The year of 2008 is nearing its end, and with it the LVC 2008 A/W collection, if there's anything left of it in stores! It's an entirely good thing, and I'm sure the fall items will be loved for many years to come, because with the new year comes a new collection from Levi's Vintage Clothing!
It's time to present what is decidedly, most definitely, without a shadow of doubt, money back-guaranteed the best LVC collection ever!!
I looked at it in August and was overwhelmed. Until now I could only remember my feelings and impressions about the collection clearly, and not so much the actual pieces.
When I looked through my photos again, it was the same thing over again.
I don't mind hyping this collection because it really is this good, with a few exceptions.
The 2008 A/W was the first time I really felt that Levi's could compete with Warehouse and other Japanese brands in terms of finishes and fabrics, and this spring Levi's is doing it again, but on a larger scale and maybe even a little better.
I'm fairly sure that my readers are mostly male so I decided to start with the women's line. Completely nonsensical, you say! Later I'll show you the men's line and the newly introduced Orange Tab collection.
The collection is based on the Depression era and the 'Dust Bowl' time that followed it and continued to plague farmers in the U.S.
Might as well just have you read Levi's own story, I've got a headache:
Okay, let's go!
Lot 66 Bib and Brace Customized, Haystack
Based on an original engineer's garment from around 1912. Comes with seven pockets, including a ruler pocket.
Elastic suspenders and donut buttons.
1933 501 Short short, Hard and Angry
A wonderful pair of men's jeans that were worn hard and then taken over by the girlfriend, and repaird with the cut off denim after the jeans had been transformed into shorts.
1937 701 Onewash
The 1934-37 701 was the first Levi's jeans made specifically for women. It has a high-and-tiny waist and a cinchback.
The wash looks like a pair of jeans that was carelessly washed right-side-out and has many different indigo hues.
Here's an original of roughly the same age for comparison:
1944 701, Frayed Dry
During the second World War, cotton and copper was scarce. Wartime restrictions made Levi's remove the rivets on the coinpocket and the famous arcuate on the backpocket temporarily.
The cinchback and crotch rivet were removed permanently. Buttons were also changed to cut down on copper use.
The red tab and linen patch are both missing even though the originals carried them, because many women preferred unbranded jeans and removed these themselves.
Note the yellow selvedge.
1950's 701, Shut Tight
The 701s of the fifties came with a zipfly, unlike the 501 that had a buttonfly, and a pink selvedge. The pink was actually not a Levi's initiative, but a decision made by Cone Mills to change the color of the line in the woven edge.
These jeans come in what I'd say is roughly a 3-to-5-wash and I really enjoyed the look of it, please look at the detailed pictures of the denim!
1950's Denim Family Culotte
The female counterpart to breeches. Features a Talon sidezip and one backpocket.
1960 701, Rigid
The 60's 701 had an even narrower waist and wider hips than its predecessors. Indicative of the female want to leave their behind unbranded is the paper tag that replaced the linen tag.
The Long, Lean, Levi's Look.
Used my Flat Heads as a reference when looking at the denim.
1966 501 Customized, Baked Ground
It wasn't available for me to see at the time, but it is too good to be left out.
There are small repairs on this was and this model comes with a shorter inseam as these were worn short.
1919 El Real tops Long sleeve, tee, vest
Cotton rib with satin and lace detail.
1930's linen vest, Scattered Mist
Made in unbleched linen. With button front.
Sunset Chambray Shirt Customized, Last Rain
Originally a men's shirt in XL. Worn out, cut off, pleated for femininity.
Repairs don't get much better than this. Thankfully, there's also a men's version of this!
1930's Dress, Last Rain
So, it turns out the best piece of this collection belongs to the ladies. This one has it all--washed out and repaired chambray, red and white polka dots and a different kind of blue at the bottom.
1940's Tee
That I love back. I actually tried it on and it fit me very well in my usual size. I'm getting this one for sure!
1940's Tee, EAT DUST
Same model as the tee above, but with different colored fabric and a print.
1950's Tee, Mud Blue
The 50's tee was slightly longer and had shorter sleeves than the 40's tee.
The last lookbook from Levi's Vintage Clothing won an award and this one is on the same level, so I'm including some inspirational shots.
Please keep itching for my next LVC update!
12 comments:
Where does one go about buying this stuff? I live in New York and would love to buy that 1930's Last Rain Dress for my girlfriend.
Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!
www.cultizm.com
I think they have free shipping worldwide and are very reputable.
Yeah, I obviously don't know about stores in the U.S., and you might not even get the full collection over there.
Maybe someone else can chime in!
Hi!
"What Comes Around Goes Around" will carry LVC in NYC.
BR
when are you going to preview the men's collection?
Spacelounge, one of the most passionate denim blogs I've seen in the Western world. Kudos!
As you perhaps have noticed the "dust bin style" was meticulously visualized in the television series 'Carnivale' produced by HBO (2003-2005): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carniv%C3%A0le
Extraordinary fine footage, colors and compositions. And a strange suggestive story indeed. If you haven't seen it yet, purchase the whole package NOW. It's like a rural dressing schoolbook from the 30's.
> Anonymous 24/11/08 16:01, I like LVC and the idea of reviving the antiques. But why don't you take the next step and "excavate" your own American backyard. Yes, dig for the originals. I'm sure you're still able find the real stuff (although not authentic Levi's) for nothing. In Stockholm we're blessed with some really interesting stores like '118 Second Läder' offering the coolest leather jackets ever made (in the city of Malung around the middle of the 20th century). You can even find American vintage clothes of highest quality at 'Beyond Retro' (both in Stockholm and London). As a collector of original wool flannel shirts amongst other things I've found some extraordinary fine objects there from the 50's and 60's for approximately $15-35. They look better than the goods made by LVC (i.e. the wool check shirts of 2008).
...or rather dust bowl style ;-)
Home: http://www.hbo.com/carnivale/
im itchin alrite, plz post on mens collection!
why did Cone decide to change the selvege i.d from red to pink on the 1950's 701 fabric??
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