WW2 repro / detailed jeans

[rbeck]

7 hours ago, CSL said:

One thing I'm wondering about, I believe Lee (& Wrangler?) were making jeans & jackets in 1944. I've never heard anything about their products having the sloppy sewing element. Perhaps someone here can shed some light on that subject?


 

I just saw these wwii era Lee infant sized pants on instagram this morning and they also have sloppy stitching

https://www.instagram.com/p/C7P6YH1vlce/?igsh=MWFodGNpMnZpaGh3Nw==

[shredwin_206]

Y'all can have the sloppy stitching. Give me Freewheelers WWII or give me death! Hahahahhaa   

[CSL]

5 hours ago, rbeck said:

I just saw these wwii era Lee infant sized pants on instagram this morning and they also have sloppy stitching

https://www.instagram.com/p/C7P6YH1vlce/?igsh=MWFodGNpMnZpaGh3Nw==

Those look pretty tight compared to the highly asymmetrical SC jacket. I see some overlapping stitching where they've run out of thread & started over, but all the lines look on target. 

[CSL]

5 hours ago, shredwin_206 said:

Y'all can have the sloppy stitching. Give me Freewheelers WWII or give me death! Hahahahhaa   

That's the direction I went, Shredwin & I'm not disappointed although I will say I liked the fit of the TCB contest jeans better, and also the old LVC model. 

[rbeck]

12 minutes ago, CSL said:

Those look pretty tight compared to the highly asymmetrical SC jacket. I see some overlapping stitching where they've run out of thread & started over, but all the lines look on target. 

One sample is hardly enough to base the whole era on. Regardless, the back pockets and hems are pretty sloppy. Plus baby jeans are probably easier to keep straight on since the seams aren't as long. 

Here's some war era lees that it looks like they botched the waistband topstitching. The back side of the waistband shows the needle missed the inner edge of the waistband (pic 4). I'd say that isn't on target. Most other seams look pretty okay, but the backstitching in some places looks just as sloppy as the SC levis repros (check the pocket bag picture where the coin pocket stitches are apparent) .

 https://denimarchieves.com/e/vintage_and_old_denim_bottoms/lee_101b_wwii_en.html

Lees of that era would have been union made where I don't think Levis ever was union? I wonder if that had an effect too? If you're union you wouldn't feel the same pressure to churn out pairs of jeans no matter the quality that non-union workers would, so quality may have improved from that? Purely speculation here. 

[CSL]

Point taken, rbeck. The example you've shown definitely  demonstrates some sloppy sewing.
I guess it's this stitch line on the right side of the buttons that is my main head scratcher. I think to myself would someone actually buy that (speaking of back in the era it was made)? I guess there were situations where employers bought in bulk & handed out to their workers who would have had no say in the matter.
 

 

That all being said, if SC will just admit it's a factory second, & slash the price, I'll buy one (wink).

Edited May 22, 2024 by CSL

[Maynard Friedman]

7 minutes ago, CSL said:

I guess it's this stitch line on the right side of the buttons that is my main head scratcher. I think to myself would someone actually buy that (speaking of back in the era it was made)?

Now those unlucky souls who missed out on this 80 years ago will have a second chance to buy, for a mere $500

[LazyS]

CSL I was just wondering if the wonky deadstock examples were leftovers people didn't want

@rbeck I have a 2 pairs of 1952 leepros and  both have different sections of the waist band like that

https://imgur.com/n0m4MLXhttps://imgur.com/n0m4MLX

Edited May 22, 2024 by LazyS

[CSL]

LazyS, Yes. It could be that.
The only time I've seen a WW2 Levi jacket in person was at Inspiration. A fellow was wearing one & it looked superb. I engaged him in conversation about it. I didn't go over it with a fine tooth comb but it didn't look wonky at all.

[rbeck]

@LazyS Interesting. It isn't critical that that stitch holds the inner part of the waistband so maybe they never cared about it in the first place. 

@CSL i agree that that such you've highlighted is the most glaringly obvious one and also agree that I'd be questioning it if i were buying that jacket in the 40s. 

[MJF9]

I have the '43 tux... beautifully wonky it is too... makes a refreshing change from all that straight stitching that has saturated the market 😜

I've worn it down the local supermarket before and Mavis on checkout never batted an eyelid... but that may be because I stood ever so slightly on a slant to make it appear that the box pleats were straight... actually it's probably because there is only us 20 Sufu'ers who ruminate (in a good way :)) on these things

While we're chatting... I was at my lad's football semi-final a few weeks ago wearing a FW wabash jacket.  One of the parents said 'I'm a bit superstitious... you're not wearing your lucky denim jacket'... I asked him which one... and his response proved to me he thought I only had one and they were therefore all the same WTF 🤯.  The sad ending to that story is the lads lost their first competitive game in 2 years that day 😭... the key message I took from it is that, irrespective of the model, all denim jackets can be lucky!!

I'll put some '43 tux pics up soon so you can throw tomatoes at it

[Dr_Heech]

1 hour ago, MJF9 said:

....

I'll put some '43 tux pics up soon so you can throw tomatoes at it

Can we throw red tabs at it in case two of them stick 😉

[Dr_Heech]

Going back to the flannel pocket bags on og Levis, l saw these pics on lg and had to share. Another flannel colour combo alternative to the usual herringbone twill or the natural cotton pocket material. 

 

 

[Lorcan]

Some pics of my Neat Style Kiwami WWII jeans and Neat Style x Denim Bridge. Jeans are the 'irregular' model with destroyed patch, wonky red tab and rusted top button which are supposed to be like B-stock sitting in a warehouse for 80 years lol. I got them as they were a pair in stock and the regular Kiwami WWII has long lead time. I kinda thought I'd hate the destroyed patch but it doesn't bother me in the end. Denim is quite streaky but less hairy and stubby than say, Sugar Cane S1943. Denim used for Kiwami WWII and the Denim Bridge models very similar but maybe different colour (notwithstanding wear washing making colour difference). Stitching character is quite different with the Denim Bridge models however (thicker more yellow thread, different quirks).

Next to Sugar Cane S1943 and 1946. Neat Style back pockets a touch smaller which I don't like. Neat Style sizing is small so this is tag size 34 vs Sugar Cane size 32.

Edited March 16 by Lorcan

[Lorcan]

Sorry, more of the jacket...

vs Sugar Cane s1945

Neat Style armhole seems cut a bit tighter / less straight which is maybe what has been making me question sizing choice... 

 

 

[beautiful_FrEaK]

@Lorcan serserious WW2 collection right there!

[Dr_Heech]

Saw this detail on an original pair and thought l'd plonk it here. Don't think this WW2 amateur stitching has been replicated yet - two types of stitch count l'm assuming, done on the same machine?

 

Edited April 3 by Dr_Heech

[Double 0 Soul]

Small e red tab replacement

[beautiful_FrEaK]

Studio d'Artisan just released a WW2 jeans. Not too flashy, a little bit of wonky-ness

https://www.dartisan-onlineshop.com/SHOP/D1903.html

And in an appropriate cut (read: not relaxed tapered)

[redragon]

On 5/22/2024 at 7:23 PM, rbeck said:

I just saw these wwii era Lee infant sized pants on instagram this morning and they also have sloppy stitching

https://www.instagram.com/p/C7P6YH1vlce/?igsh=MWFodGNpMnZpaGh3Nw==

These small size pants is actually not for wear.

Back in those days, it's sample for the jeans salesman to show details (hidden rivets, fabric feel, etc) to potential customers.

More details here:

[rbeck]

Wow, neat fact!

[LazyS]

[CSL]

That's some great looking vertical streaking there. 

[Dr_Heech]

Beautiful WW2 501. No S or XX on patch but 1945 copyright on pocket flasher. Some lovely sloppy stitching and details, especially the yellow paint.

Looking forward to the next Sugarcane repro 😉

 

 

Edited May 29 by Dr_Heech

[Maynard Friedman]

X-post from Unknown Japanese Brands thread:

4 minutes ago, Maynard Friedman said:

Room 402 & Co.

There’s a WW2 Type 2 available too.

 

[Sympathy-For-The-Denim]

@Dr_Heech I stumbled upon those beautiful 1945 501's. 

just a link though, since I am not able to save the instagram pictures on my pc 🧐:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DIpX_6vTVgT/?img_index=1

[beautiful_FrEaK]

On 5/29/2025 at 5:57 PM, Dr_Heech said:

Beautiful WW2 501. No S or XX on patch but 1945 copyright on pocket flasher. Some lovely sloppy stitching and details, especially the yellow paint.

Looking forward to the next Sugarcane repro 😉

 

 

@Dr_Heech what i wondered, the guarantee ticket still says 10oz denim on the above pair and obviously on the other WW2 models as well. Yet all WW2 models use a heavier denim and often say, heavier was used during WW2. Did Levi's just didn't bother to update the ticket? And when did they change that?

[Dr_Heech]

On 5/31/2025 at 8:24 PM, beautiful_FrEaK said:

@Dr_Heech what i wondered, the guarantee ticket still says 10oz denim on the above pair and obviously on the other WW2 models as well. Yet all WW2 models use a heavier denim and often say, heavier was used during WW2. Did Levi's just didn't bother to update the ticket? And when did they change that?

Interesting question Tilmann, it seems regardless of denim weight, the 'for over 70 years' ticket was used during the war up until 1945/46. Whether the weight was changed it doesn't coincide with the tickets at all and l'm often wondering if it's a typical levis manyana thing to use up older stock tickets or flashers. I've seen early 1947 models that still use that older ticket. Here is an example, sorry only photos l have available. 

Edited June 3 by Dr_Heech
Add photo

[Dr_Heech]

Hey @beautiful_FrEaK - in addition to the above discussion, the "for over 80 years" ticket also states Ten Ounce denim.

Here's a 1945 flasher with a for over 80 years guarantee ticket. Levi's claim to have brought out the For over 70 years ticket in 1942, which makes this pair with the For over 80 years ticket from 1952 at least. But still with the 1945 flasher.

Levi's have done this deliberately just to mess with our denim heads l reckon.

 

This pair is owned by the Jukebox guy.

 

[Dr_Heech]

And $3.75. Gone up a bit since the $2.25 for the Deadstock 1942 pair owned by Larry of Hellers café.

 

Edited June 21 by Dr_Heech