Denim jeans are one of those pieces of clothing that we often take for granted. Despite being more reliant on the look and fit than most other types of trousers, we often gloss over the history of the very specific, and kinda peculiar, garment category. Despite its popularity fading a bit (no pun intended) in recent years thanks to the preponderance of loungewear and athleisure, as well as a proclivity towards stretchy material, jeans will probably always exist.
Levi’s, the brand responsible for the modern denim jeans, has not kept quiet either. The past couple of years have seen some interesting releases, especially with its 150th anniversary last year. We got reissues of classic styles from the 1930s and 1950s, as well as a “Big ‘E’” version of the pants. This week, the style icon has come out with a pair of jeans modeled after its first-ever pair from 1873.
How Jeans Came to Be
Levi’s has always seemed to be synonymous with denim, but there’s a reason for that. Originating as early as the 16th century in both Genoa, Italy and Nîmes, France, jeans (which comes from “Gênes,” the French word for “Genoa”) were originally made from fustian cotton-based textile dyed with indigo, made for both sailors in the navy and the working class. The style and fabric quality somewhat evolved over the years but it wasn’t until the 1870s that these really took off, when Levi Strauss — who had been running a dry goods wholesale business in New York since 1851 — and tailor Jacob Davis decided to make pants with copper rivets for reinforcement.
The rivet patent was granted to both men and they quickly found denim to be the best material for the hardware. Originally, these pants had 9 rivets in total, with two pockets in front and only one in the back. Now known as the 501 model, this silhouette evolved considerably over the years. A small watch pocket was added a few years later, with a left rear pocket added in 1901. Exploding in popularity during World War II, jeans didn’t become a fashion staple until James Dean wore a pair of Levi’s 501 in 1953’s Rebel Without a Cause.
Despite the rise of loungewear from an increase in work-from-home employees, jeans are still a go-to pants option in cultures across the globe.
9Rivet Jeans Basics
For its latest release, Levi’s decided to go all the way back to the beginning. Based on the pair of jeans from around 1873/1874, the 9Rivet are a “stitch-for-stitch reproduction,” featuring the single back pocket (as opposed to the two you typically see today), denim pocket bags, and a basic button-and-zipper fly. Constructed from 9-oz plain selvedge white oak denim from Cone Mills, the “waist overalls,” as Strauss originally referred to them as, also utilize the same single-needle arcuate stitching and pre-1875 Levi’s leather patch.
As you may have guessed, these jeans feature nine exposed rivets rather than the eleven that are common today. Like the originals, the back cinches are unriveted, the buttons are sewn on, and the crotch is gusseted.
Spec Sheet
Material: 9-oz plain selvedge white oak denim from Cone Mills
Pockets: 3
Fit: Mid-rise, straight leg
Closure: Button and zipper
Rivets: 9
Gusseted Crotch?: Yes
Limited Edition?: Yes, 800
Pricing & Availability
Limited to just 800 pairs, the 9Rivet Jeans, part of the brand’s Vintage Clothing collection, is priced at $495. Head over to Levi’s website to get a pair for yourself while supplies last.
Recap
Levi’s Vintage Clothing 9rivet Jeans
Levi’s recreates its original denim jeans from 1873 with this 9Rivet model, featuring nine rivets (as opposed to eleven) and period-correct stitching.
