We didn’t used to wear jeans like we do now. Originally, denim was reserved for workers — on railways, in mines or at factories. Now, though, jeans are everywhere, even if they’ve evolved ever so slightly over time. Levi’s, the foremost American jean maker, catalogs these changes through its ever-growing Levi’s Vintage Clothing line, where premium products that pay tribute to prior designs.
For Levi’s iconic 501 jean, many iterations abound, especially now that the jean is celebrating its 150th anniversary — its history stretches from 1873 to, well, now. In late in 2022, a pair meant to resemble jeans from 1963 appeared in their online shop; earlier in 2023, the brand dropped a limited-edition reproduction of the pair that helped it venture east, the Levi’s 501 ’54.
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Levis Vintage Clothing 1937 501 ‘Japan’
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Now, as part of a longer string of releases meant to celebrate this important anniversary, Levi’s introduces the 501 1937 Japan, which recalls the iteration of the 501 that debuted during the Great Depression. They were the first jeans, not overalls, to feature the brand’s iconic Red Tab tag on the rear right pocket, and they also saw the removal of the suspender buttons, as suspenders were falling out of fashion in favor of belts. The rivets were also placed inside the pocket, a changed triggered by feedback from jean wearers all over. The rivets, they complained, scratched their leather saddles and couches.
While these changes were minor at the time, they set the stage for future Levi’s jeans, which are now recognizable all over the world. The Red Tab became an easy identifier, and the hidden rivets helped ready the jeans for civilian wear. This pair is particular, though, in that it’s made in Japan with Japanese annotations. “Levi’s” on the Red Tab is written in Japanese syllabary Katakana; the tag is translated to Japanese; and the jeans were made there, too, using 100 percent cotton, non-stretch 12oz selvedge denim.
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