Vintage Repros

[Double 0 Soul]

Didn't you own the 3 piece duck suit @Dr_Heech ?

[Maynard Friedman]

[Dr_Heech]

14 hours ago, Double 0 Soul said:

Didn't you own the 3 piece duck suit @Dr_Heech ?

Yep, although l never wore all three pieces, especially at the same time.

I had several pairs of the 1873 duck pants over the years, think I wore two pairs (a 34 and a 36) and sold the rest. I sold the coat to red Chris, where he added some buttons then promptly sold it. Only kept the vest.

Edited June 30, 2025 by Dr_Heech

[Dr_Heech]

Random comparison of the so called 1st ever Levi's leather label from the repro lvc jacket (and vest) from 2000/2001 and the last version of this label, from a couple of years ago(?) The latter version is correct for 1873, as the earlier label states renewal in 1875, so can't be from 1873. Plus the thicker felt tip pen marking the size on the earlier pieces looks a little goofy whereas the newer label looks more authentic imo

 

Edited June 27 by Dr_Heech

[Lorcan]

This guy's blog has some decent images of some late 90s Joe McCoy stuff. The era Atsushi was involved with pre-Bootleggers/Freewheelers if I'm not mistaken.

[TheIntelligentHoodwinker]

On 3/30/2025 at 12:01 PM, Maynard Friedman said:

Edwin have produced quite a range of jeans over the years and were my introduction to the repro world back in 2002 via their Waynesvilles from the now, sadly closed Interstate.

Oh, what a shop that was. Bought several pairs of Nashvilles from there back in the early 2000s.

[Lorcan]

Real McCoy's 600 Ranch sub-brand - any idea what era these are? 1990s pre-Joe McCoy maybe?

Jacket might be a nice wranglerpro option for someone? not too expensive and a reasonable size https://www.fromjapan.co.jp/japan/en/auction/yahoo/input/h1194238684/

Arcs!

Cords with arcs

[Dr_Heech]

On 4/20/2025 at 5:03 PM, Dr_Heech said:

Early 1990s MiJ Bartack 1950s repro. Bought these raw in the early 2010's for a song. Ditched the patch and modified the arcs, to look more like vintage levis. No hidden rivets but lovely two tone stitching and scoville rivet backs plus off set belt loop. Denim is a greeny blue but difficult to pick up on with these phone images. Photo orientation skills by sufu Ai, not me sorry. 

 

 

 

 

Been digging around through all the labels and various ephemera tucked away and found the original flasher for these jeans - making this piece of card over 30 years old! 😅

Edited October 11, 2025 by Dr_Heech

[airfrogusmc]

555 1920s 201 from Sept 1999

 

 

 

[Dr_Heech]

Posted more detailed pics in the leather jacket thread but as it's 20 years old, it can go here too.

Lvc 1940s 'beat brown' civilian style A1 jacket from the 2005 collection. This particular piece was made by Aeroleather of Galashiels in Scotland whereas the later run of this repro (2008?) was made of inferior materials in Italy. This is my go to all round weather jacket: mostly waterproof,  windproof and with my thicker vintage fleece underneath, makes me feel bulletproof during the colder months. 

 

 

[shredwin_206]

Broke out the LEE Cowboy repro from Warehouse Japan today! 

[Double 0 Soul]

Following on from the conversation on Pg1..

I've just been reading on JeansPavilion that SDA (founded in 1979) created 'original shop jeans' the D01 which were based on a pair of vintage 1930s Levis in 1986.. they would later be renamed the SD-D01.. this was considered 'pioneering' in Japan at this time.

With a bit of further searching.. after the first vintage denim wave of the 60s & 70s supply was beginning to wane.. you could buy regular highstreet jeans in Japan at this time for 6,000¥.. the cost of vintage Levi's was 30,000¥ .. the cost to make and retail the D01 vintage repro was 29,000¥ .. so their first offering worked out at the same cost as actual vintage.. hence, they didn't sell many considering a starting salary for a university graduate was 100,000¥ ..  

I'm not saying that the D01 was categorically the very fist pair of vintage repros.. but 1986 or there abouts seems like the birth for the JP repro.

 

Edited November 4, 2025 by Double 0 Soul

[Double 0 Soul]

Some additional info here coutesy of Vintage Archives..

During the 1960s and 1970s, Japan had it's own domestic jeans manufacturers..

The denim is imported, mailnly from the USA (even Cone Mills in the case of Big John)

They look like regular jeans.. they have 5 pockets, a leather patch, red tab, rivets.. ect, as do most jeans the world over but they're not repros.. nor where they meant to be.. non of these companies took a pair of vintage LEE, Wrangler or Levi's and tried to replicate the details for sale to vintage denim nerds.. the cut doesn't emulate vintage American jeans, they were cut / patterned to fit the domestic Japanese customer.

First up..

Edwin (known at the time as Tokimi Yonehachi Shoten) made this pair in 1963

https://denimarchieves.com/e/japanesebrands_denim_clothes/edwin_359bf_en.html

Canton 1963 /1971

https://denimarchieves.com/e/japanesebrands_denim_clothes/canton14221_en.html

Big John Late-60s

https://denimarchieves.com/e/japanesebrands_denim_clothes/bigjohn_m1002_en.html

Vicerer 1971 .. producing 5x million pairs/yr for the Japanese market

https://denimarchieves.com/e/japanesebrands_denim_clothes/vicerer_02_en.html

Bobson - Early 70s

https://denimarchieves.com/e/japanesebrands_denim_clothes/bobson_s28_en.html

Big Fight mid-70s

https://denimarchieves.com/e/japanesebrands_denim_clothes/bigfight_en.html

Big John Mid-70s

https://denimarchieves.com/e/japanesebrands_denim_clothes/bigjohn_m1002_2_en.html

..up to the mid 80s, your regular joe would be wearing jeans akin to these^ .. your denim aficionardos would be wearing vintage.. which sets the scene for the denim boom. 💣

[LazyS]

^That flasher is for Big Fight is great!

[Double 0 Soul]

8 hours ago, LazyS said:

^That flasher is for Big Fight is great!

"Big Fighit" 

Brilliant isn't it!

[Dr_Heech]

Repro 1930s Lee 101J Cowboy jacket l purchased direct from Japan in 2003. At the time l was wearing the 1944 Lee 10J Cowboy but wanted the earlier one with the buckle and cinch strap. In the very early 2000's l was a regular customer at Aeroleather but despite having a range of Lee Japan stuff, they couldn't get hold of the 1930s type 1 Repro. Even the infamous American Classics in London couldn't get their hands on one. They were like unicorns outside of Japan. 

Whilst scouring Ebay at the time for vintage G-1's, l got speaking to a Japanese seller asking him about certain items (Lee, Levi's repros mostly) and why some of these items weren't easily available to western buyers. After a chat he asked what specifically was l looking for so l told him about the 30s Lee repro and he said he'd get back to me. Nearly a week later he said he had found a BNWT one in a store near him in a size large but it was the last one in the shop. So l blindly sent him 150 quid on the hope that he would do the right thing  but also half suspecting to be scammed at the same time. 2 weeks later the jacket arrived.

I started wearing it in 2008 when l finally purchased the matching 30's Cowboy pants. It got sidelined around 2015 when l purchased one of the first run of Lvc Triple pleated jackets, followed by my Csf tux in late 2016.

Pic overload incoming. Detailed pics show truer colour. Part of buckle replaced with bent coat hanger wire, stitching is two colours of 100% cotton thread and rivets have roughly cut ends, true to the originals. 11oz Sanforized plain selvedge denim.

 

Only a very occasional wearer now but definitely a keeper 👌 

[Dr_Heech]

Oh forgot the labels - 

^Union label 

 

Internal tags..

[Hopethisoneisnttaken]

Got this one for next to nothing on mericari with the thought of cutting off the sleeves and make a vest out of it when it gets here. Anyone knows what era this label is from? 00? 90s? Later? 

Edited January 9 by Hopethisoneisnttaken

[Double 0 Soul]

12 minutes ago, Hopethisoneisnttaken said:

Anyone knows what era this label is from? 00? 90s? Later? 

c1994-97

[beautiful_FrEaK]

Did you post these already @Double 0 Soul ?

https://www.fromjapan.co.jp/japan/en/auction/yahoo/input/m1218476040/

[Double 0 Soul]

11 minutes ago, beautiful_FrEaK said:

Did you post these already @Double 0 Soul ?

https://www.fromjapan.co.jp/japan/en/auction/yahoo/input/m1218476040/

😍

Holy Crap! No.. 

Same pair up on Mercari with a ¥222k BIN price tag 

https://jp.mercari.com/item/m34722271203

[CSL]

Don't overlook these -

https://jp.mercari.com/item/m93109513973

[Maynard Friedman]

I think ‘overlooking’ those would be impossible for anyone with working eyes!

[Dr_Heech]

Vintage Wrangler 27MW shirt Euro repro from c.2004/2005. 

Purchased through Aeroleather, l acquired the 1947 jeans, 1947 jacket and the 1950's shirt. There was also a 1960's repro jacket.

The jeans l kept, washed and wore for 6 months before selling as they became too slim on the thighs. Sadly the jacket was snug raw so l sold it but the shirt l kept.

 

At the time l had  both the Lee sawtooth denim shirt and this one - Aeroleather claimed at the time that if you were gonna have a denim shirt in the wardrobe, then it should be the the Lee sawtooth. I opted for the Wrangler due to it's more fitted design and more subtle, bronze coated snaps, whereas the Lee had off-white, pearl effect topped snaps.

Only one pic per post today, so 5 more posts incoming 😁 apologies...

 

[Dr_Heech]

 

Edited May 2 by Dr_Heech

[Dr_Heech]

All the items came in these beautiful presentational boxes, with several 'typed' pages of history and a mini Rodeo comic. I flattened one of the boxes and kept it - this one has been sitting in the bottom of a suitcase for over 20 years.

Edited May 2 by Dr_Heech

[Dr_Heech]

Front

 

 

Sorry, the rest will have to wait till tomorrow...

Edited May 2 by Dr_Heech
To add image

[Dr_Heech]

Back of presentation box 

[Dr_Heech]

They also brought out this striped version a year later as well as 3 different check colour versions (blue, brown and green) not shown -

[CSL]

Those are really great! I hope someone starts making them again.