History on Levi's Products: Trucker Jacket and 501 Jeans
/The Trucker JacketFirst built out of heavy duty riveted denim in 1967. All jackets have been designed and hand built by craftsman in the USA. Although many purists would argue that the Trucker is best in the traditional rigid denim, then worn in over decades of hard work. The new incarnation of the denim jacket from Levi’s comes fully distressed to give it that lived-in look.
The heavy-duty construction of the Levi’s Trucker Jacket has all of the usual elements you know and expect from the Levi's brand, such as the vertical seams with contrast stitching to provide a comfortable yet smart fit that drapes over your shoulders. The pre-distressed look is consistent across the fabric even as the flapped chest pockets with button closures and the two side welt pockets resting above your hips rise from the facade of the jacket itself.
A denim jacket may not shake the tree of fashion as much as it used to, but the Levi’s Trucker Jacket has something special that has been missing in casual wear these past few years: a nod to the past with a definite vision of the future. Sure, the word “Trucker” is in the title, but consider this: There was a time when men wore ties and button-down shirts with their denim jackets, and this jacket has just the right color and fit for you to revive the look.
Denim jackets as we know them today grew out of the dungarees first made for the U.S. military during the Second World War. The jackets and pants from those days were rough and baggy. While the styles have become more streamlined and body forming, the actual strength of the fabric has remained; this lets you invest in a quality piece of fashion as well as functional clothing. But the real point at issue is that the role and place of a denim jacket might morph as fashion seasons come and go, but a quality item like a Levi’s denim jacket never goes away -- and since this one has the look of a jacket you have had for awhile, you're one year ahead of all the imitators.
Levi jeans have been around for over one hundred years. They first originated in America in the 18th century, and were designed as tough hard wearing prospectors’ overalls during the Californian gold rush. Back then, denim was an unheard of fabric, and only came about because the canvas that originally made the prospector’s trousers was too rough and tended to chafe. Like many of today’s fashion trends, the first denim came from France-so Levi jeans were already ahead in the fashion stakes!
There have been points through the years that have marked significant changes in the classic 501 jean. For instance in 1922 when men started wearing belts instead of suspenders so Levi’s started adding belt loops and removed the buttons for the braces. In 1944, the U.S. government demand that all businesses ration materials like fabric, thread and metal. So the 1944 LVC 501 was made without rivets on the watch pocket, crotch and cinch. The War Department also determined that the famous Levi’s back pocket stitching — called the Arcuate — was “decorative and a waste of thread” according to LS & CO Historian Lynn Downey. So rather than lose its trademark, Levi’s hand painted the Arcuate on every pair of Levi’s 501 WWII jeans.
In 1947, the modern 501 appeared with a slimmed down fit and a machine applied (and uniform) Arcuate, with a diamond shape at the middle. Prior to the use of the double needle sewing machines, the back pocket stitching was done with a single needle machine and varied from jean to jean. Another important date (and LVC model) is 1966. This is the year that bar tack technology became developed enough to create a stitch that was as strong as the traditionally used rivets. So starting in 1966, Levi’s did away with the back pocket rivets. Buy some of the modern 501 Jeans here.
