Image via Complex Original
No matter how you categorize your style: #menswear, streetwear, street goth, rocker, skater, or your just as yourself, you've worn a pair of jeans and they were probably from Levi's. Denim has grown from something that was only worn by people in mines or who toiled with hard labor, to the epicenter of the fashion industry, and as everyone's favorite part of their wardrobe.
But how did Levi's rise to the monolothic stature that it now grasps? It has been a long road, but from its start at the San Francisco gold rush to being worn by movie stars that we've all admired, Levi's has established itself as the player in the denim world by offering a great product. Simple as that. It's been 140 years since the introduction of Levi's first 501 jean, so there's more than enough history you need to brush up on. Here are 50 Things You Didn't Know About Levi's. Check out this related Levi's video from Complex TV's original show "Cut & Show".
RELATED: 25 Things You Didn't Know About Ralph Lauren
RELATED: 40 Style Myths Explained
RELATED:Does it Matter if Your Clothes Are Made in America?
Levi Strauss is not from San Francisco, in fact, he was born in Germany.
Levi Strauss was born on February 26, 1829 in Buttenheim, Germany to a Jewish family. Strauss would not immigrate to the USA until 1847 at the age of 18.
[via]
Levi's, the original jean brand, didn't start off as a clothing manufacturer.
Strauss founded his own brand, Levi's Strauss & Co., in 1853 as a dry goods haberdasher as he arrived in San Francisco, the year he became an American citizen.
[via]
The first pants that Levi's produced were made from duck canvas.
There's an urban legend that Strauss first made pants out of sail canvas that he had originally intended to peddle to travelers who would toil in the gold mines of San Francisco. Unfortunately, this tale is just a tale. But he did make duck canvas pants to battle the rocky environment.
[via]
The first pair of Levi's jeans weren't called jeans; they were "waist overalls."
in 1873, the first year that Levi's produced a pair of "jeans," they weren't called jeans at all. Instead, the brand's "waist overalls" featured a single back pocket and a cinch, a cinch on the waist, its soon-to-be signature "arcuate" on the pocket, and most importantly, a rivet on the crotch to keep workers from blow-outs.
[via]
Strauss himself did not invent the blue jeans, tailor Jacob Davis suggested they should rivet denim pants.
In 1872, Jacob Davis, a tailor from Reno, Nevada, contacted Strauss and initiated discussion that they should patent the concept of a riveted pair of denim trousers. Still, it wouldn't be another year until they made their first pair of jeans.
[via]
Levi's is credited with making the first pair of riveted jeans, not inventing denim.
It is well established that Strauss filed the first patent for blue jeans, but he did not invent denim. The word denim comes from "de Nîmes," or French for "from Nimes," a town in France that made a sturdy cotton fabric originally termed "serge."
[via]
The first production of Levi's jeans was milled in New Hampshire, not San Francisco.
San Francisco is forever linked with Levi's, but at first, the brand manufactured its denim in Manchester, NH at the Amoskeag Mills—not in the city by the bay.
[via]
Levi's has no clue what its stitched logo, the arcuate, means.
If you've ever owned a pair Levi's, and even if you haven't (who are you?), you've seen Levi's world-known stitched-on logo, the arcuate. The usually gold, swooping thread has a shrouded past. The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake ripped and ravaged the city; setting the Levi's building on fire. All company records were lost, and the meaning of its most iconic image was burried in flames.
[via]
Levi's other most noted symbol, the Two Horse patch, didn't come about until 1886.
Although the patch bears the date that Levi's first patented its jeans, May 20, 1873, this signature logo didn't show up until 13 years later. The purpose of two horses pulling at one pair of jeans? To show the strength of the pants' rivets.
[via]
The "501" jean was invented in 1873, but wasn't dubbed with the name until 1890.
The 501, the most recognizable model in the jean world, wasn't given its signature name until 1890; a reference to the lot number it was produced in. However, Levi's considers its original straight-legged jean to be the same lineage of product.
[via]
The 5 in front of Levi's products (501, 514, 511, etc.) indicates that the product is of the brand's highest quality.
When Levi's started to name its products as its original patent ran out, it chose the number five to indicated the quality of each garment. It also made a lesser-quality 201 jean, which is indicated by the the "2" in the product's name.
[via]
The oldest existing pair of Levi's jeans is from 1879.
Levi's oldest known pair of jeans to still be kicking around is from six years after the initial production.
[via]
Levi's paid $46,532 for a pair of jeans that are from circa 1880.
A pair of jeans were pulled out of a mine in Nevada and sold to Levi's in a private auction on eBay. The "Nevada" jeans actually aren't a pair of 501s—they're more of a carpenter jean.
[via]
The XX on a pair of Levi's was put to denote the strength of the denim.
If you've owned a pair of Levi's, you've probably seen the mysterious XX that's put on the brand's (and those who recreate Americana) jeans. The marking was created at the brand's New Hampshire mill to mean either "extra strong" or "double extra heavy."
Levi's Type 1, 2, and 3 trucker jackets actually have numbers that correspond with each garment.
Levi's has three original types of trucker jackets: the Type 1, Type, 2, and Type 3. But that's not their official names. The Type 1 is the 506xx, the Type 2 is the 507xx, and the Type 3 is the 557xx.
[via]
Although known for its denim, Levi's also made khakis early as 1905.
Levi's now operates Dockers, too, but the workwear brand decided to diversify its portfolio and offer men pants they could also wear in the office. Still, like most of Levi's products, the khakis also found their way into hard labor. Above is a pair that was pulled out of an abandoned mine.
[via]
Levi's didn't use denim from Cone Mills until 1915.
Greensboro, NC's Cone Mills is the go-to source if you want American-made denim, and the mill's heritage looms large amongst denim bros and lovers of all things vintage. But it wasn't until Levi's had made jeans for 42 years that it called upon the now-purveyor of indigo greatness to produce jeans out of its fabric. This switch resulted from Amoskeag falling upon hard times, and would subsequently collapse as an operating mill. Come 1922, Levi's only received denim from Cone.
[via]
The first Levi's jeans to feature belt loops were introduced in 1922.
Until this point, men were forced to keep their pants up with with suspenders. However, the first jeans with belt loops also featured suspender buttons, giving men a choice of how they wanted their pants to hang.
[via]
Spotted: John Wayne Wears Levi's 501s in "Stagecoach."
Before Steve McQueen, John Wayne might have been considered the King of Cool. "The Duke" wasn't just a Western flick star, he was pretty stylish. In John Ford's 1939 film Stagecoach, Wayne wore a pair of Levi's 501s circa the 1937 model. Notice the actor wearing a belt, not suspenders.
[via]
It wasn't until 1901 that Levi's made jeans with two back pockets.
For the 18th century, men walked around with only a right back pocket on their Levi's. While some Americana bros are happy to rock the single back pocket, we're glad that Levi's decided to make the change.
[via]
The Red Tab wasn't placed on Levi's jeans until 1936.
What's more eye-catching than a brand who puts a minuscule piece of red fabric right on the seat of its jeans with its brand name? Levi's didn't realize this innovation until it had made jeans for 63 years.
[via]
Levi's didn't start selling women's jeans until 1934, before that they had to wear their "boyfriend's" jeans.
Things weren't always equal for women in the denim world. Women first started to market "Lady Levi's" to women in '34, and they were only available for vacations out at the dude ranch. If the fairer sex wanted jeans before that, they had to wear men's jeans. This was the unofficial birth of the "boyfriend" jean.
[via]
The 501's crotch rivet was removed because it would heat up around the campfire.
Levi's were worn by real cowboys, and when it got cold out on the plains at night, they'd warm up around the campfire. Except, when they got too close, their pants' crotch rivet would heat up and cause the ultimate discomfort. Levi's decided to drop the crotch rivet in 1941, from then on, cowboys no longer dealt with the "ring of fire."
[via]
Rivets and backpocket stitching were removed to comply with the WWII effort.
At the onset of the war, manufacturers were forced to cut the usage of unnecessary materials so that they could be put towards fighting the Germans and Japanese. Instead of stitching on the back arcuates, Levi's hand-painted the decorative logo. These models can still be purchased from Levi's Vintage Clothing as the "1944" model.
[via]
The Levi's 501 took its modern day shape in 1947.
The 501 might be the best jean ever, but the jean went through an excessive amount of changes and revisions until it became what we know it as today. The 1947 model was slimmed down to a regular fit, and would become the model that most denim bros would purchase reissues of.
[via]
Cary Grant once wrote this hilariously awesome letter in admiration of the brand's Western shirts.
"I'm not sure if I can swagger out in gold-threaded finery." Have you ever read better words from a more stylish man?
[via]
Clint Eastwood wrote Levi's a letter, too.
While not as awesome as Grant's, Eastwood's letter should be nostalgia to denim bros all around. Not just because of how cool Eastwood is, but because of his significance as a Western actor.
[via]
Marlon Brando helped popularize the rebel image that would become associated with Levi's jeans.
Before the 1950s, jeans and Levi's were always associated with hard-working men--not the ultra-cool symbol of rebel and biker culture. When Brando wore the jeans in 1951's The Wild One, the actor's passionate and defiant character introduced Levi's to a new generation of outlaws.
[via]
Levi's created the "Canadian tuxedo" expressly for Bing Crosby after he was denied hotel service.
In 1951, the singer was on a hunting trip in Vancouver, B.C. and tried to get a hotel room. Crosby showed up in his jeans and hunting gear, and at first, was denied service. When Levi's had heard of this event, they gifted Crosby with a bespoke denim tux that he would wear from then on. The jacket featured a lapel flower made out of Levi's red tags.
[via]
Levi's weren't sold on the East Coast until the 1950s.
It seems like denim is an American thing, no matter which state you go to. But until the 1950s, Levi's jeans were not available on the East Coast and only available for West Coast residents to support their ranch and open-range lifestyle. Easterners who wanted to get their fix for a pair of Levi's normally bought them from a dry goods store at a dude ranch on vacation.
[via]
Levi's first put zippers on its jeans to appease East Coasters who were confused by a button fly.
If you've worn raw denim, your girlfriend you might be confused at first with getting used to a button fly, but you're not alone. In 1954, Levi's first introduced a zipper to its 501 jeans for its newly-found East Coast crowd.
[via]
Levi's stopped putting a leather patch on its jeans because it became too expensive to compete with other brands.
Sometime in the '50s there became heavy competition in the denim world, while Levi's was now selling the jeans (and shipping) them to the East Coast, it removed the leather patch and replaced it with a heavy card stock to cost down the cost per pair.
[via]
In 1967, Jefferson Airplane remixed their hit single "White Rabbit" for a Levi's commercial.
Before Dr. Gonzo was asking Hunter S. Thomspon to drop a radio playing "White Rabbit" in a bathtub in Fear and Loathing and Las Vegas, Jefferson Airplane had already switched up the lyrics to the song for Levi's white jean campaign, "White Levi's."
[via]
All Levi's jeans were shrink-to-fit until 1961 when the brand introduced its first pre-shrunk pair.
Maybe Levi's had a hankering that the '60s would be too tumultuous/awesome of a time for people to waste hours sitting around in a steaming bath tub waiting for their jeans to slim down an inch or two in the waist.
[via]
Blue jeans and Levi's were banned from the Soivet Union due to the fear of spreading capitalism.
And what did capitalistic-minded Americans do when on vacation in Europe? Sell pairs of Levi's that would make their way to the USSR on the black market.
[via]
In 1971, Levi's decided to lowercase the E on its signature red tab.
This was done as Levi's rolled out a new logo, the Batwing, and the brand wanted its patch to reflect its founder's name, Levi. If you have a pair of Levi's jeans with a big E on them, then you have yourself a piece of denim gold.
[via]
Luke Skywalker wore a bleached pair of Levi's in the first "Star Wars" film.
In a galaxy far, far away, people still wore the iconic American brand. It's funny how a simple yet classic piece of clothing can reinterpreted as space age, but George Lucas can work wonders. In fact, these jeans were recently sold at auction for $36,100.
[via]
Bruce Springsteen helped boost Levi's sales when he wore a pair of its jeans on the cover of his "Born in the U.S.A" album.
They don't call him "The Boss" for nothing. One of the biggest post-War pieces of Levi's Americana is Springsteen's butt clad in a pair of faded Levi's on the cover of his 1984 album. Interestingly enough, Springsteen doesn't let his music be lent out for commercial use or to advertise other people's products.
[via]
In 1984, Levi's went away from offering the 501 as a selvedge jean in favor of lighter washes.
The '80s brought about change, and Cone Mills started looming wider sheets of denim, which took away the selvage property. In turn, Levi's would launch its "501 Blue" campaign which would be wildly successful.
[via]
Bruce Willis and Jason Alexander danced in this ridiculous commercial for Levi's in 1984.
Levi's hasn't always been worn by stoic cool guys, cowboys, or rockers. In '84, the brand enlisted Willis and Alexander to dance around the street in its 501 "Blues" commercial. Levi's quality never goes out of style, but thankfully this type of advertising has.
[via]
Levi's Japan was the first to reissue archival designs, not Levi's Vintage Clothing.
In 1987, Levi's Japan started to crank out models that would become the inspiration for LVC, and especially whet Japan's appetite for everything Americana.
[via]
Before Levi's released Levi's Vintage Clothing in America, it had a "Capital E" line that played off the brand's heritage.
However, the brand didn't specify in archival models like LVC does, it was more so a generic reproduction.
[via]
Levi's lost a billion dollars in profits in the late '90s because it failed to cater to the hip-hop audience.
Baggy jeans were big business, but Levi's chose to focus on its traditional Americana looks that it had been producing for over a 120 years at the time. People wanted extra big jeans, but they weren't exactly getting them from Levi's. In retrospect, maybe this was a good idea that Levi's didn't budge. But in '96 the brands profits were $7.1 billion, by '97, the number had shrunk to $6 billion.
[via]
In 2001, Levi's was forced to recall jeans with a polyurethane finish because it gave wearers a rash.
Levi's sold jeans in Europe that had a glossy finish, but apparently, these jeans weren't good for your skin and could cause irritation. The brand was forced to recall around 100,000 products from the market. Lesson of this debacle? Keep jeans simple and these situations can avoided.
[via]
Levi's produced a commercial for UK audiences that was banned from television.
The commercial featured a woman dressing/undressing in front of a "blind" man, only to find out he was holding a white cane for his friend. Awkward.
Levi's shuttered its last remaining American plants in 2004.
Although Levi's is an indefinite piece of American history, the brand closed its last two operating domestic factories midway through the 2000s, as the brand dealt with a competitive market, slowing sales, and rising production costs. You can still score American-made products through the Levi's Vintage Clothing line, but the items are sourced through Cone Mills.
[via]
From 2001-2007, Levi's sued more than 100 of its competitors for copying its arcuate design.
It pays to have something trademarked. While imitation is the highest form of flattery, it sucks if a brand is going to just copy your legacy and re-appropriate it as its own—with no signs of paying homage. Levi's wasn't looking to strike rich off suing other brands, instead it just wanted to keep its legacy as its own. And we agree. Plus, where's Von Dutch and Jelessy now?
[via]
In 2008, Jordan and Levi's collaborated on a pair of Air Jordan 1s that came with matching 501 jeans.
This release was super limited, and even if you are able to get your hands on the right sneaker size, it's tough to find a pair with your coinciding pants size.
[via]
Levi's made a line of jeans called "Imprint" that were designed to fade faster.
With these jeans, you didn't have to wait six months until your first wash. The intent was for the die to remove quickly from the jeans with each wear.
[via]
Levi's didn't just collaborate with Nike SB, it now has a complete skateboarding clothing collection.
The Levi's x Nike SB collaboration in 2012 was great, but now Levi's also makes clothes for skaters, too, via its "Streetwear" collection.