Levi's Vintage Clothing

[Paul T 1,823,314]

we'd need to see the internal tag to know. But they'd have to be older than 20 years to be Japanese produciton. They kept producing the inbetween vintage models (502, a 55 501 etc) in Japan, often with cone, but the main models like the 37 were made in the US from 1999 or so, for Levi's Japan.

 

[Pedro 309]

Thankyou PaulT.

This is the only sewn-in tag and I see no trace of any others tags being removed.

1) Front of tag

2) Back of tag

3) Pocket rivet 

4) Back of top button

There are no numbers or letters stamped on the back of the top button.

[Maynard Friedman 565,194]

That looks like LVC Japan from April 2006, although it doesn’t say ‘Made in Japan’ in English (it may do in Japanese but I have no idea).

[beautiful_FrEaK 1,664,746]

The last the symbols below the phone number says "Made in Japan"

And it's a 37 model according to the tag

[Pedro 309]

Thank you @Maynard Friedman and @beautiful_FrEaK

That confirmation just sends chills up & down my spine.

The 1937 is my favorite cut.

Maybe I will just find a free-standing glass display and place these as the focal point of my home. Hermetically sealed and UV glass, ofcourse.

[Sympathy-For-The-Denim 198,962]

i like these japanese repros for their nice leather patches, which always looked more authentic to me than the ones of US repros.

[Paul T 1,823,314]

fantastic, what a lovely pair. THey will be probably made from Cone, Levi's Japan sourced from there for the main models. Yup, they did tend to have nicer 2-horse patches.

 

[bartlebyyphonics 3,954]

nice find @Pedro

[cool_hand 145]

https://www.levi.com/US/en_US/blog/article/a-farewell-to-cone-mills-white-oak/

saw these at Newburgh Street yesterday – not really my thing - they are £560 a pop!

[Maynard Friedman 565,194]

It’s not my thing either @cool_hand, especially at that price but I’d love to see what a faded pair of the jeans looks like after a couple of years, especially using a monthly timeline. 

[Iron Horse 4,045]

Not LVC, but ‘90s Levi’s Japan S702XX:

[cool_hand 145]

8 hours ago, Maynard Friedman said:

It’s not my thing either @cool_hand, especially at that price but I’d love to see what a faded pair of the jeans looks like after a couple of years, especially using a monthly timeline. 

These will probably end up on sale at a few places; alternatively you could pick-up a pair of Studio D'Artisan Salesman Jeans for £200.

[428CJ 300]

Oddly enough, I kind of like those Cone Mills patchwork pieces that are coming out. I think they'd look great totally beaten and worn in, rather than kept as collector's items in their boxes.

Does anyone know where they are carried and when they come out? I don't think I'll be buying any, but I would like to window shop.

[Maynard Friedman 565,194]

The link posted by @cool_hand has the stockist details.

[mpukas 1,578]

On 6/8/2019 at 9:47 AM, 428CJ said:

Oddly enough, I kind of like those Cone Mills patchwork pieces that are coming out. I think they'd look great totally beaten and worn in, rather than kept as collector's items in their boxes.

Does anyone know where they are carried and when they come out? I don't think I'll be buying any, but I would like to window shop.

I agree - normally I don't like piece-meal jobs like that, but there's oddly appealing to me about them. And I too think they'd look great with serious wear.  

Canoe Club sent out an email on 5/31 saying they have/had a 10 pairs of jeans and 8 jackets. ATM, looks like they have 28 36 38 jeans and XL jacket... do't know who else got them 

[Pedro 309]

2 hours ago, mpukas said:

.... looks like they have 28 36 38 jeans and XL jacket... do't know who else got them 

Only girth challenged sizes remaining?

Hmmm, does it mean those of narrow waist have higher earnings and more available disposable income?

[Denimheadly 19]

Hey there,

I just picked up a reproduction type 1 on kijiji for 80 CAD. I really like it just wondering what people thought of the fit, the price, and if any knows the history of it.  It looks like it's from Japan.

[Maynard Friedman 565,194]

That’s a simplified Levi’s (WW2 model - laurel leaf donut buttons and no pocket flap) 506XX, more commonly known as the Type 1, made in Japan, in what looks like May 1992.

[Denimheadly 19]

16 minutes ago, Maynard Friedman said:

That’s a simplified Levi’s (WW2 model - laurel leaf donut buttons and no pocket flap) 506XX, more commonly known as the Type 1, made in Japan, in what looks like May 1992.

Thanks for the quick reply. Just wondering if that is how it's supposed to fit. 

 

[Maynard Friedman 565,194]

Ideally, and for a period-correct fit, you’d probably wear it a size smaller, but as a 27 year-old jacket for 80 CAD (<£50), you can’t pick and choose so if you’re happy with it then it’s a good deal.

[428CJ 300]

It fits fine. The shoulder seams aren't inside the "corners" of your shoulders, nor are they dropping far below them. There is a range of several sizes of denim jackets that work fine on a person. That one sits right in the middle of that range. I would call it a "regular" fit.

[Paul T 1,823,314]

Washed by hand and rinsed in the machine, this time.

[Maynard Friedman 565,194]

Looks great Paul, beautiful shade of indigo.

[Denimheadly 19]

On 6/17/2019 at 5:54 PM, Maynard Friedman said:

Ideally, and for a period-correct fit, you’d probably wear it a size smaller, but as a 27 year-old jacket for 80 CAD (<£50), you can’t pick and choose so if you’re happy with it then it’s a good deal.

 

16 hours ago, 428CJ said:

It fits fine. The shoulder seams aren't inside the "corners" of your shoulders, nor are they dropping far below them. There is a range of several sizes of denim jackets that work fine on a person. That one sits right in the middle of that range. I would call it a "regular" fit.

Thanks for the feedback guys.  I really like the jacket but it's more baggy then my other ones.  As long as it doesn't look bad Haha. 

[bartlebyyphonics 3,954]

tales from the washing line for my 30s tux: some fragments of drying/damp cone '36 & '37 denim...

 

[428CJ 300]

On 6/20/2019 at 6:07 PM, Denimheadly said:

 

Thanks for the feedback guys.  I really like the jacket but it's more baggy then my other ones.  As long as it doesn't look bad Haha. 

I, for one, find that the pre-type-III jackets work much better when upsized a bit, or even a lot. The slightly lower yoke and straighter sides make them more restrictive on the arms and shoulders. Besides the fact that I just think they look a lot better when not worn snugly.

That said, I don't think the one you found has the typical lower yoke of the pleated styles. And also, as I said before, there's a range of sizes that will fit any person. And there's also no single way that people "back in the day" wore them, i.e. no such thing as a "vintage fit." Factory-made clothing has always been worn in a variety of fits, regular, upsized, or downsized. It's just the nature of pre-made clothes that they're going to get worn across a wide spectrum of bodies, in a wide spectrum of fits.

Edited June 26 by 428CJ

[jewellben 30,921]

Help! I've had shrinkage disaster on my latest pair of LVC 1937. I gave them a 40 degree wash as I always do with new denim (no spin) and a line dry. However the waist has shrunk from 34.5" (tagged 34") to 32". This has never happened to me with so much waist shrinking, shall I re-soak and try stretching or am I done for on this pair?

Cheers all 

[Maynard Friedman 565,194]

That’s pretty standard for LVC in my experience, I always expect approx 2” of waist shrinkage. The 37s are a thin, lightweight denim (10 oz) and will stretch back to raw if required. What’s more surprising to me is that a tagged 34W pair only measured 34.5”.

[jewellben 30,921]

1 hour ago, Maynard Friedman said:

That’s pretty standard for LVC in my experience, I always expect approx 2” of waist shrinkage. The 37s are a thin, lightweight denim (10 oz) and will stretch back to raw if required. What’s more surprising to me is that a tagged 34W pair only measured 34.5”.

I’ve only experienced leg shrinking over the last few years I got these from American Classics about 3 months ago and soaked them encouraged by our current weather and wanting lighter weight denim. I’ll give them another soak and a stretch 

[Pedro 309]

@jewellben

Don’t toss ‘em.

Soak in cold water long enough for the fibers to get thoroughly saturated and with buttons all fastened. Insert an object in the waist that will stretch the fabric maybe an 1”. (Piece of wood or back of chair, etc).

The remaining stretch will occur once you wear them a few days.

My own thought is 40* is warmer than necessary for a washes/soaks unless your goal is to shrink.

BTW, they are a great weight & loose cut for tropic type weather.

Edited June 28 by Pedro