera. I know enough to know what I *should* be looking for, but I'm not finding it, or I'm biasing myself somehow.

Top tag

2nd tag, same size, underneath top tag

main numerical info towards bottom of tag

CIF A 08298606 223

47501.0117 (0117) 34/36

487677 3909

I would say this is S/S 2009. THey have to be recent in any case, because of the Japanese script on the label, which started around 2009.

[wgmds]

my mass uploads continue on this thread. edit; one year seven months (forreal, i dont know why the fades were lack luster), cold soak at 4 months, a hot at 10 months, a machine wash around one year, and a cold hand wash at 18 months

[Madder_Lake]

What are these? ^^^^^

[Maynard Friedman]

The patch looks like leather, so I'd say 47s.

[dr.house]

For sure 47's. Check the beltloops.

[Paul T]

Classic 1947, altho the colour looks richer on these pair than on my last. They need a couple of washes, I reckon, to come into their own - proper machine washes with cheapo powder works best. My theory of today is that you need to get them dirty; once the dirt comes out it takes the indigo with it.

[mikecch]

^ Paul T, I like your theory of the day!

It's getting there wgmds, I like the subtle hues very much.

[Maynard Friedman]

LVC on sale at www.oki-ni.com/ now.

They have raw 47s, 54s, 55s and 201s plus various pre-distressed items.

[lance]

LVC on sale at www.oki-ni.com/ now.

They have raw 47s, 54s, 55s and 201s plus various pre-distressed items.

Thanks for the heads-up. I wonder if this means they are having trouble moving jeans at the new price?

[jewellben]

is the cut of the 1917 the same as the 1915?

[jewellben]

Not in the slightest.

This thread will hopefully help explain.

Thanks Paul

[Paul T]

sorry sorry sorry - I could have sworn your post said 1947. Speck of coffee on my other monitor maybe? My bad. Yes, they're essentially the same. Fabric rather nicer on the 1915.

[jewellben]

sorry sorry sorry - I could have sworn your post said 1947. Speck of coffee on my other monitor maybe? My bad. Yes, they're essentially the same. Fabric rather nicer on the 1915.

LOL - I thought I need specsavers as I couldn't find any info on 1915 or 1917!

Cheers again though.

[Madder_Lake]

my mass uploads continue on this thread. edit; one year seven months (forreal, i dont know why the fades were lack luster), cold soak at 4 months, a hot at 10 months, a machine wash around one year, and a cold hand wash at 18 months

The low contrast fading on these makes me wonder again what recipe Levi used for the indigo in 1947. The low contrast is suggestive of natural indigo, despite the well-established meme that they did not use this after the twenties. So what did they do to make the 47 model so resistant to abrasion? And how faithfully have LVC copied that recipe? Or have they reproduced the effect with other means?

Paul T. will know: I assume that Cone did all their indigo dying in-house. Is there any information on what methods they used to dip the yarn in the dye vats? Is there any information on the size of the vats, and how often they needed to be replenished? How did this change over time?

I don't much like low contrast fading, it is one of the things that I strongly disliked about late 90's Levi's. The indigo of the 55 Levi and the fit and cut of the 47 Levis would be my dream pair.

[Paul T]

I think those jeasn will be fine wiht some good ol' fashioned wear.

Here are a couple of worn in 47...

6 months:

same jeans, 9 months

my current pair, 6 months

THey're hard jeans to pin down, maybe because the weave is more open. I did ask Ralph at Cone to talk me through the differences of the denim for various years but he was concerned about upsetting Levi's in case he revealed proprietary information (!). Hopefully I'll be able to get this info off LVC's designer, Miles, one day before too long...

[Madder_Lake]

those ^^^ do look great Paul, both pairs. maybe it is the wear induced by aeropleane seats on International flights that makes the decisive difference? LOL

[rnrswitch]

LVC on sale at www.oki-ni.com/ now.

They have raw 47s, 54s, 55s and 201s plus various pre-distressed items.

Those poor oki-ni models. Every time I see them I think about how great a hamburger would be. I hope a portion of what y'all spend goes to the starving kids of England.