Levi's
Founded in 1853, Levi Strauss & Co. is a San Francisco based clothing company known primarily for their denim jeans. The company patented the use of copper reinforcing rivets in 1873, which helped to prevent tears at stress points like pocket corners and at the base of a button fly. The two horse logo (1886) was meant to showcase this design and the strength of the jeans, especially in lieu of the patent, which passed into the public domain in 1890. Soon after, the company assigned the lot number "501" to one of its preexisting pants, which would become its best selling jean.
For over a century Levi's jeans were viewed fondly by Americans
In 1985, according to design director of Levi's Vintage Clothing Miles Johnson, selvage denim ceased to be standard in Levi's jeans. "When using cheaper alternatives, they could make four legs worth from one piece of fabric versus two. The fascination with selvage didn't start until more recently." In the 1990s, in response to competition from cheaper imported goods, Levi's began aggressively outsourcing its clothing production and closed domestic factories. By 2003, the company had closed the last of its two remaining plants in the United States.
Levi's products are available worldwide and it's company divided into three geographic divisions: Levi Strauss Americas (LSA), based in the San Francisco headquarters; Levi Strauss Europe, Middle East and Africa (LSEMA), based in Brussels; and Asia Pacific Division (APD), based in Singapore. The company also owns the Dockers brand, which it launched in 1986.
Contents
Branches of Production/Lines
Levis produces clothing at different price points to accommodate different consumers. Made & Crafted, Vintage, and some of the higher end Mainline jeans are really the only "properly" good jeans Levi's produces.
Levi's Signature: Produced for discount retailers Walmart, in the U.S. and Canada, and Kmart, Shopko, Blain’s Farm & Fleet, Hamrick’s and Meijer in the U.S. all priced at under $25; straight line on pocket
dENiZEN: Exclusively for Target 6 fits, 22 finishes
Levi's Made for Outlet: Carried at outlets and lower end retailers like Kohl's. Quality is generally poor
Levi's Mainline: "Normal" Levi's, carried at Levi's mainline stores and mid level retailers like Macy's. Denim is usually decent, but seaming is sometimes questionable, just like everything at this price range
Levi's Made and Crafted: Bridge line of sorts, carried at major mainline stores and certain major retailers like Neiman Marcus. Quality is good. Where to Shop
Levi's Vintage Clothing: High end reproduction of vintage garments and new garments inspired by vintage pieces. Also repduces specific historical jeans. Very good quality, carried at only a few flagships (Union Square in SF, Beverly Hills, and Times Square) and high end department stores like Barney's, Saks, etc. See Where to Shop. Also, see their promotional video for Mr Porter.
Fit Styles
Levi's Mainline and Outlet
Warning: The pictures on Levi's main site are notorious for misrepresenting how the jeans actually fit. Generally recommended fits include the 511, 510, 514, and 501, and less commonly the 513 and 508. Avoid bootcuts and "relaxed" fits.
510 Skinny Fit - Mid rise (10"). Skinniest fit, slim through seat and thigh, all the way down to ankle. 13.5” leg opening. Only for those with slim legs and thighs.
511 Slim Fit - Low rise (9"), slim through thigh with a slightly tapered leg. 14.5” leg opening. The most commonly recommended cut of Levis.
513 Slim Straight - Mid rise (10.5"), slim leg. Slimmer than 514 with a higher rise. 15" leg opening.
508 Regular Taper (formerly 521) Mid rise (11.5"), slim fit, tapered leg, more room in the seat than the 513, 14"opening. Recommended by /fit/ fags who have THIGHS BIGGER THAN YOUR HEAD
520 Extreme Taper. They seem to have stopped making this fit.
514 Straight Fit - Mid Rise (10"), close through the seat and thigh with straight leg, 17” leg opening.
517 Boot Cut - High rise (11.5"), slim fit, boot cut leg. 18.25” leg opening.
501 Original; High Rise (11"), straight leg, slimmer through seat and thigh than the 505, 17" leg opening. Also available in unsanforized Shrink-to-Fit versions and high quality vintage replicas from Levi's Vintage Clothing.
505 Regular Fit - High rise (11"), relaxed seat and thigh, straight leg, 16.5" opening
527 Slim Boot Cut - Mid rise (10"), regular seat and thigh, bootcut leg. 18.25” leg opening.
550 Relaxed Fit - High rise (11"), relaxed seat and thigh, slightly tapered leg. 16.5” leg opening.
559 Relaxed Straight - Mid Rise (10"), relaxed seat and thigh. 18” leg opening.
560 Comfort Fit - High Rise (11"). Loose overall fit and loose seat and thigh. Tapered leg. 16” leg opening.
562 Loose Tapered - High Rise (11"), relaxed through the seat and thigh, slightly tapered leg. 16 1/2" leg opening
569 Loose Straight - High rise, loose seat and thigh. Straight leg. 18.5” leg opening.
The 510, 511, 514, 501, 505, 559, and 569 are mainline, online, and outlet. 550, 560, and 527 are outlet and online. 508, 513, and 517 are mainline/online only although a handful of the top selling outlets receive them.
Courtesy for some of this information goes to Levi's fag who posted on /fa/ a while ago:
Made & Crafted
Needle: Skinny; narrow jean with a skinny fit, regular rise, skinny leg and a zip fly.
Tack: Slim straight; a slim, zipper fly jean based on a classic Levi’s fit from the 1960s
Ruler: Straight leg fit.
Tailor: Tapered, high rise jean with a rounded top block. It tapers from the knee down to the ankle.
Shuttle: Loose Tapered; high rise easy fitting jean that is comfortable through the hips but tapers from the inseam to the ankle for a clean, slim and fitted silhouette.
Cutter: Relaxed; high rise jean that has a straight leg and is relaxed through the thigh.
Links
CIO article on Levi's creation of budget lines
Interview with Miles Johnson design director at Levi's Vintage Clothing and Levi's Made & Crafted
