Generations of Jeans

DARK, CRISP JEANS OOZING WITH INDIGO MIGHT BE ALL THE RAGE NOW, BUT NOTHING CAN REPLACE THE FEELING OF SLIDING INTO A SOFT, PERFECTLY FADED PAIR IN VARIOUS SHADES OF BLUE, ESPECIALLY AN OLD PAIR OF LEVI'S. ON DECEMBER 1, A SALE DEVOTED TO THE WILD WEST AT CHRISTIE'S, THE UPSCALE MANHATTAN AUCTION HOUSE, IS OFFERING THE OLDEST PAIR OF LEVI STRAUSS JEANS KNOWN TO EXIST IN PRIVATE HANDS. THE BROWN MATERIAL AND SINGLE-STITCH CONSTRUCTION DISTINGUISH THE DUNGAREES, CIRCA 1870S, FROM LATER TYPES. OTHER VINTAGE LEVI'S GOODIES ON THE BLOCK INCLUDE A PAIR OF PANTS FROM THE 1890S, WHICH WERE THE PROTOTYPE OF TODAY'S POPULAR 501 BUTTON-FLY JEANS, AND THE SECOND OLDEST JEAN JACKET (1910-1920S). PERHAPS BILLY THE KID WORE THOSE BROWN PANTS HIMSELF WHILE SADDLING UP TO A BAR STOOL IN SOME DUSTY SALOON, BUT DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT DONNING THEM AT A SOHO HOT SPOT THIS SATURDAY----AT AN ESTIMATED $20,000 TO $30,000 THESE JEANS ARE SURE TO BE PASSED DOWN TO FUTURE GENERATIONS----ALONNA S. FRIEDMAN

1911: DUE TO UNRELIABLE DELIVERIES FROM THE SUPPLIERS, H.D. LEE MERCANTILE CO. IS PROMPTED TO PRODUCE ITS FIRST LINE OF WORKWEAR GARMENTS, INCLUDING THE LEE BIB OVERALL.

LEE BIB OVERALL, MADE IN 8 OZ. DENIM, WITH MULTI-FUNCTION BREAST POCKET AND BUTTON FLY. PRODUCED IN THE LATE '20S, AFTER THE INTRODUCTION OF SLIDE FASTENERS ON THE SUSPENDERS.

501XX, LS & CO. : PRODUCED BETWEEN 1937 AND 1941. THE PRESENCE OF A MARTINGALE, COVERED RIVETS AND BELT LOOPS MAKES IT POSSIBLE TO DATE THE PEICE TO THIS PERIOD.

501XX OVERALLS, LS & CO. THE DOUBLE ARCUATE STITCH, THE MARTINGALE , RIVETS ON THE COIN POCKET AND THE LS & CO. SYMBOL ON THE FLY BUTTONS DATES THESE OVERALLS TO THE WWII PERIOD. LIKE MANY SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY EXTREME PERIODS, WWII WAS DECISIVE IN LAUNCHING THE APPEAL OF JEANSWEAR.

1921: H.D. LEE INTRODUCES ONE OF ITS FIRST GARMENTS DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR ONE TYPE OF WORKER. NAMED THE LOCO JACKET, ITS FEATURES WERE FINALIZED BY TESTING IT WITH RAILROAD WORKERS.

1931: LEE INTRODUCES THE "SLIM" JACKET, THE FIRST SHORTER, MORE TAILORED WESTERN-STYLE JACKET, ALSO KNOWN AS THE 101 OR 101J (JELT). THE "SLIM" JACKET WAS LATER INCLUDED UNDER THE "RIDER" LABEL.

101J, H.D. LEE
THE "SLIM" JACKET HAD INWARD SLANTING BREAST POCKETS AND A WIDE WAIST BAND; THESE FEATURES WERE INTRODUCED WITH COWBOYS IN MIND.

1948: WRANGLER INTRODUCES ITS FIRST JACKET, THE 11MJ. IT WAS PRODUCED WITH A BUTTON FRONT UNTIL 1950, WHEN THE BUTTONS WERE REPLACED BY A ZIP FRONT.

1953: THE LEVI STRAUSS & CO. 507XX JACKET IS PUT INTO PRODUCTION USING 9 OZ. DENIM. IT FEATURED A SECOND BREAST POCKET AND BAR TACKS INSTEAD OF RIVETS ON THE BREAST POCKETS. CALLED THE SECOND EDITION JACKET OR NUMBER TWO, IT WAS ACTUALLY LS & CO.'S THIRD JACKET MODEL, SINCE THE 506 (FIRST EDITION BLOUSE) WAS FOLLOWED IN 1936 BY A MODIFIED VERSION THAT WAS NEVER ALLOCATED A LOT NUMBER.

1955: PROMPTED BY THE GROWTH IN POPULARITY OF THE ZIPPER, LEVI STRAUSS & CO. BEGINS PRODUCTION OF THE 501Z (ZIPPER) XX OVERALLS, THE COMPANY'S FIRST GARMENT TO FEATURE THE ADVANTAGES OF THE ZIP FLY.

1962: LEVI STRAUSS & CO, INTRODUCES 557XX, ALSO KNOWN AS THE TRUCKER JACKET. IT WAS THE FIRST JACKET FEATURE THAT NOW FAMOUS POINTED POCKET FLAPS. IN THE LATE '60S IT WAS LENGTHENED AND SIDE POCKETS WERE ADDED.

MR BIG E . COM