The 501 at 150

Unpacking the mythic appeal of Levi's most iconic jeans as they celebrate a milestone anniversary.

- ALISON S. COHN

It’s been estimated that on any given day, at least half of the global population are wearing jeans. Ubiquitous now, the wardrobe essential was born exactly 150 years ago as a solution to a very specific problem: Miners in the American West needed stronger workwear to withstand the wear and tear of their tough jobs. Two San Francisco–based Jewish immigrants, Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis, rose to the challenge. In 1873, they designed a pair of sturdy denim pants that had special copper rivets to reinforce the pockets for added durability and were awarded a patent for their innovation. Today, the world knows them as Levi’s 501 jeans.

Levi Strauss & Co. would go on to become the world’s biggest denim brand, with the 501 part of the firmament of fashion. Neither too skinny nor too wide and almost brazenly highwaisted, they are that rare fashion item that manages to appeal to the TikTok-addicted Gen Z teen and the most discerning fashion editor. On the short-form video platform, the hashtag #vintagelevis has more than 85 million views. You’ll find clips of teens enthusing over how great the jeans make their bums look. Stylists, industry folk, and hardcore denimheads hunt for and collect 501s, rhapsodising about the details and quirks of different vintages the way wine enthusiasts obsess over Bordeaux—like the vaunted “Big E” selvage 501s produced before 1971, where the Levi’s branding on the signature Red Tab is in all caps.