How To Determine Production Date of Vintage Levi’s 501 Jeans
- 1) Selvedge or no selvedge. The first thing you should look for when inspecting vintage 501 jeans is whether it’s a selvedge denim.
- 2) Inspect the red tab.
- 3) Care tag.
- 4) Single stitch back pockets.
- 5) Rivets.
- 6) Patch.
- 7) Buttons.
- 8) Cinch or no cinch.
In this post
How do you tell the year of a Levis 501?
An easy place to start your quest is to inspect the outseam of your jeans. If they’re made from selvedge denim, noticeable by a visible selvedge finish on the outseam, then your 501’s would have been produced in 1985 or earlier.
How do you tell what year a pair of Levis is from?
Check the Red Tab: Take a look at the right back pocket. Do you see our famous red tab? Is the word LEVI’S® in all capital letters, or does it have a small letter “e” instead? The Tab with LEVI’S (also known as “Big E”) means the jeans are from before 1971.
The first number tells you how the pants are designed around your seat, that is your hips and butt. The second number tells you how high the pants are supposed to sit on your waist. The bigger the number the higher the pants rise on your waist. The third number tells you how wide or narrow the pant leg is.
How do I know if my Levi’s are worth money?
HOW MUCH IS YOUR PAIR OF LEVI’S WORTH? A VALUATION CHECKLIST:
- Dark denim is worth more than a faded denim.
- A big ‘E’ on the Levis’ tab is more valuable than a little ‘e’
- Selvage edges on a jean’s inside cuff is also a high-value indicator.
- A leather patch is worth more than a paper patch on the back of the jeans.
What do the numbers mean on Levis?
For men, each number in the Levi’s collection signifies the overall sit, including the rise of the waist, the cut of the leg opening, and the fit of the seat. For women, each style number indicates the fit through the waist, hips and thighs, with many leg shapes and cuts to choose from.
Are old Levis worth anything?
Customers can expect to receive between $15 and $35 for their used denim. Even if your denim is too worn to be resold, Levi’s will still buy it for $5.
But it is not wrong to think so The truth is that the Levi’s numeric keypad is the identification code for Levi’s jeans factory. The “care instruction label” inside the jeans has a number indicating that it must match the number on the back of the button.
When did they stop making Levis in the USA?
2003
By the end of 2003, the closure of Levi’s last US factory in San Antonio ended 150 years of jeans made in the United States. Production of a few higher-end, more expensive styles of jeans resumed in the US several years later.
Why do my Levis have a black label?
The model/style, waist, and leg measurements of authentic Levi’s are always printed in black text. This is because they make the stock label first and then print these details onto each individual pair of jeans. Off center labels or spelling mistakes also indicate that the pair is fake.
The red tab is a branding label that’s trademarked by Levi’s. Its most recognised placement of the label on the right back pocket of Levi’s jeans. The red tab was introduced on Levi’s jeans in 1936 as means of identifying authentic garments.
Are Levis 501s still cool?
As the overall style of the Levi’s jeans 501 model hasn’t changed much over the years, it can be seen as more of a dealbreaker. These jeans are meant to be timeless, not fleeting. With that in mind, the Levi’s 501 model will work wonderfully with someone who has a more classic style and fit.
What Levis are worth a lot of money?
501s® – “The 501 is naturally the most collectible Levi’s® garment,” said Levi Strauss & Co. Historian Tracey Panek.
Why are old Levi’s so expensive?
The jeans are so valuable because they are one of the oldest pairs of Levi’s in the world. 2. The owners of What Comes Around Goes Around sold the jeans for $5,000 more than they paid for them.
How do you read Levi’s style number?
The style numbers are 3 digits and usually start with 5.
- The opening 5 in the style number indicates that the jeans are Levi’s highest quality.
- The two horses are meant to symbolize the strength of the jeans’ rivets.
What does 501 mean in Levis?
copper-riveted waist overalls
501® is used to designate the famous copper-riveted waist overalls. We don’t know why this number was chosen. We also made a 201 jean, which was a less expensive version of the pants, as well as other products using other three-digit numbers.
What’s the difference between Levi 501 and 505?
The main difference between Levi’s 501 and 505 jeans is that the 505 features a wider thigh and a looser fit. Both the 501 and 505 jeans have straight-cut legs below the knee with a narrow leg opening. The 501 usually has a button fly, while the 505 always has a zipper closure.
What’s the difference between Levi’s 501 and 502?
Levi’s 502s are nearly identical to Levi’s 501s. The only difference is that the 502 jeans have a slightly more tapered leg and a bit more room in the thighs. They have a refined look that doesn’t sacrifice comfort. The tapered leg gives 502s a refined look that’s easy to dress or down.
What weight denim are Levi’s 501?
12.5-ounce
The 12.5-ounce denim is appropriate for a range of seasons and the jean comes in a variety of washes to suit your personal taste.
Do Levis still make 501 jeans?
Levi’s is No Longer Producing Any 501 Jeans in America.
Has Levi 501 changed?
But more importantly, and perhaps surprisingly, the cut and details of the Levi’s 501 regularly get modified to stay relevant with the fashion preferences of the day. Denim gets thicker or finer, legs get moderately slimmed or loosened, available washes come and go.