The 501 at 150

UNPACKING the mythic appeal of LEVI’S most ICONIC JEANS as they CELEBRATE a milestone ANNIVERSARY

EDITED BY ALISON S. COHN

IT’S BEEN ESTIMATED that on any given day, at least half the global population is wearing jeans. Ubiquitous now, the wardrobe essential was born exactly 150 years ago as a solution to a very specific problem: Miners in the American West needed stronger-work-wear to withstand the wear and tear of their tough jobs. Two San Francisco–based Jewish immigrants, Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis, rose to the challenge. In 1873, they designed a pair of sturdy denim pants that had special copper rivets to reinforce the pockets for added durability and were awarded a patent for their innovation. Today, the world knows them as Levi’s 501 jeans. Levi Strauss & Co. would go on to become the world’s biggest denim brand, with the 501 part of the firmament of fashion. Neither too…

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Harper's Bazaar (Digital) - 1 Issue, June/July 2023

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