Levi’s 501 jeans just might be the most iconic piece of clothing ever made.
Yet, the history that took place before they came out in 1890 might actually be more interesting, if not slightly more obscure. Before the US railroad expansion, brand names and product names weren’t as important as they are today. Products were local and personal and there was less competition, if at all.
In the early days, Levi Strauss & Co. simply called its flagship jeans, “XX Waist Overalls” (“XX” for extra-strong denim quality). As their popularity grew, the products needed a lot-numbering system. XX Waist Overalls became the 501 in 1890.
Having amassed a great deal of mythology among enthusiasts, the pre-501 trousers have now been faithfully recreated by Levi’s itself, but they’ll be hard to land.
Legends never die
What established the blueprint for blue jeans as we know them today (so much that TIME named it the “Fashion Item of the 20th Century”), the denim trousers were invented out of practical necessity. With the increase of industry during the mid-1800s, miners, railroad workers and laborers found that their usual pants would tear easily. They needed a solution.
Textile experts discovered that denim served as a suitable way to reinforce pants. But it was Nevada-based tailor Jacob Davis who had the bright idea to use copper rivets to prevent seams from splitting. He partnered with Levi Strauss in 1873, and together they patented the riveted pants design.
