Brand History - Levi's

When Bavarian-born Levi Strauss opened a "Dry Goods Company" in San Francisco in 1853, the California Gold Rush was in full swing. Strauss' goal was to supply the small general stores of the American West, but what he actually achieved was to be much bigger than that. But before we get to the legendary 501 jeans and the Type I-III denim jackets, we need to look at how it all came about and how the idea of the first jeans even emerged.

With his Dry Goods Company, Strauss supplied Latvian-born tailor Jacob Davis with fabrics such as canvas or denim cotton for his tailor shop in Reno, Nevada. In 1870, Davis received a special order: the wife of a logger ordered a special pair of trousers for her husband. Davis then made a robust and durable pair of work trousers out of canvas and reinforced the seams and pockets with copper rivets. Later, as word spread about the good quality of the trousers, Davis also used denim for production. However, demand increased so quickly that he couldn't keep up.

So one day, Davis approached Strauss and asked him for financial support to apply for a patent for the reinforced jeans. Strauss was convinced by the idea, as he had already recognized what the hard-working laborers of his time needed - durable and reliable clothing. In 1873, they received a US patent for an "Improvement in Fastening Pocket-Openings." At that time, Strauss had set up a tailor shop in San Francisco for the production of work trousers. Davis managed this business, which was to become the birthplace of the legendary 501 Levi's Denims, which were characterized, among other things, by their five pockets. This is why they are often called "Five Pocket Jeans".

The Levi's brand has always valued differentiating itself from competing products and imitators. In 1886, the iconic and still-used Two Horse Trademark was introduced to demonstrate the durability of the trousers. The logo shows two horses trying (in vain) to tear apart a pair of Levi's. In addition, in 1936, the legendary red tab was first attached to the right back pocket of the 501 jeans to distinguish Levi's trousers from the competition.

But when we think of Levi's today, most people think not only of denim jeans, but also of denim jackets. In 1905, Levi Strauss launched the Levi Blouse with code 506. It was made from the same denim as the legendary Blue Jeans and was intended to be its companion to represent a complete denim set. The design was kept rather simple. It had a boxy fit and was rather short to offer as much freedom of movement as possible. A large chest pocket was attached to the front and a back strap for size adjustment could be found on the back. Like the trousers, the Levi Blouse also received the famous red tab for the first time in 1936. The title was then changed from "Blouse" to "Jacket" in 1938, but the item was already called Number One in 1917, hence the well-known name "Type I". Over the years, the Type I was slightly revised again and again and a few details were adjusted - the basic structure remained the same. The jacket quickly gained popularity and was worn not only by workers, but also by famous people of the time.

In 1953, the successor was to be launched - the 507XX Jacket, also known as Type II. The Type II largely retained the general shape of the Type I, but it was slightly longer, had a second chest pocket, and swapped the back strap for waist adjusters with buttons. The Type II became the symbol of youth subcultures and the rock and roll scene. However, compared to the Type I and the Type III, which was yet to be released, the Type II had a rather shorter lifespan of only 9 years until 1962. But this short production period only further strengthened the cult factor of the Type II, and so an original Type II jacket from this period can be worth a lot, especially for collectors.

The successor wasn't long in coming, and in the same year, the 557 jacket, or Type III, hit the stores. And if the Type I and II hadn't already ensured that the denim jacket achieved iconic status, then it was certainly time with the Type III. The chest pockets were slightly reduced in size and placed higher. The overall fit became a bit slimmer, and two V-stitches ran from the chest pockets to the hem, giving the jacket a high recognition value. In 1967, the jacket received the new code 70505, under which it is still known today. In 1980, the two side pockets were added. The Type III is what we understand today as a typical Trucker Jacket. It also found its way into many rebellious youth subcultures, especially the Grunge scene of the 90s - Kurt Cobain, for example, could regularly be seen in a denim jacket.

What is special about Levi's denim jeans and jackets is that they managed to grow beyond their purely functional context and become a key-piece of modern fashion. They evolved from a product for 19th-century American workers into a timeless fashion piece with great cultural relevance. Levi's also made the transition into the new millennium. This is particularly evident in the early 2000s, when denim experienced another major "revival." When many people think of "2000s" and "denim," they naturally think of the legendary image of Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake from the 2001 American Music Awards. Denim from head to toe, literally, because even JT's hat was made of the material.

Like many fashion brands today, Levi's has also launched several collaborations. The brand has collaborated with New Balance, UNDERCOVER, Human Made, and Supreme.

If you also want a piece of Levi's history, you should check out our complete selection of vintage Levi's items here! In our store in Mannheim, we also have a larger selection of vintage Levi's trousers, so it's worth a visit!