Levi's 501XX 1950s Jeans, Uneven V, No Bar Tacks, Offset Waistband, Hidden Rivets, Faded Indigo, Approx. W30
Levi's 501XX 1950s Jeans, Uneven V, No Bar Tacks, Offset Waistband, Hidden Rivets, Faded Indigo, Approx. W30
- Dispatch
- Prepared and sent from Tokyo within 7–14 days, often sooner, or as arranged
- Arrival
- Vereinigte Staaten · usually 4–7 days after dispatch, insured and tracked
- Import
Duties and customs · View the estimate
A guide for this piece: about $219, based on the 10% US charge on the declared value of goods made in Japan.
The final figure is set by US Customs and depends on where the piece was made and the kind of object it is. Many antiques over a century old carry no ordinary duty; most jewellery and leather goods add a single-digit rate.
With EMS, any charge is collected by your postal service on delivery. For pieces of significant value we can often arrange duties prepaid before dispatch.
How the estimate is reached · Ask for a figure on this piece
- Sizing
- Measured flat by hand, waist, rise and inseam, in centimetres · Find your size · Ask before you buy
- Replies
- Within one Tokyo business day · Ask the curator team
- Guarantee
- Authenticity guaranteed · How we grade
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A 1950s Levi's 501XX built with the details collectors chase: uneven V stitching, hidden rivets, no bar tacks on the fly and an offset waistband seam.
The Piece
Before bar tacks became standard on the fly, and while the waistband was still attached so that its seam sits slightly offset from the fly, the 501XX was assembled in a way that later factories abandoned. Together with uneven V stitching at the top button and concealed rivets on the back pockets, these are the hallmarks that place a pair in the 1950s.
All of them are visible here. The waistband shank and fly buttons are stamped Levi Strauss & Co., the copper rivets show genuine age, and the capital E red tab sits on the right back pocket. The denim has a rich, high-contrast fade, darker at the waist and pockets and pale through the thighs, with honeycombs behind the knees.
This is a pair with history. Old machine-darned repairs run down both legs, there are open tears at the thighs and knees, and the hems are worn through and frayed. The back pockets show wear at the corners. For a collector the construction is the point; for a wearer the fade and shape are hard to match.
Measures about a 30 inch waist with a 74 cm inseam.
Details
- Designer: Levi Strauss & Co.
- Season: 1950s
- Model / ref: 501XX, uneven V, no bar tacks, offset waistband, hidden rivets
- Material: Cotton selvedge denim
- Colour: Faded indigo
- Made in: USA
- Tagged size: No size label, approx. W30
- Measurements: Waist 76 cm (38 cm flat) · Hip 51 cm flat · Rise 28 cm · Inseam 74 cm
- Included: Jeans only
Condition
- Vintage with heavy wear and old repairs, priced accordingly.
- Machine-darned repairs along both legs.
- Open tears at the thighs and knees.
- Hems worn through and frayed.
- Paper patch not present; wear at the back pocket corners.
Condition grade C on the Japanese scale; see Japanese condition ranks, explained.
Authenticity & Care
The labels, materials, stitching, hardware and construction are examined together and documented in Japan before dispatch; anything that cannot be confirmed is stated plainly in the description. Every piece carries the Japonista authenticity guarantee. Hand wash rarely in cold water and line dry; support the darned areas when handling.
Delivery from Japan
Packed by hand in Japan and shipped insured and tracked by EMS or an equivalent express service. Import duties and taxes, where applicable, are payable on arrival. Every sale is final; please ask anything before you buy, and see our published policy.
Every figure above is taken by hand with the pair laid flat, in centimetres. Measure jeans or trousers that already fit you the same way and allow a centimetre or two of margin, the quiet safeguard on a final sale. Our jeans and trousers size guide reads waist and inseam in inches and centimetres, and for anything it leaves open the curator team replies within one Tokyo business day.
Considered offers are welcome through Send an Offer, and each one is reviewed personally. Pieces over $1,000 may be reserved over several payments with Layaway Privilege™.
Continue browsing: Japan Luxury Archive · Levi’s
Earlier Construction, On Request
If you are after a specific 1950s detail or a cleaner example, our Hunting Salon can search Japan's specialist denim circles for you. Our Hunting Salon™ locates a specific reference across Japan’s private collector circles, then inspects, documents and delivers it to you. Begin a Hunting Salon™ request →
Collectors also search: Levi's 501XX 1950s · Levi's uneven V · 501XX no bar tack · Levi's offset waistband · Levi's hidden rivets · 1950s vintage Levi's · 501XX W30 · vintage Levi's grail
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