1950s Levi’s Vintage 501 – front. Check the leg twist you’d get with old, un-sanforized denim.
Back view of a vintage Levi’s 501 jean.
Why do I love vintage Levi 501 jeans you ask? Let me count the ways-
- The capital “E’ on the red tab, introduced in 1936 and produced up until 1971.
- The brown leather patch- changed to “leather-like” cardstock in the mid-late 1950s.
- The red selvedge 10 oz denim woven by Cone Mills, North Carolina on 29″ wide looms. I wish it were a little denser- but I’m not complainin’.
- The incredible leg-twist that you get on a pair of vintage non-sanforized 501 jeans.
- The great tracks produced by the selvedge outseams from wear and bruising of the denim.
- The Arcuate stitching or “double arcs” on the back pockets- one of the oldest apparel trademarks still in use today. During WWII it was actually painted on to due to government rationing.
- The very narrow hem at the bottom leg opening, and all the great bunching and bruising from shrinkage and wear.
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The Selvedge Yard 
So, is it just me- or does the guy with the stubby arms and half-shirt creep you out too?
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I buy a few pairs of worn out Levi’s every couple of years at Goodwill. I turn them into cut-offs and wear them with a variety of black sports bra/tanks almost every day of the entire summer. It’s my uniform! The best pair I ever got were from my brother, James. He’s really hard on his jeans so they were really, really, really soft and just baggy enough not to cut me in half when I sat down.