By Natalie Hughes
Born in 1873 and loved by everyone from Hailey Bieber to Patti Smith, this is the story of the first and original jean
They’ve been worn by a cowgirl poet, an astronaut, a bull rider, and too many rock stars to count. If you hadn’t guessed, we’re referring to Levi’s legendary 501 jeans, which remain a wardrobe staple some 152 years after they were first created.
In a century and a half, the 501 has seen it all, from 20th-Century wartime restrictions to Nineties grunge. It has appeared on-screen (upon Marlon Brando in The Wild One) and on-stage with Patti Smith, Bob Dylan, and Snoop Dogg. It has witnessed both the launch of the iPod (as Steve Jobs’ jean of choice) and the fall of the Berlin Wall. It has been immortalised by Bruce Springsteen on the cover of ‘Born in the USA’; walked the red carpet; and travelled to space (well not quite, but almost). That’s a lot of history to cover. Luckily, we managed to steal some time with Levi’s resident historian Tracey Panek, who knows everything there is to know about the brand’s iconic jeans.
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“The 501 began as a simple work pant,” Panek says. It was Nevada tailor Jacob Davis who came up with the idea of adding tiny metal pieces to strengthen pockets. These riveted trousers gained quite the following, so much so that Davis wrote to his fabric supplier, Levi Strauss & Co., proposing that they partner on a patent. “On ‘501 Day’ – 20th May, 1873 [the patent] was granted, and the modern blue jean or riveted denim pant was born.” Levi’s ‘9Rivet’ jean, which dates back to 1873 or 1874, is safely stored in the brand’s Archives, in a fireproof safe, only occasionally making it out for museum exhibitions.
There’s something wonderfully democratic about the 501, having been worn by farm workers and A-list celebrities alike, and for more than a century. Part of the jean’s appeal is that it looks good on just about everybody, thanks to the versatile, straight fit, complete with button fly and classic five pockets. Let’s not forget, it is the blueprint for every pair of jeans in existence today.
Marilyn Monroe wearing the 701s
Sunset Boulevard//Getty Images
“The 501 jean has changed very little over the years,” says Panek. “The biggest changes came during World War II, when wartime restrictions led to the removal of the back cinch and painted Arcuate stitching on the back pockets.”
Otherwise, over the years, Levi’s has introduced some additions to the 501 family, including a 501 for women, in 1981. Contrary to popular belief, the Levi’s famously worn by Marilyn Monroe were not, in fact, the 501, but the 701 – Levi’s first jean for women – which was introduced in the 1930s. Inspired by the men’s 501, it had a higher waist, an adjusted fit, and came in lighter-weight denim.
There is also the baggier, lower-slung, 501 ‘90s and the skate-inspired 501 ‘93, as well as cropped and skinny versions. As for collectable 501 jeans to look out for, Panek recommends keeping your eyes peeled for ‘redline’ selvedge, made before the mid-1980s from denim woven on shuttle looms.
Winona Ryder wearing the 501s
Ron Galella Collection// Getty Images
We quiz Panek on some of the most interesting 501 wearers she’s encountered. “Some of the most inspiring 501 fans I’ve met are women like Phyllis Gould, a WWII Rosie who was one of the first three women welders at the Kaiser Shipyards in Richmond, California,” she says. “She advocated for these women to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor, something finally granted to these Rosies in 2024.”
See too Georgie Connall Sicking, a cowgirl poet who broke her first horse at the age of nine. “She wore only Levi’s 501 jeans despite being ridiculed by other women who told her she’d never marry or have children [and] wrote a poem called, ‘Be Yourself,’ emphasising her ethos to her children.”
Another notable 501 wearer is Sally Ride, the first American woman in space. Panek says, “Sally died in 2012, but I met her partner, Tam O’Shaughnessy, who shared Sally’s lifelong love of Levi’s and a photo of Sally wearing her favourite Levi’s 501 jeans, with blown-out knees, to a NASA training in New Mexico a year before she became the most famous woman in the world.” It didn’t quite make it to space, but that doesn’t make the 501 jean any less stellar.
This article originally appeared on harpersbazaar.com/uk
