Levis Vintage XX
150 years in the making and the Levis Label is still known as one of the best in the denim market. Many as G-star or Replay, Diesel have been strong brands but none of them has the history and heritage that can be matched to Levi Stauss. Returning back to 1853 when Levis Strauss set about to complete his dream and moved to a newly established California. He opened a store in the times that we famously know as the "Wild West". Levi sold scraps of denim mainly used for patching up torn up old jeans. It was from this his set about to make a jeans that would be built for the purpose it was most commonly used for, Workwear.
Levi Strauss formulated a harder woven denim that would be far more resistant to ripping and durable at the weaker points by installing the famous Patented metal Rivet. A Double stitch to joints where needed. It was a simplistic creation that transformed and upgraded the production of denim as we know it today.
Levis XX was born, and the XX being an abreviation for Extra Strong, which was a functional must for those buying their workwear clothing. Levis XX was rebranded to 501 and since then we have seen many variations.
Levis XX - Re-Launch Project:
A pair of denim was being sold on e-bay which were originally manufactured in the 1880s. Levis Strauss & co bought the pair for a record amount of $46,500
The re-launch of XX is a tribute to those days, the vintage project re-visits the years and decades. Each denim is created to the exact one-to-one replica maintaining all originality. These are collectors items. Each year reflects the fit and style and type of selvedge denim. To compliment the collection fine quality shirts and t-shirts are within the collection, only the best methods and hand finsihed detail have been implimented. This label is truely for those purist fashion types looking for distinct originality out of their clothing.
Above: Lynn Downey, Levi Strauss & Co. Historian, holds the oldest known pair of jeans during a ceremony marking the company 150th Anniversary in New York on Thursday May 1, 2003. The “Nevada Jeans”, made by Levi Strauss in the 1880s, were found intact in a Nevada mining town and purchased by the San Francisco based apparel manufacturer for $46,532.
Photo by Jim Sulley/Medialink WirePix
Selvedge Denim Levis XX:
levis vintage selvage denim
Selvedge describes how the denim fabric itself was made. On regular 501jeans if you look inside the pant leg, the outseam will have stitching in place to keep the edge of the fabric from fraying. Jeans that use selvedge fabric instead have a solid white edge which is the actual edge of the fabric on the loom where it was woven. The above picture of selvedge edging to give you an idea.
(For an in depth idea of what Selvedge or sometime referred to as salvage denim click the link: Click Here )
Common Questions Answered:
* What is the difference between Unwashed Raw, Rigid, Dry, and Washed denim?
o Raw denim is what you buy when you buy your new 501xx Shrink to Fits. This cotton denim has been completely untreated and unwashed which is why it will shrink so much during the first soak. It has a lighter hue than after the soak.
o Rigid and Dry denim are the same. They are similar to the soaked Shrink to Fits. Basically they are still quite stiff and will continue to shrink and change over time with washing but are much closer to the size stated on the label. They may be stiff but in no time they will feel quite comfortable. Many jeans companies sell rigid jeans including Wrangler bluebell, Nudie, Lee.
o Washed and Pre-washed 501jeans have essentially been machine washed before you bought them. They feel like most jeans you have bought and worn in the past.
* How can I get a certain color or fade in my Levis Vinatge XX?
All XX jeans may start out the same, but its entirely up to you on how they turn out. Basically, you can buy selvedge jeans new in Indigo. The more dye in the pant the darker it is. Contrast is when you purposely try to keep dark colors in some areas of the pant (inseam for example) and wear away color in other areas (thighs, whiskers, wallet outlines, etc). Basic rules of thumb are:
1. The first wash is the most important wash (after initial soaking)
2. Washing the jeans will remove dye
3. Soap removes more dye than just water
4. The hotter the water is, the more dye it will remove
5. Turning your pants inside out when washing will keep more dye on the right-side out
6. Dry cleaning will remove dye but not as dramatically as soap and water
People will go for 6 to 12 months wearing their jeans daily without washing. The longer you go between washings the greater the contrast you will have between the faded and non-faded areas of your jeans. The longer you can go the more character they will have. If the smell is too great for you, soaking them in cold water (with a bit of salt and vinegar, always inside out!) or dry cleaning may be an option if you want to keep the dry denim look (will remove dirt without removing much dye). If you go that long hot water way this will give the most contrast but will shrink more and will make them lighter than if you use warm water.
Can you quickly describe the best way to shrink your 501 Shrink to Fit jeans?
As a review, the generally accepted best way to shrink your 501xx is to:
1. Buy a new pair at your regular waist size and about one size bigger length and waist, than you usually buy pants.
2. Wear the stiff jeans until they become a bit softer.
3. Draw a normal temperature bath and wear the jeans in the tub for about 30 minutes.
4. Get out of the tub and continue to wear your jeans until they are dry.
5. Wear your newly shrunk jeans for a while before washing them for the first time.
Of course there are many methods to shrink your new pair of selvedge denim, but this worked for us, and the jeans look great too.
Or you could check out this video we found on You Tube of how it was done back in the days.
