Last year, Levi's celebrated the 150th anniversary of when its founder, the inventor of the quintessential American garment, received a patent for the process of riveting pants. Levi Strauss was born in Buttenheim, Bavaria on February 26, 1829. In 1846, Levi and his sisters emigrated to New York, where they were met by his two older brothers who owned a NYC-based wholesale dry goods business called “J.Strauss Brother & Co.” Levi soon began to learn the trade himself. Levi journeyed to San Francisco in 1853 and he established a wholesale dry goods business under his own name: the “Levi Strauss & Co.”
At the end of the 19th century, Levi was still involved in the day-to-day workings of the company. In 1890, the year that the XX waist overall was given the lot number “501®” Modern jeans began to appear in the 1920s, but sales were largely confined to the working people of the western United States, such as cowboys, lumberjacks, and railroad workers. A great impulse arrived in the Second World War, when blue jeans were declared an essential commodity and only people engaged in defense work were sold.
Between the 1950s and 1980s, Levi's jeans became popular among a wide range of youth subcultures, including greasers, mods, rockers, and hippies. Levi's popular shrink-to-fit 501s were sold in a unique sizing arrangement: the indicated size referred to the size of the jeans prior to shrinking, and the shrinkage was substantial. Levi's have been worn by people of all backgrounds – from miners to actors to Nobel Prize recipients. movie stars like John Wayne, James Dean and Marlon Brando wore Levi's in their films. Albert Einstein's leather jacket was made by Levi Strauss & Co.
The 501 it holds a powerful legacy, especially on the secondhand market, where it remains a favorite among shoppers Today, 501 jeans are collected, repaired and cherished as a favorite piece of clothing in everyone's wardrobe, Jeans are items that last because they meet both the physical and emotional durability that are key when picking a great fashion piece.
The origins of the Trucker can be traced back to around 1905, when Levi Strauss created the Levi Blouse (otherwise known by its production code 506), a top half piece intended to accompany his famed blue jeans, and cut from the same unsanforized 9 oz. ‘double heavy extra strong quality’, or XX, denim. The ‘Blouse’ moniker would remain in place until 1938, when the switch to ‘jacket’ was made in the Dude Ranch Duds western wear catalog, although it had been first referred to as Number One (hence Type I) over 20 years prior, in 1917.
Much like the 501 jeans, the evolution of the denim jacket's three archetypal patterns was subtle but nonetheless groundbreaking, with each style bonding with popular culture in it’s own individual way. For over a century, this trio of designs have provided a blueprint for denim design that is replicated by fashion houses all over the world.
Levi's vintage culture is more than just a trend; it's a way of life. It represents a connection to the past, a celebration of craftsmanship, and a commitment to sustainability. Each pair of Levi's vintage jeans tells a story, with its unique fades, distressing, and wear patterns. It's like wearing a piece of history, carrying the legacy of generations who came before.