Selvedge 501s
Straight leg. Button fly.
Selvedge 501s: holy grail of vintage Levi’s. self-edge: You can spot it on the cuffs of jeans. The selvedge in denim is usually white and often has a coloured yarn in the middle. This technical term actually ought to be spelled ‘self-edge.’ The term refers to the self-finished edges on each side of fabric woven on shuttle looms. These edges don’t fray or unravel. Highly desirable and more valuable.
HISTORY LESSON: Levi’s stopped selvedge in 1984. Furthermore… Prior to 1971, there’s a Big E on the red tab. These are the most sought after vintage Levi’s. And valuable, and will only increase in value. Some sellers have stopped selling big E and only keep as an investment because they’re becoming so rare. Some folks cut the red tabs off back then, but you can tell the “big E” apart because of the single stitch on pockets and other telling characteristics. If there’s a V-stitch on the inside of the main button, it’s pre-1969. If there’s Selvedge in the coin pocket, it’s pre-1965. And on and on… 😉
Originally men’s jeans, now & forevermore unisex
MATERIAL: 100% Cotton
FLY: button
WASH: beautiful light medium blue wash with lovely organic sun fades
ALTERATION: these were altered to make the legs a little slimmer from the lower thighs down to the bottom of the hems on both legs. This was very likely done soon after purchase, because there is natural patina with the new/altered seam stitching. From the inside, I measured the alteration to be about a half an inch taken in. Could be up to ¾ of an inch or an inch at most. Nothing was done to alter the salvage side of the outer seam. The inside of the crotch was also repaired/patched reinforced where it was starting to come apart. I did my best to depict all of this in the photos, but if you have any questions, please reach out. Happy to send further photographs
DECADE: 1980-1982 inside tag gone
(estimated by care tags, not a guarantee)
FLAT LAY MEASUREMENTS (in inches):
WAIST: 14/14.25
RISE: 10.75
INSEAM: 29 uncuffed - shortened decades ago but doesn’t affect the display of the self edge when rolled
HIP: measurements in photos. Please don’t forget to measure these two measurements, shown in the photos, as this will ensure they fit you in the hips and bum area.
PLEASE REFER TO FIT GUIDE FOR MORE HELP. (Link in drop down menu)
ACTUAL SIZE/FIT (per flat lay waist measurement doubled): 28
Or boyfriend: 26
• This is an approximation based solely on the flat lay measurements per my fit guide, not a guarantee to fit.*
All sales are final. No returns or exchanges. So please ask all questions prior to purchasing.
EXPECTATIONS OF VINTAGE JEANS
Keep in mind, vintage jeans are not new jeans. Every pair is at least 20 years old, most are older. This means they’ve been worn and likely have signs of wear - i.e. thinning areas, loose threads, signs of previous repair work, discolorations, faint (or not so faint stains), organic distressing, wear at the rivets, wear at the button holes. I do my best to describe these areas/signs of wear&tear, so please - before you buy - understand that you may receive your jeans and there will be signs of aging. Most buy vintage jeans wanting this, but if you want pristine new looking jeans, vintage likely isn’t for you. And that’s A-OK!
Selvedge 501s
Straight leg. Button fly.
Selvedge 501s: holy grail of vintage Levi’s. self-edge: You can spot it on the cuffs of jeans. The selvedge in denim is usually white and often has a coloured yarn in the middle. This technical term actually ought to be spelled ‘self-edge.’ The term refers to the self-finished edges on each side of fabric woven on shuttle looms. These edges don’t fray or unravel. Highly desirable and more valuable.
HISTORY LESSON: Levi’s stopped selvedge in 1984. Furthermore… Prior to 1971, there’s a Big E on the red tab. These are the most sought after vintage Levi’s. And valuable, and will only increase in value. Some sellers have stopped selling big E and only keep as an investment because they’re becoming so rare. Some folks cut the red tabs off back then, but you can tell the “big E” apart because of the single stitch on pockets and other telling characteristics. If there’s a V-stitch on the inside of the main button, it’s pre-1969. If there’s Selvedge in the coin pocket, it’s pre-1965. And on and on… 😉
Originally men’s jeans, now & forevermore unisex
MATERIAL: 100% Cotton
FLY: button
WASH: beautiful light medium blue wash with lovely organic sun fades
ALTERATION: these were altered to make the legs a little slimmer from the lower thighs down to the bottom of the hems on both legs. This was very likely done soon after purchase, because there is natural patina with the new/altered seam stitching. From the inside, I measured the alteration to be about a half an inch taken in. Could be up to ¾ of an inch or an inch at most. Nothing was done to alter the salvage side of the outer seam. The inside of the crotch was also repaired/patched reinforced where it was starting to come apart. I did my best to depict all of this in the photos, but if you have any questions, please reach out. Happy to send further photographs
DECADE: 1980-1982 inside tag gone
(estimated by care tags, not a guarantee)
FLAT LAY MEASUREMENTS (in inches):
WAIST: 14/14.25
RISE: 10.75
INSEAM: 29 uncuffed - shortened decades ago but doesn’t affect the display of the self edge when rolled
HIP: measurements in photos. Please don’t forget to measure these two measurements, shown in the photos, as this will ensure they fit you in the hips and bum area.
PLEASE REFER TO FIT GUIDE FOR MORE HELP. (Link in drop down menu)
ACTUAL SIZE/FIT (per flat lay waist measurement doubled): 28
Or boyfriend: 26
• This is an approximation based solely on the flat lay measurements per my fit guide, not a guarantee to fit.*
All sales are final. No returns or exchanges. So please ask all questions prior to purchasing.
EXPECTATIONS OF VINTAGE JEANS
Keep in mind, vintage jeans are not new jeans. Every pair is at least 20 years old, most are older. This means they’ve been worn and likely have signs of wear - i.e. thinning areas, loose threads, signs of previous repair work, discolorations, faint (or not so faint stains), organic distressing, wear at the rivets, wear at the button holes. I do my best to describe these areas/signs of wear&tear, so please - before you buy - understand that you may receive your jeans and there will be signs of aging. Most buy vintage jeans wanting this, but if you want pristine new looking jeans, vintage likely isn’t for you. And that’s A-OK!
