A new jean revisits a short but significant chapter of Levi’s 501 history.
On Thursday, Levi’s Vintage launched the LVC 1942 501, a reproduction of the 1942 501 jeans that were made with 12-ounce shrink-to-fit selvedge denim. The heavier fabric reflects the period, when, according to Levi’s, heavier-weight denim was beginning to replace the lighter fabrics used in earlier decades.
During this time, Levi’s said the U.S. was “on the threshold of full wartime mobilization” and noted how the jean “existed in two worlds at once: carrying the fabrication of the future while still wearing the soul of the past.”
The limited edition LVC 1942 501 is reproduced stitch for stitch from the original. The mid-rise straight leg jean is made 12 oz. shrink-to-fit cotton selvedge denim. The yoke seam runs inverted, sitting over the leg panel rather than beneath it. The garment also includes hidden rivets, a single-needle arcuate, a single-sided Big E Red Tab, and the Two Horse leather patch.
Besides the fabric weight, another notable feature is the era-defining cinch back, complete with a buckle and a distinctive construction detail in which the left and right sides are sewn in opposing directions. Within a couple of years, Levi’s said wartime restrictions would remove the cinch back for the original design, and “this particular combination of old-world details and new-world cloth would cease to exist.”
The men’s jean is available now on Levi.com and select Levi’s stores worldwide. It retails for $295.
“What’s so compelling about the 1942 jean is that it’s this strange moment where the old world and the new world collide,” said Paul O’Neill, design director, Levi’s Vintage Clothing. “You’ve got the heavier fabric that would go on to define the 501 jeans for decades, but you still have all of these incredible details from the late thirties. The brief overlap is exactly what makes it worth preserving and reproducing.”
