Levi's® 501®

We sold our first pair of Levis 501 Original Jean online at Jeans Direct back in 2002, but the story of this classic jean goes back much further…\n\nThe Levi 501 jeans were originally developed by Levi Strauss in the USA in around 1872; they have since become the world's most successful manufactured article of clothing. First conceived as a sturdy working garment for miners in California, the ubiquitous 'blue jean' is now worn throughout the world from the mine to the boardroom, and is as much a symbol of the western lifestyle as it is a staple item in billions of wardrobes. Pop and film stars like Elvis Presley, James Dean, and Marlon Brando (not to mention the singer Mark Wynter with "Venus in Blue Jeans") stimulated the popularity of jeans as leisure wear, and in 1964 a pair of Levi jeans entered into the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC.\nTheir enduring success rests partly on the charisma associated with their legendary American roots, but also on their practicality as a versatile washable garment whose appearance actually improves with age. The Levi 501 is nowadays just one of thousands of models and brands of jean, but it remains the classic version and the fountainhead of all its 'designer' imitations.\nIn 1981 Levi's 501 for women were introduced.\nIncluding the most popular selling 501 stonewash, the stone washed jeans were a product of Great Western Garment Co., (GWG), and a Canadian clothing manufacturer, acquired by Levis. GWG who were responsible for the introduction of the modern "stone washing" technique, still in use by Levi Strauss today.\n