Faithfully capturing the spirit and heritage of American work wear, Levi’s^® Vintage Clothing reproduces the fits, fabrics and details of bygone eras.

LEVI’S^® ARCHIVES

Safely preserved in a vault deep inside our San Francisco headquarters lies an archive of over 20,000 rare and unique examples of Levi’s^® clothing and artifacts dating back to as early as 1873. Through our seasonal collections, iconic reissues and special editions, we relive our treasured history and offer timeless products to discerning connoisseurs that are as obsessed with it as we are.

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GUARANTEE TICKETS

Featuring Levi’s^® now iconic two horse pull graphic, a symbol of strength and durability, the salesman’s flier illustrates Levi Strauss & Co.’s quality guarantee on every product.

1890 Levi’s 501^® Jean

This item was a loose, anti-fit overall made from 9 oz plain selvedge denim. Features back pocket with exposed rivets, suspender buttons and a crotch rivet.

THE GOLDEN HANDSHAKE

The Golden Handshake of 1915 was a symbol of the relationship between Levi Strauss & Co. approached Cone^® Denim – a relationship that still continues to this day.

THE PAINTED ARCUATE

1944 came with a rationing rule that was hard to bear. The arcuate stitching from Levi’s^® jeans’ back pockets was ordered to be removed, since it was considered decorative and didn’t have any function. Rather than lose this iconic design, LS&Co. painted the arcuates on every pair of jeans. The paint eventually wore off, but having that design visible when buying was the important thing.

TAG, CIRCA 1947

The 501^® jean was made slimmer to adapt to changing demands.

AN ICON ON SCREEN

The 1955 501^® jean: anti-fit in the seat, a slightly fuller cut around the leg and a boxier silhouette. Representative of classic 1950s biker style, they’re a similar shape to those worn by Marlon Brando in “The Wild One”.

BAR TACKS VS RIVET

By 1966, it was possible to bar tack the 501^® Jean’s back pockets, replacing the back pocket rivets. This maintained the jean’s durability, while solving the issue of the exposed rivets scratching furniture. This particular style of 501^® Jean—with bar tacks and a big “E” red Tab—only existed from 1966 to 1971.