The Fascinating Reason Why These $900 Distressed Levi's Exist
It’s one thing to make a pair of expensive distressed jeans, but Levi’s Vintage Clothing's $900 501s take the cake. In fairness, these Levi’s Vintage Clothing 1917 Homer Campbell 501s are more than just a fancy pair of pants.
For this limited edition run of 501 jeans, Levi's replicated a pair of jeans made and worn almost 100 years ago. Do these jeans look like they were exhumed from some miner’s grave? Abso-freaking-lutely. In fact, that’s the point.
Feast your eyes on all the exhaustive, tiny details that Levi’s craftspeople handstitched into each and every rip and tear, making these truly a work of sartorial art. No wonder they cost $900.
For real, zoom in and see the tears on the cuffs, which Levi’s recommends you roll up to show off the selvedge.
Peep the replaced suspender buttons on the waist and rope precariously holding the fly together and marvel at the sheer tenacity of the workmanship.
But the real beauty of these 501 jeans is that, despite their end-of-life look, you can actually wear them, unlike other pairs of centuries-old Levi’s that are better off encased under a museum’s glass.
The story behind Levi’s Homer Campbell 501s is as fascinating as all of the artistry it took to produce them.
Their namesake reportedly bought them way back when Levi’s 19th-century marketing team promised a free pair of jeans to workers who returned their ripped dungarees, such was Levi’s belief in the quality of its own denim.
When Campbell returned the jeans after three years of brutal wear — having worn his 501s six days a week every week — they were barely clinging on to life, and they also included a lot of modifications that he made himself.
Campbell himself padded the knees, added a tool pocket, and replaced buttons as they fell off, creating a pair of jeans unique to his own needs. All of these DIY modifications are meticulously reproduced here, based on the actual pair that Levi’s has held onto for a century. The jeans even come with a replica of the letter that Campbell sent the manufacturer when he returned them for a fresh pair, the typical level of detail that premium-priced Levi's Vintage Clothing typically applies to its drops.
Only 250 pairs of the 1917 Homer Campbell 501s were made for the American market and all of them sold out, which is saying a lot, given their price point (it'd cost you over $180,000 if you purchased every pair at retail). Another round of them will be available in Japan starting on December 22, there’s still a chance to buy, if you're a diehard denim collector.
Not only do the Homer Campbell 501s look good, but they’re a conversation piece. Just try not to get too into recounting the history of the jeans (and American denim) when you wear them to brunch. Or do, because that’s what you shelled out for in the first place.
