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Vintage Y2K Levi’s 501 Jeans 30x34 Made USA Button Fly Cool Fade Distressed- EUC

Vintage Y2K Levi’s 501 Jeans 30x34 Made USA Button Fly Cool Fade Distressed- EUC

👖 Denim · 1970s–90s

The edit · Denim

A pre-owned Levi's 501 pair of jeans, from the Y2K years. Vintage denim fits differently because it was cut differently, with higher waists, straighter legs and cotton that holds its shape. The fade is real, earned by somebody else's decade of wearing.

The jean that named a category.

Founded in San Francisco in 1853 by Levi Strauss, who patented riveted denim work trousers with Jacob Davis in 1873. The 501 is the original blue jean.

Vintage Levi's are collected by the fade, the era and the factory. Big E red tabs, selvedge and pre-1971 details are the grail markers, and Japanese collectors led the way.

Why it's called that

Levi's 501

The Levi's 501 has carried its lot number since 1890. The numbers were assigned to the styles as the factory logged them, and 501 simply stuck.

What to look for

The red tab, big E versus small e, dates it, as does the selvedge edge and the care label. Fades made by a real body, not a factory, are worth the most.

Selvedge edges, chain-stitched hems and real fades made by a body, not a factory. Raw denim shrinks, so know your measurements.

How to wear it

Let them sit at the natural waist and hem them to a raw edge. Pair heavy denim with something soft, a fine knit or a silk shirt.

Asking price

$89.94

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