Tiny detail on cult jeans reveals whether they’re worth a fortune
A tiny detail on a pair of cult jeans will reveal whether you’re sitting on a pretty fortune. Have you checked your pair?
You could be sitting on an absolute fortune.
Owners of the iconic denim brand Levi’s are checking the tags of their jeans after it was revealed that some of the company’s vintage garments are worth a whopping $US33,000 (about $51,000 Australian dollars).
Jeans made by the brand between 1949 and 1954 are selling for astronomical amounts online, and there’s an easy way to date the denim, the New York Post reports.
Although Levi’s do not imprint a year of manufacture anywhere on their jeans, the trademark red tag can indicate the period in which they were produced.
Between the 1950s and 1980s, Levi’s, formally known as “Levi Strauss & Co.,” used its “Big E” logo to emphasise the word Levi’s, which is written in white capital letters on a red background.
During a short period from 1949 to 1954, the font is sharp and slanted — and these are the jeans that are selling for a pretty penny.
The Levi’s website even has a special section so you can check whether you’re literally sitting in wads of cash, the publication added.
The brand’s experts suggest inspecting your denim threads for the following:
– Check if the word LEVI’S is in all capital letters or whether it has a small letter “e” instead because the Tab with LEVI’S (also known as “Big E”) means the jeans are from before 1971.
– Look for care tabs, which were introduced to Levi’s garments in the 1970s.
– Examine the inseams to check for a single stitch running down the inner thigh, this means the jeans were made before the mid-1980s.
The advice for identifying the age of the in-demand vintage jeans comes after a pair of well-worn 19th-century Levi’s jeans sold at an auction for $US76,000 ($A117,000).
Kyle Hauper, a vintage clothing collector from San Diego, discovered the denim pants inside an abandoned mineshaft, the New York Post reported.
The denim, which featured racist labelling, is believed to be one of the oldest known Levi’s from that era.
The label printed on the interior of the pocket declares: “The only kind made by White Labor” — a racially-charged slogan used by the company during a time of pervasive anti-Chinese discrimination in the US, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Despite the denim brand’s past, it continues to remain a staple in fashion culture. Recently, sales have surged due to Western wear and denim popularity.
In April, Levi’s shares were up as much as 18 per cent and storefronts saw a bump in numbers, with a 20 per cent increase in sales compared to the past three years.
This article originally appeared on the New York Post and was reproduced with permission
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