Levi's Vintage Clothing

[airfrogusmc]

Felled seams.  Here is a shot of my 1880s waist overalls

[Maynard Friedman]

^ I think they’re just called unfinished or raw edge seams. In fact ‘failed’ would be closer than ‘felled’!

[airfrogusmc]

Yes I stand corrected unfinished would be right I believe. 

[TheJPdude]

Looks like LVC released a katakana 1901 501 today. Limited to 800 pairs, and the pricing isn’t bad if you were looking to score some. I assume they are 9 oz denim like the 1890?

[ATWM]

$700 isn’t bad for jeans? I know things are getting pricier but I’m not there. 

[reubensangwich]

2 hours ago, TheJPdude said:

I assume they are 9 oz denim like the 1890?

Considering the information that recently came to light about the changing of the equation used to calculate fabric weight; only if they want to continue the LVC tradition of inaccurate repros.

1 hour ago, ATWM said:

$700 isn’t bad for jeans? I know things are getting pricier but I’m not there. 

They're listed at $295 on the Levi's website, the same as their other LVC 501 offerings (which is probably about twice what they're actually worth.) 

Edited September 9, 2025 by reubensangwich

[ATWM]

^ weird. Retails for this look to be all over the place. Still passing tho!

[kicks79]

They are $700 AUS on the Australian Levi's store. Hard pass... 

[TheJPdude]

 

On 9/9/2025 at 1:43 PM, reubensangwich said:

Considering the information that recently came to light about the changing of the equation used to calculate fabric weight; only if they want to continue the LVC tradition of inaccurate repros.

They're listed at $295 on the Levi's website, the same as their other LVC 501 offerings (which is probably about twice what they're actually worth.) 

yeah in general I  think LVC are $180 jeans all day long. 

21 hours ago, kicks79 said:

They are $700 AUS on the Australian Levi's store. Hard pass... 

woof, it's like $462 USD. Crazy!  I wonder if the ANZ importer is taking a huge cut.

Edited September 10, 2025 by TheJPdude

[TheJPdude]

Also, their 25% off anything 100 or more is in effect for (some?) LVC. I just added the 1890 to the cart and it took off 98 bucks. Grr - wish I could have waited, as I only got 10% off. 

[House md]

On 9/9/2025 at 8:43 PM, reubensangwich said:

Considering the information that recently came to light about the changing of the equation used to calculate fabric weight; only if they want to continue the LVC tradition of inaccurate repros.

They're listed at $295 on the Levi's website, the same as their other LVC 501 offerings (which is probably about twice what they're actually worth.) 

Why do you think an LVC jean is worth only 150$?

[reubensangwich]

@House md It just comes down to the fact that smaller brands in Japan make better reproductions than Levi’s, often charging around the same or even less than LS&Co. 

Having now handled and worn denim garments from Sugar Cane, Freewheelers, Ooe Yofukuten and a couple of the smaller artisanal brands, they all provide better products. They give us accurate details and a very high quality garment in regards to both fabric and stitching, neither of which I feel like Levi’s does. For instance, LVC doesn’t even attach the leather patch to the jeans correctly, meanwhile every Japanese brand is getting that right. Not to mention, I’m about 3.5 months into wearing a pair of 1944’s, the most abuse they see is a brisk walk home from the bar on the weekend or moving a couple boxes around the office during the work week, and yet the crotch stitching already started to fail; I had to put a rivet in to prevent more stitches from coming undone. 

Between Levi’s size as a company and the fact that they are the literal pioneers of blue jeans, they should be knocking their reproductions out of the water. They’ve certainly got the budget to do the research and take the time to develop actual good reproductions, but it seems to me they’re happier being ignorant of their own history and continuing the fast fashion cycle. 

Just for perspective on price, you can get a pair of Freewheelers 601s for ¥35,200 meanwhile Levi’s Japan charges ¥38,500 for a pair of LVC 501s. With the Freewheelers you are getting all cotton stitching, a correctly attached leather patch, higher quality hardware, and, subjectively, a more interesting denim. 

[airfrogusmc]

I know that my 20 year old 1933 USA Cone White Oak 501s are pretty darn good. 

[Dr_Heech]

5 hours ago, reubensangwich said:

@House md 

Between Levi’s size as a company and the fact that they are the literal pioneers of blue jeans, they should be knocking their reproductions out of the water. They’ve certainly got the budget to do the research and take the time to develop actual good reproductions, but it seems to me they’re happier being ignorant of their own history and continuing the fast fashion cycle. 

^This pretty much sums up lvc for me. I was a fan from about 1998 but by 2005 l was finished with the brand. Think l have bought 4 pieces since then and sold 2 of them. Rarely wear any of it now.

[Double 0 Soul]

It's also worth noting that Levis spend around $400 million /yr on marketing.. so a decent % of the cost of the jeans you buy just goes towards furnishing the advertising budget, they pay their CEO $13 mill /yr and $55 million goes to shareholders so the cheaper they can produce the jeans the more profit share goes to the above, hence the poor quality / cost cutting.

Whereas the profit made from small batch Japanese jeans goes towards preserving period correct sewing machines, buying materials and paying staff with hopefully a little bit left over.. 

If Levis produce a shit quality product will people continue to buy it?.. well yes, because of history, marketing and ignorance.

If Ooe produced a shit quality product will people continue to buy it.. i'd also say yes for a year or two but a definite no in the long term.

If you love vintage Levi's.. buy vintage Levi's, there is nothing better.. if you can't afford them, JP repros are the next best thing.

[beautiful_FrEaK]

10 hours ago, House md said:

Why do you think an LVC jean is worth only 150$?

Asking the other way around: why do you think LVC jeans are worth 300 $?

[Dr_Heech]

11 hours ago, reubensangwich said:

@House md For instance, LVC doesn’t even attach the leather patch to the jeans correctly, meanwhile every Japanese brand is getting that right. 

Is this what you were referring to?

The stitching on the og Levi’s is usually along the red border. Obviously there are a million variations where this not the case but generally that was the aim.

With Lvc the space between the stitching and the red bordering line  always seem to 'frame' the 2 horse logo.

 

Lvc 1937

 

Original vintage 1937 

Edited September 12, 2025 by Dr_Heech
To clarify

[reubensangwich]

@Dr_Heech I'm referring to the top waistband stitch and the stitching around the patch being continuous, it seems this is present on your older 37's, but not my modern 44's.  

Original S501xx 

Made in Japan LVC 44 

As you can see, the top waistband stitch and the patch are totally separate. 
 

 

Edited September 12, 2025 by reubensangwich

[Maynard Friedman]

I just checked a couple of pairs I have lying around (I’m still in shorts for now!) and my Fob Factory, Denime Tokyo and Denime XX (Shins era) don’t have that continuous stitch on the patch either, whilst my Warehouse and a couple of Sugar Cane pairs do. So it’s not present on all Japanese repros.

Im not sure there is a ‘correct’ way of stitching a patch to a pair of jeans, as long as it’s in the right place, the right way round and doesn’t fall off!

[airfrogusmc]

From my 1933 501s 20 year old. Actually 21 years old from 2004. Maybe on these they got it right? 

[airfrogusmc]

On my 33s it's on the red rectangle but not continuous on from the waist stitching. 

On my curent 1922s I just purchased recently it seems to be. 

[airfrogusmc]

After a good close look it's a separate stitch. Not continuous. 

[reubensangwich]

3 hours ago, Maynard Friedman said:

I just checked a couple of pairs I have lying around (I’m still in shorts for now!) and my Fob Factory, Denime Tokyo and Denime XX (Shins era) don’t have that continuous stitch on the patch either. So it’s not present on all Japanese repros.

Im not sure there is a ‘correct’ way of stitching a patch to a pair of jeans, as long as it’s in the right place, the right way round and doesn’t fall off!

My issue with details like this only comes when the jeans are sold as reproductions (LVC refers to their jeans as "archival reproductions") I feel like there is a "correct" way of doing things when it comes to repros, which would be how they were originally done. If they don't have the intention to reproduce the product with the details they know existed then maybe they should just say they've been "inspired."

It is hyperbolic to say "all," but looking around now, it seems a lot of the major brands are doing the continuous stitch. Warehouse/Denime, Full Count, Freewheelers, Sugar Cane, Samurai, TCB. Perhaps it's a detail that only the more "strict" repro-ers feel is necessary ? Or maybe it's something that wasn't as widely known or scrutinized until recent years?

I didn't mean to harp on this, it's a fairly unimportant detail, I just think it perfectly highlights Levi's lack of care compared to the Japanese repros. 

Edited September 12, 2025 by reubensangwich

[Dr_Heech]

@airfrogusmc Hey Allen, there's another interesting detail change (with regards to cost-cutting/inaccurate details) and that's the belt loop widths and bar tacking stitching. 

On your new MiJ 1922s the belt loops do not look anything like og 1922 belt loops whereas your 2004 1933 501s have the correct, wider style belt loop (present on 501's from the mid 1920s until the mid 1950s). Not sure when this change  occurred but my old (now sold) lvc 1944's (both 1999 made and 2005 made) had belt loops which were similar to your 1933s, yet my 1944's from 2010 have belt loops identical to your 1922s, slimmer/not as wide, so shorter stitching across the top and bottom of the belt loop.

Yeah it's just a small detail and l am probably being way too pedantic but for me Levi's always held the golden ticket but totally wasted it. They let Lvc Japan take on other smaller Japanese brands starting up in the early 90's, then jumped on board with USA made stuff when they saw the financial potential - that was a great start followed swiftly with some golden years but as soon as the change in location as far as manufacturing was concerned, inaccuracies became a seasonal thing.

Didn't you have a pair of 1901s with the wrong patch (1880s) or maybe the 2005 201's with the diamond arcs (twin needle instead of single needle)?

Edited September 13, 2025 by Dr_Heech
Spell name correctly

[Maynard Friedman]

I had those 2005 201s Charlie (bought from A Butcher of Distinction, a couple of doors away from where Son of a Stag is now) but they were too big (they didn’t shrink much) so I gave them to my brother-in-law.

[Dr_Heech]

15 minutes ago, Maynard Friedman said:

I had those 2005 201s Charlie (bought from A Butcher of Distinction, a couple of doors away from where Son of a Stag is now) but they were too big (they didn’t shrink much) so I gave them to my brother-in-law.

I remember being so excited about their re-release in 2005, albeit l had a pair of 555 201's NWT stashed away. Think l ordered 2 pairs from Cinch, a 34 and a 36. Also ordered a couple of sweats but can't remember which ones. When they arrived l was gobsmacked, how could Levis Vintage Clothing do this!? Deliberately send out stitch for stitch clones/reproductions with such an obvious mistake? The sweats were nothing to write home about either so l sent the whole lot back, disgusted and indignant to the brim 🤣

[airfrogusmc]

51 minutes ago, Dr_Heech said:

@airfrogusmc Hey Alan, there's another interesting detail change (with regards to cost-cutting/inaccurate details) and that's the belt loop widths and bar tacking stitching. 

On your new MiJ 1922s the belt loops do not look anything like og 1922 belt loops whereas your 2004 1933 501s have the correct, wider style belt loop (present on 501's from the mid 1920s until the mid 1950s). Not sure when this change  occurred but my old (now sold) lvc 1944's (both 1999 made and 2005 made) had belt loops which were similar to your 1933s, yet my 1944's from 2010 have belt loops identical to your 1922s, slimmer/not as wide, so shorter stitching across the top and bottom of the belt loop.

Yeah it's just a small detail and l am probably being way too pedantic but for me Levi's always held the golden ticket but totally wasted it. They let Lvc Japan take on other smaller Japanese brands starting up in the early 90's, then jumped on board with USA made stuff when they saw the financial potential - that was a great start followed swiftly with some golden years but as soon as the change in location as far as manufacturing was concerned, inaccuracies became a seasonal thing.

Didn't you have a pair of 1901s with the wrong patch (1880s) or maybe the 2005 201's with the diamond arcs (twin needle instead of single needle)?

Dr H,

Still have my 1880s and they have single stitch arcs. Heres the label and it's centered. I cut off the cinch a while back. 

Unfinished seams, sewn on buttons, denim pockets, and these rivets. 

[Dr_Heech]

@airfrogusmc Great rivets. Will have to dig my lvc stuff out tomorrow, haven't looked at it for a while.

[airfrogusmc]

Here's the back side of the rivet on my 1880s

 

[airfrogusmc]

For me I can live with things like the way the leather patch is sewed on. I do think there were some LVCs that were not done that well. The things for me that outweigh it all is the denim. Especially cone denim. The weights and textures for the different years are what I really like. There were definitely LVC models and years those models were produced that did a better job than other years and models did.

My favs were the 1880s that we were discussing above. My 1905 209 coveralls. the 1933 501s from 2004.  I also really like two of the last batch of Cone pairs of 1947s and 1955s. I like the denim on the type II trucker I picked up. Japanese made with Japanese denim. The denim is fuzzy and a lot like cone denim on my 1955s. I was pleasantly surprised at how close the texture, color and weight of the trucker was to the cone 55s. From some of the photos I've seen here I would imagine the recent Japanese made 1955s are the same denim. Another really nice repro was the 1911 333s I had. I kinda wish I would have kept them. 

That's my 2 cents. anyway,

Allen 

 

Almost fogot to mention my 555 20s 201s. They are also pretty cool. Though I think the selvedge line should have been white instead of the line they used.