There is a select group of products that serve as the unofficial, universally agreed-upon standard for their respective category. They aren’t necessarily the original and often not the overall best, but society has deemed them the standard bearers.
Some of the best clothing examples are Schott leather jackets, Hanes plain white t-shirts and J.Crew chinos. But no item has cornered its cultural market like Levi’s 501 Jeans.
Dating back to the 1950s, when denim invaded pop culture, successive generations have consistently chosen the little red tab over any competitor. Even though familiarity has gone a long way, the value of Levi’s jeans continues to win over even the most discerning denim heads.
While Levi’s offers a staggeringly deep catalog of fits, with options constantly shuffling in and out, the 501 has stood firm as the flagship model for over half a century. The success of the design comes down to a neutral cut that, as long as it’s the right size, is flattering to virtually every body type.
Personally, my favorite detail about the 501 is that every pair, by definition, has a button fly. A zipper may be easier, but the signed rivets just feel more authentic to me.
