Levi's
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Hi:
could the experts here tell me which, according to them, are the best reproductions for the Levi's 501 models in the various decades or years:
40's
50's
66
78
84By best I don't necessarily mean the closest, but the best quality, the nicest colors, the wickedest fabric… If you have time to substantiate your replies and say how the repros compare to the originals, that would be so cool.
Thank you
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To be honest your best bet is to try the Levis Vintage thread on SUFU, there are some seriously knowledgeable guys over there! However in my humble opinion, I'd steer clear of the latest LVC's. They used to be pretty good, but lately they've gone down hill, they are increasingly now being made in Turkey not the USA, the denim's not as true to original as past (thou it is still made in the US & Japan) and the price, whats going on there, near enough the same price as IH 634's! I was talking to a LVC retailer today who tells me he now can't buy them in for what they used to retail at a few years back! If you want decent Levis, try one of the Japanese repro brands.
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I know that Sugarcane re-pros are guaranteed closer to the original patterns and fabrics for the 1947, 1955 and 1966 than that of the LVC cuts. The Sugarcanes are 95% accurate while the LVC's have been changed in either fabric or cut *been slimmed a little bit to be more attractive to the younger generation of consumers.
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To be honest your best bet is to try the Levis Vintage thread on SUFU, there are some seriously knowledgeable guys over there! However in my humble opinion, I'd steer clear of the latest LVC's. They used to be pretty good, but lately they've gone down hill, they are increasingly now being made in Turkey not the USA, the denim's not as true to original as past (thou it is still made in the US & Japan) and the price, whats going on there, near enough the same price as IH 634's! I was talking to a LVC retailer today who tells me he now can't buy them in for what they used to retail at a few years back! If you want decent Levis, try one of the Japanese repro brands.
I would not touch the current LVC's with a 10 foot pole. You wanna see something really pathetic, click here
http://blog.levi.jp/limited-product/
As for Sufu, I dont like it, too much stuff to go through, too many subforums, sub conversations, etc… DOnt have time for that.
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Check this
http://www.acontinuouslean.com/2010/11/23/levis-vintage-clothing-tokyo/
Would Levi's be getting it after years, decades even, of treating its customers like shit? I still have fond memories of the 501's I bought when I was 16 in Chicago in 79, and how badass they faded, how everyone back in Paris was awing and oo-ing about my jeans. The color and texture were incredible, and I would kill to recapture this feeling once in a while.
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Hi G
The tokyo store is the flagship for the LVC XX brand meaning extra special where everyone of their items is a remake from a stage in their history or when they updated a model ie 1933, 1936, 44, 47, 54. They've remade jeans jackets and shirts from those years all recreated exactly using the original heavier cone mills denim (still only a puny 12oz) but the same stuff the original levis were made out of. Japan has indeed been the flag bearer of vintage denim for Levis and one of the best places to buy original pieces for years. The reason being is after they were pwnd in WW2 the US government dumped hundreds of tons of second hand clothing for the people to have something to slap on their back/sides. The Japanese young 'un's dug the clothes they got so badly (and quite rightly) they never really got over it, and here we all are with those people now doing it better than their suppliers. Funny old world. -
Hi G
The tokyo store is the flagship for the LVC XX brand meaning extra special where everyone of their items is a remake from a stage in their history or when they updated a model ie 1933, 1936, 44, 47, 54. They've remade jeans jackets and shirts from those years all recreated exactly using the original heavier cone mills denim (still only a puny 12oz) but the same stuff the original levis were made out of. Japan has indeed been the flag bearer of vintage denim for Levis and one of the best places to buy original pieces for years. The reason being is after they were pwnd in WW2 the US government dumped hundreds of tons of second hand clothing for the people to have something to slap on their back/sides. The Japanese young 'un's dug the clothes they got so badly (and quite rightly) they never really got over it, and here we all are with those people now doing it better than their suppliers. Funny old world.I know, you're absolutely right, but I keep (probably in vain) hoping that Levis would start making good stuff again no matter where you go buy their shit. Here in Paris, it is mostly Turkish stuff that just dont cut it. I mean come on, is it so economically unfeasible to cater to a certain niche and sell at a premium to cover the cost of quality??? When Levis did a collab with Jean Paul Gaultier, it sold like hot cakes…
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I know what you mean, its absolutely impossible to buy their new range without looking like a douchebag of the highest order. I guess you will have to look forwards or buy their 1977 XX's and BTW the Turkish cotton mills are pretty good, but only when producing the XX's. Otherwise its weak design and poor denim - ie gap on a bad day.
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I know what you mean, its absolutely impossible to buy their new range without looking like a douchebag of the highest order. I guess you will have to look forwards or buy their 1977 XX's and BTW the Turkish cotton mills are pretty good, but only when producing the XX's. Otherwise its weak design and poor denim - ie gap on a bad day.
I know I had to get a pair of jeans 3-4 years ago in San Francisco for someone who wanted a pair of levis from the states. Inside their store , I thought, Man, this is atrocious. I felt betrayed, or raped, or both, I dont know in what order. And those salespersons, I would have loved to just split one apart with an axe or a samurai sword. Fagottish (dont get me wrong here!!!! nothing against the gay community), obnoxious, pedantic and with absolutely no knowledge of the legacy, or even the product they had in the shelves. You woulda thought you were in a satire movie.
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I got my pair of LVC '47 501xx from an excellent lad - mate from another forum I post at… At that time he worked at an Levi's store... He does know what's what, but despite having sworn to me he'd wear Levi's for the rest of his life, just recently has he started inquiring about Iron Heart jeans... I reckon he'll buy a pair before spring 2k11... I'm no help, of course... God I'm sure I'm just as bad as a salesperson sometimes
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Maybe I'm overthinking it or I'm an asshole, but I can't stand their faux US pride stuff going on. It's disingenuous at best and a marketing ploy at the least. But maybe they are doing some things right, but I can't see thru my anger towards their marketing. Again, I may be over analyzing but they bum me out.
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I was a massive Levis fan for years, would not wear anything else.
But as far as I am concerned, in 1984ish they got the pump action shutgun out and peppered their corporate foot.
I actually started buying Gap selvedge because it was far better than the jeans that bore the 501 moniker.
The LVC gig is too little, too late and as Stokely says, disingenuous.
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I was a massive Levis fan for years, would not wear anything else.
But as far as I am concerned, in 1984ish they got the pump action shutgun out and peppered their corporate foot.
I actually started buying Gap selvedge because it was far better than the jeans that bore the 501 moniker.
The LVC gig is too little, too late and as Stokely says, disingenuous.
i couldnt agree more! TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE!
ive said it before and ill say it again…
I love vintage Levis clothing, but i hate Levis Vintage Clothing.
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the first run of those 1947's were pretty decent and at the time were my favorite jeans. i had a crotch blow out, took them back to the store and they gave me another pair of them for free. that was pretty cool. i ended up storing them forever and forgot that i had them and when i came across them not too long ago i decided to wear them again. after owning IH jeans and tons of others….these just dont cut the mustard anymore.
they arent bad jeans, but they certainly aren't great jeans especially considering what else is available these days for close to the same price or for just a little more.
the newer lvc stuff that i've checked out was kind of underwhelming and the quality wasnt anywhere as good as those first couple pairs i owned in the early 2k's.
