Levi's Vintage Clothing

[ThinFinn]

^hahaha...went tts but bulked up a bit in the last 2 months. got some serious thighs anyway so imo i really do love their fit...

here's a better one (same day)

[Joseph Hill]

I think Levis Japan did just that! A modern 501 but made of selvadge denim, I think I saw them on super rag(rakutan) it was a few years ago though, but you could have a look there!

They've got 'em. I just picked up a one wash version for $22 and change on clearance (raws were still $98). Not my favorite jeans but nice to have selvedge knock-arounds. Now if they can just stitch 'em in the US...

[riff]

Random thought...but there's just something about Levi's....Despite all the pairs from repro brands that I have, I'm yearning to wear a good old pair of real, down to earth Levi's...Maybe time to invest in a new LVC (55's or 44's?) or just break out some unworn old STF's for fun on the side...

Anyone else ever feel this way?

Yup! I think I've worn my LVC47's - after getting them from my uncle - more than anything else in the last 8 or so months. Added bonus - they're the perfect summer weight.

Aho, you should try them - I think the 47's slimmer fit would suit you well

[aho]

riff, agreed...I actually have owned two '47's in the past, a 2006 and a 555 model from cultizm....Had to sell both because they were both too small in the waist but I really did love the fit on them (other than the stomach aches and irregular bowel movements lol)...

[TallyHo]

I think Levis Japan did just that! A modern 501 but made of selvadge denim, I think I saw them on super rag(rakutan) it was a few years ago though, but you could have a look there!

that's interesting, i wasn't aware of that. but i'm talking made in the USA, "these are blue jeans, shut up and wear them" 501s. not "go on the internet and use google translator to order from across the world" 501s.

there's a vast (and growing) network of quality menswear stores across the US now that wasn't in place a few years ago. you know how you can walk into a surplus store or a sears and see shelves and shelves of STF 501s? they're all the same cut, just different sizes? well levi's should be doing that in these higher end stores - one 501 cut in every waist and inseam - with cone mills selvedge & made in the US. "made in USA" branding hasn't been this strong in decades. they should also blow the lid off the $300 denim market by pricing these jeans like ROYs at $150, or even less... (let's please not go into depth on the pricing of denim again)

APC has had tremendous success for years on just 2 cuts and average denim.

sooner or later, people are gonna realize that "limited edition" is a hoax & marketing gimmick. the reliability of a standardized cut is having more and more appeal to me compared to crazy weights, weaves, and dye jobs. i may be the only one though...

[dr.house]

damn, those look skinny, how much did you sized down? i mean in general 44s are looser than 47s...

If you go tts with 44's you achieve this slim fit. They're my favourites. Great fit Rafael, btw!

[rayw44]

QUOTE=TallyHo;2400935]that's interesting, i wasn't aware of that. but i'm talking made in the USA, "these are blue jeans, shut up and wear them" 501s. not "go on the internet and use google translator to order from across the world" 501s.

Levi's is doing this in the US right now. It may not be Cone denim, but it is at a very reasonable price point , made of selvage denim, and a cut that reflects today's style (slightly slimmer in the thigh).

http://us.levi.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4213660&cp=3146842.3146844.3146854.3194290.3692024

[rayw44]

And I agree with you that they should expand this effort into actual brick and mortar stores, since I doubt I could actually buy this anywhere other than Levi's online shop or one of their Levi's stores.

[runormal]

...or just break out some unworn old STF's for fun on the side...

Anyone else ever feel this way?

I was checking the levi's website this morning and saw the selvage shrink to fit also. Interesting but couldn't really see the details on the website photos, will look at the levis store when I am there this weekend. The quality control with new levis was frustrating when ordering $32 511s online, that would be something to work out especially for a 'premium' line. Their "new" 201 was a surprise to see online too, is it supposed to be a cheaper modern version of the old 201? instead of 'new' selvage why not offer lvc is basically what I was thinking....

[rayw44]

I recently ordered a pair of the 201 in Brick Red canvas in a 32x32, and had to return them because the waist actually measured out at 36. They were actually pretty nice too, but now they seem to be sold out.

[dr.house]

Hey guys,

what's to say about the sizing/ shrinking thing on those (rare?) 1927's? Are they very baggy?

[EA1R]

Need a little help with sizing 66 501s.

Can anybody tell me how thighs and general sizing are compared to the 67 505?

Hi!

I have the 66 in 32, 33 and 34. I have no experience with the 67, so I can't help you there. But if any of the above mesuarements can help you, just let me know and I'll bring out the ruler!

[DEFCHOICE]

Need a little help with sizing 66 501s.

Can anybody tell me how thighs and general sizing are compared to the 67 505?

67 505 is pre shrunk, slimmer fitting, around 10 3/4 front rise, 14 1/2 back rise, 15 2/3 knee, around 15 bottom opening.

[pete rock]

selvage denim more marketing nonsense

[TallyHo]

Levi's is doing this in the US right now. It may not be Cone denim, but it is at a very reasonable price point , made of selvage denim, and a cut that reflects today's style (slightly slimmer in the thigh).

http://us.levi.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4213660&cp=3146842.3146844.3146854.3194290.3692024

man, i didn't realize i was saying anything so confusing...

not only are those not cone mills denim, they are not made in the USA and are probably not made with remotely "quality" denim. those are some of the most offensive jeans levi's has produced. like "limited edition" and "heavyweight," those make "selvedge" a gimmicky selling point.

[entertainment!]

TallyHo, if only I hadn't repped you on that surfing post, I would rep you on these LVC posts. I wish I could express the same sentiments so eloquently.

[rayw44]

not only are those not cone mills denim, they are not made in the USA and are probably not made with remotely "quality" denim. those are some of the most offensive jeans levi's has produced. like "limited edition" and "heavyweight," those make "selvedge" a gimmicky selling point.

OK, I see what you are getting at now. I thought you were referencing the lack of a "higher end" 501 somewhere in between the LVC and regular STF jeans.

Yes, Levi's definitely should focus more on quality, and their heritage of Made in the USA products, rather than on gimmicks and trends.

Sorry for causing more confusion than necessary about your idea.

[aho]

there's a vast (and growing) network of quality menswear stores across the US now that wasn't in place a few years ago. you know how you can walk into a surplus store or a sears and see shelves and shelves of STF 501s? they're all the same cut, just different sizes? well levi's should be doing that in these higher end stores - one 501 cut in every waist and inseam - with cone mills selvedge & made in the US. "made in USA" branding hasn't been this strong in decades. they should also blow the lid off the $300 denim market by pricing these jeans like ROYs at $150, or even less... (let's please not go into depth on the pricing of denim again) sooner or later, people are gonna realize that "limited edition" is a hoax & marketing gimmick. the reliability of a standardized cut is having more and more appeal to me compared to crazy weights, weaves, and dye jobs. i may be the only one though...

^Complete agree. Only problem is, I just can't see a lower price point with higher quality denim and made in the USA...For example, the Made in USA Levi's for Brooks Brothers are $130+ (can't remember exact price) and aren't even selvage denim. Granted, there is probably a huge mark up for marketing reasons but it's going to be hard to pay people lower wages to make the jeans realistically (unless we're talking about illegals, etc. which is beyond the point of made in USA) if aiming for that lower price. I doubt very many people are willing to get paid low to make jeans (although I believe many of us on here probably would)...

To any Levi's workers/market researchers out there reading this thread (we know you're watching us!), build a low-scale factory and hire me! I'll sew your jeans for $10 an hour Not kidding btw...

[greasypeanut]

should i go up a size? im worried about my thighs after the soak. and id like to do a hot/warm soak to get rid of all the shrinkage

[Sympathy-For-The-Denim]

just soak em and wear em till they are dry.

and i wouldn´t be worried about the tighs, they stretch back anyway.

[ChuckO]

along the same lines as mifune's "open letter" i have thought a lot about how LVC fits into levi's overall brand and how it fits into this niche of "premium raw denim" or whatever we're calling it. LVC is a very limiting name as it implies reproduction. for that reason alone, i think the XX division is an exciting development for levi's.

501 is just as valuable a trademark as the levi's name. in my mind, it conjures a quintessential image of blue jeans. no nonsense. no frills. quality. i personally don't need my jeans to have a date attached to them. i buy LVC over regular STF's mostly because of the quality of the denim, and somewhat for the fits. that said, i've had some $30 STFs that fit pretty great.

i don't give a poop about 21oz denim. it strikes me as a gimmick and it seems totally excessive. plus i don't believe there's any inherent correlation between weight and quality. i wouldn't want anything heavier than my 19oz samurais, and i doubt i'll even buy anything that heavy again. there are a lot of barriers to levi's offering heavier weighted denim, and i don't think that's a lucrative path for them to follow.

i do, however, think it would be interesting for the XX division to develop a new 501 cut every so often. levi's has done this throughout its history - why stop now? a standard cut that reflects the general "style of the times" and is offered as a cone mills selvedge, made in USA model.

this would have the added advantage of relieving their need to "update" or "modernize" historic cuts like the 47s. like i said - i don't need a date on my jeans. i just want a cut that i like (is regular - not skin tight, not baggy) and has quality denim.

50 years from now, LVC could reproduce the "2010 501" and if i'm still around, i can dress in the style of my youth!

I agree completely. I've posted the same thoughts a couple of times. If it's ONLY about the past it's dead. Stasis is death. The problem we hit was it all became about goofy changes: acid wash, etc. Crappy drastic change for it's own sake plus the race for the bottom in terms of pricing you just end up in a dead end. Jeans became a meaningless generic thing. Hopefully the economy holds together and some of the improvements in options for quality jeans keep growing.

But yeah Levi (LVC or XX or whatever) needs to keep producing the historic re-issues AND moving forward. JUST PLEASE move forward in a dignified way NO zany desperate trendy crap.

[ChuckO]

Oh yeah at least for me the price has to be somewhere in the range of sanity. $150 to $175 is where I draw the line. Anything in the $250 - $300 is nuts. I don't care if it's Zimbabwe cotton ingested and pooped out by a tribe of Indonesian squirrel people for ultimate softness and then hand made by a snooty dude living in some turn of the century dream world. They should make those jeans if there's a market but ALSO make some jeans priced sensibly and made in a way that combines the best of the old and new ways of making jeans. I have a hard time with the guys around here that get all pretentious about cotton linen thread being all they buy BECAUSE OF QUALITY and they ALSO love when those threads fail quickly because that's AUTHENTIC. Give me a break.

[ChuckO]

QUOTE=TallyHo;2400935]that's interesting, i wasn't aware of that. but i'm talking made in the USA, "these are blue jeans, shut up and wear them" 501s. not "go on the internet and use google translator to order from across the world" 501s.

Levi's is doing this in the US right now. It may not be Cone denim, but it is at a very reasonable price point , made of selvage denim, and a cut that reflects today's style (slightly slimmer in the thigh).

http://us.levi.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4213660&cp=3146842.3146844.3146854.3194290.3692024

Thanks for posting this. I'm going to have to give these a try. They look kind of '66 to me. They seem slim with a tapered leg. The description says straight but that's not what they look like.

[Guest redchris]

Fuckin' 'ell , do you think Levi's give a shit about their "heritage"?

Look, love to all you Americans, but I think your patriotism is clouding your thinking.

Why did Levi's give up the big E, why did they abandon selvedge, why did they outsource manufacture to the 3rd world. Like every other jeans company they thought about nothing else than selling the cheapest- to- make product en masse for the most money.

Fuck, LVC only started because Evis gave them a kick in the arse. Then , when Levi's had the Motherlode, the Mecca of jeans-manufacture making exactly what we all wanted at Valencia St, EVEN THEN when they had the golden egg they sacked it and thought they could fob us all off with shit made all over the place.

Don't you understand, these people know the cost of everything and the value of nothing. The cunts never realised what they had with the original LEVI'S and they went down exactly the same road with LVC.

Forget it, they are not worth it, Fuck 'em.

[Christmas In A Submarine.]

how did switching from the Big E to a lowercase E save them money or increase their mass appeal?

[setterman]

I remember reading somewhere that the switch was made from LEVIS to Levis because market research found the latter had more appeal to the buying public. Not sure how the lower case spelling had more appeal, but the change was made by Levis to sell more jeans. Nothing really wrong with that, but I guess quality (fillers used on the dye process rather than 100% synthetic indigo?) declined at the same time.

[stuntastic]

Random thought...but there's just something about Levi's....Despite all the pairs from repro brands that I have, I'm yearning to wear a good old pair of real, down to earth Levi's...Maybe time to invest in a new LVC (55's or 44's?) or just break out some unworn old STF's for fun on the side...

Anyone else ever feel this way?

It's a never ending cycle.

When wearing a certain pair of jeans for so long, you want to have the feel of something "different." Whether it's "upgrading or downgrading," you'll always want that change.

For a while, I was just rocking X jeans from Self Edge, and after awhile, I was missing a pair of simple STF 501s. And the cycle went on and on.

As of late, my rotation has been a cheap pair of LEEs, Levis 514s (non selvedge,) a pair of selvedge 501s, and every now and then my worn in Samurais. But for the past couple of weeks, I've stuck with the plain ol 514s.

Some days you want something stiff (that's what she said,) or something softer and lighter.

But in the end, weight or not, what makes you want to wear X pants, is the way it sits with you.

[ninja07]

Been following this thread and it got me set on getting a pair of 55s. Got a pair from my local levis store in 31x34 and sent them for a 40min warm soak.

pre soak

Waist 15.5

Thigh 12

Knee 9.5

Hem 8.5

Inseam 34

post soak

Waist 15

Thigh 11

Knee 8.5

Hem 8

Inseam 32.5

Not sure if I should put them through another quick soak or if there will be more shrinkage. I'm loving the slightly roomier fit right now so I may just put them through a few wears to see how the fit develops. I'll update with some more fit pics later.

[blm14]

that fit is fucking perfect.

[Mifune]

i don't give a poop about 21oz denim. it strikes me as a gimmick and it seems totally excessive. plus i don't believe there's any inherent correlation between weight and quality.

There is no relation between fabric weight and quality. You can have a heavy fabric that is not well made, of poor quality, and it will not be long lived. But if you have a heavy fabric that is well made, you have purchased durability that a lighter cloth will not have. I have a topcoat sewn for my grandfather in the 1920s made of very heavy, tightly woven cloth that is still perfectly wearable. My son wore it through college and will probably pass it on to his son someday. Lightweight cloth is only a very recent trend in men’s tailored clothes (early 1970s), and many think the planned obsolescence of lightweight cloth is the “real” gimmick…one that manufacturer’s like.

50 years from now, LVC could reproduce the "2010 501" and if i'm still around, i can dress in the style of my youth!

No so fast Tally Ho! If you get your 2010 501s reproductions in fifty years and they don’t seem right to you, don’t try to explain it, because there will be those who will not like you saying so. The reproductions of today don’t resemble the “style of my youth” 50 years later.  I wish you better luck.

In one way or another we are all exhorting Levis to take up the quality focus that made the brand a legend. Quality is not a gimmick.

PS: Ninja...nice looking 55s