Levi's, like Ralph Lauren (with RRL and Purple Label), is divided into sub-labels. There's the general release stuff — Levi's — and then there's Levi's Made and Crafted, a premium line, Levi's Vintage Clothing, designs inspired by the brand's archive, and Levi's SecondHand, where the brand sells its own vintage items.
My favorite of the sub-labels is Levi's Vintage Clothing, because it's typically — despite Made and Crafted's (and Levi's Premium to an extent) reputation for rarer, nicer releases — where the best stuff goes. Levi's is an old brand, with history stretching as far back as 1853, and Levi's Vintage Clothing does a good job of preserving it by reviving and remaking the brand's pillar styles. By keeping them, in some way or another, in the rotation, it's easier to identify the differences between a 501, the brand's most popular fit, from today and a 501 from 1955, or a 501 made in the US versus a 501 made elsewhere.
Having these points of difference helps shoppers — both those novice or collecting — better understand what makes one pair, well, better than another. It's how, besides the pricetag, someone knows the Levi's Made and Crafted 1980's 501 is a nicer jean the run-of-the-mill original 5o1.
But there's never been a nicer 501 than Levi's latest, I'd argue. Limited to just 501 pairs, the Levi's Vintage Clothing 1947 Japan 501 is modeled after a vintage jean from 1947, and made using 12 ounces of Japanese selvedge denim. The 1947 501 features a higher waist, slim-straight fit, button fly, and a Japanese "Big E" pull tag and leather patch.
Priced at a serious $705 dollars a pair, Levi's says this release is inspired by the success of a Japan-exclusive Levi's 501 1966 released a few years ago. Collectors demanded there be more pairs. So Levi's made more pairs, starting with the 1955 Japan 501, which released last year. The brand plans to slowly work its way back to 1890, when the first-ever 501 came out, with each annual release. But nowadays it's not just about celebrating Levi's past. All of Levi's Vintage Clothing's shrink-to-fit denim is now made in Japan, a milestone many years in the making, and this new release intends to celebrate that.
Levi's Vintage Clothing 1947 Japan 501
- Price: 81,400 JPY (~$705)
- Limited to 501 pairs
- Available in Levi's Japan stores or via Levi's online
