LVC 501s

[Cobblers161]

Cobblers, they usually get about 5 months no washy when they're still raw. I wish the 333s would have been raw. The only two the weren't raw when new are the 333s and the 209 covealls.

I've a pair of 44's raw, I usually do an initial shrink then wear and wash as little as possible but the fading is nothing like yours. Gonna try and wear them raw for a while (Currently clown size!) not sure can make 5 months though! Got some 33's on their way, the jurys out on whether they can be worn raw, they're huge.

All I can say is you've a lot a patience, but clearly that patience pays dividends.

You tried Samurais? I gave a few pairs a go and while the denims great and the cut is excellent, well, they're just not Levis and they don't have that authenticity.

 

[airfrogusmc]

Cobblers, they usually get about 5 months no washy when they're still raw. I wish the 333s would have been raw. The only two the weren't raw when new are the 333s and the 209 covealls.

I've a pair of 44's raw, I usually do an initial shrink then wear and wash as little as possible but the fading is nothing like yours. Gonna try and wear them raw for a while (Currently clown size!) not sure can make 5 months though! Got some 33's on their way, the jurys out on whether they can be worn raw, they're huge.

All I can say is you've a lot a patience, but clearly that patience pays dividends.

You tried Samurais? I gave a few pairs a go and while the denims great and the cut is excellent, well, they're just not Levis and they don't have that authenticity.

I've seen'm but they are to heavy and slubby (for the most part) for my tastes. Noth'n wrong with it I just prefer LVC. I just wish LVC Japan made larger sizes.

 

[Cobblers161]

Hey Airfrogusmc, Ihave a question for you, any idea why the Japanese 1933 LVC's omit the white tag found normally below the leather patch?

I've just worn in the 33's raw for a week or so and given the initial soak, I have to say they're a lot slimmer than I anticipated, which is no bad thing. Do you find the 37's are a tad more roomy as I'm tempted.

Sadly my 1947's are feeling like latex after wearing these.

Man I gotta start selling stuff!

 

[airfrogusmc]

I have no idea why the Japanese don't have it. Origianls did.

My 33s are early 555 (valencia st) and are VERY FULL in the legs and thighs. I think they trimmed them a bit in later issues.

 

[Grant]

Not all original 1933 501's had the NRA (National Recovery Administration) tag. I recently had the chance to check out an original pair in great condition that had no evidence of a tag. Remember the NRA was very short lived and ruled unconstitutional by '35. As in A-2's there are also no absolutes in denim!

BTW, My repro '33 LVC 501's area also cut quite full in the legs.

 

[Cobblers161]

Maybe I just have fat legs..

 

[pablocham]

Saw a pair of one-wash late 30's Levis's buckleback 501XXs last week at a vintage showroom. It is amazing how wrong LVC gets the pattern. The originals had a rise of about two inches higher than the repros. I'm certain that this was not an oversight on LVC's part, they probably realized that most men just would not purchase authentically high-waisted jeans. The denim on the LVC 37s is all wrong too, looks NOTHING like the originals. The originals have a very wide strip of white selvage, at least twice the width of the repros. If only there was a guy with Chapmanesque-like zeal working for LVC...Levi's just gets it all wrong.

Agreed. The Edwin Lee repros nailed this.

 

[airfrogusmc]

Not all original 1933 501's had the NRA (National Recovery Administration) tag. I recently had the chance to check out an original pair in great condition that had no evidence of a tag. Remember the NRA was very short lived and ruled unconstitutional by '35. As in A-2's there are also no absolutes in denim!

BTW, My repro '33 LVC 501's area also cut quite full in the legs.

But the one thing that really makes 33s truly unigue is the tag...

 

[airfrogusmc]

Saw a pair of one-wash late 30's Levis's buckleback 501XXs last week at a vintage showroom. It is amazing how wrong LVC gets the pattern. The originals had a rise of about two inches higher than the repros. I'm certain that this was not an oversight on LVC's part, they probably realized that most men just would not purchase authentically high-waisted jeans. The denim on the LVC 37s is all wrong too, looks NOTHING like the originals. The originals have a very wide strip of white selvage, at least twice the width of the repros. If only there was a guy with Chapmanesque-like zeal working for LVC...Levi's just gets it all wrong.

Agreed. The Edwin Lee repros nailed this.

One thing I could never figure is why LVC has changed the patterns on their vintage line from year to year. My 555 Valencia 1933s fit much different than a pair I had from a few years later. One pattern they get is their 55s. Well anyway the ones I've seen from 2 different seasons. Just ordered a pair of the 27 501s.
Heres the ones I think are LCVs best. In no particular order.
555 37 201s
555 20s 201s
1955s
1906 209 coveralls
1911 333s

 

[Grant]

pablo,
Couldn't agree more! The Edwin Lees are far superior to LVC.

 

[Swing]

Any way to clean raw denim without washing (or dry cleaning) it? I've been wearing my '37s just about every day the past month, and they're getting dirty on the front of the thighs. They're getting that subtle brown cast (and working on my clubs trap machines last night with target pitch dust everywhere really didn't help that any). Possible to clean off the dust and dirt with a soft bristled brush?

I'd like to wear them at least another month before washing them. Partly to really crease in the wrinkles and really stretch out the waist before washing them, but mostly because I love the shade of blue, the sheen, and the crispness of the raw denim. All that goes away changes when it's washed.

After wearing these jeans the past month, I wish I had four or five other pairs of LVC jeans to go with them.

~Swing

 

[Happy Hooligan]

Any way to clean raw denim without washing (or dry cleaning) it? I've been wearing my '37s just about every day the past month, and they're getting dirty on the front of the thighs. They're getting that subtle brown cast (and working on my clubs trap machines last night with target pitch dust everywhere really didn't help that any). Possible to clean off the dust and dirt with a soft bristled brush?

I'd like to wear them at least another month before washing them. Partly to really crease in the wrinkles and really stretch out the waist before washing them, but mostly because I love the shade of blue, the sheen, and the crispness of the raw denim. All that goes away changes when it's washed.

After wearing these jeans the past month, I wish I had four or five other pairs of LVC jeans to go with them.

~Swing

have you tried hanging them up and beating them? Worked for rugs why not jeans....

 

[Swing]

have you tried hanging them up and beating them? Worked for rugs why not jeans....

Shaking them like a rug helped some, and odor eater insoles strategically placed help with any smells.

Does the LVC line change from year to year, or does it have a core group of items that get produced year after year? I've been looking at cultizm.com expecting new models of Levis to pop up, or stocks of jeans currently on the website to be replenished, but nothing has changed. I've got a pair of '37s and a pair of '44s both 38x34, and I'm pleased with how they fit. I wouldn't mind getting a pair of '47s but right now they're out of the size I need (40x34).

~Swing

 

[Cobblers161]

The 37's, 44's, 47's and 55's have been the staple diet for a few years but with an increase in popularity more versions have been introduced and sadly one or two disappeared (the much loved, by me at least, 1937 201's). Lately 66's and 78's (Ugh!) have been introduced.

The problem is the cut also changes slightly occaisionally, details can change and denim quality vary. at the moment 44's have an extra 3/4" on the waistline. The 47's are pretty slim, slimmer than 44's, and if you oversize, according to your shape of course, they tend to go baggy in the seat in an unflattering manner.

They will run out of models to copy real soon, maybe then they'll try and get some models a little more accurate. If you haven't tried 55's then I recommend them, between a 44 and a 37 with a slightly lower rise....

 

[Swing]

If you haven't tried 55's then I recommend them, between a 44 and a 37 with a slightly lower rise....

I have a pair of 55s (42x36) that didn't shrink down as much as I expected. :x When I bought the 37s I bought a 38 since they are supposed to be full cut, and they fit pretty good, so I went with the same size when I bought the 44s. If I get another pair of 55s, I'll get a 38 waist. Haven't washed or soaked the 37s or 44s, and plan on putting that off as long as I can.

~Swing

 

[Grant]

When LVC was made and sold here in the US they would offer different jeans each year. Now that they're only sold in Europe I think the line is limited in new offerings.

That's good that you're waiting as long as possible to wash - you'll be rewarded in the end!

 

[airfrogusmc]

I just picked up a pair of 27 501s from Dejan (cultizm) this falls line and they were US made. I think those could be the last of the US made LVCs though unless someone has heard different.

http://www.cultizm.com/index.php?cat=c1 ... 671afe612c

 

[Cobblers161]

Anyone tried these Japanese 1917's ? http://item.rakuten.co.jp/hinoya/17501-0002/

New to me but then I tend to lag about 12 months behind.....

Hows the fit on the 27's? Compared to the 33's they look a little slimmer and the waist a little higher although when raw it's hard to tell? The long back pockets I like very much.

 

[airfrogusmc]

I'm still wearing raw so they are very baggy. I would imagine after the shrink they will be similar to my 33s. Maybe a bit higher waisted.

 

[Swing]

I just picked up a pair of 27 501s from Dejan (cultizm) this falls line and they were US made. I think those could be the last of the US made LVCs though unless someone has heard different.

I like how the stitching stands out on the 1927s. I figure the suspender buttons will get in the way though, so I plan on avoiding the pre-37 models.

~Swing