Vintage Levis 501XX-47

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PATTERN LABO.My name is Ikasan.

By tearing apart good old vintage clothing, thinking about it, and fantasizing about it, I am striving to make current manufacturing more interesting.
For more information, please visit the PATTERN LABO. website.
https://ikajum.jp/
Here, we will discuss the results of destroying and examining vintage items from the perspective of a super maniac.

What is the 501XX-47 model?

Levi's 501XX jeans are commonly known as the 47 model, but 47 refers to the approximate age of the jeans.
These jeans are the 501XX, which is said to have been produced after the end of production of the S501XX (war model) in 1945 and 1946 after World War II until the early 1950s.

If you want to express it as post-war, wouldn't it be 46?
Some people may feel that way.
The reason why it is not called 46 is that 1946 was a transition year, and the 46 model exists as one of the rarest 501XX.

It is also called a ONE SIDE tab because the logo on the tab attached to the back pocket is only on one side.

There is Vintage, but 47 also has detailed age classifications such as early type and late type.
Judging from the width of the belt loops and the length of the side stitching, we can probably guess that the one we disassembled this time is the earlier model.

That's all for the explanation about 47, and I would like to focus only on the individual I saw this time and look at it from my own perspective.

About silhouettes

"Straight silhouette with less tapering"

"Slightly thin straight"
"47 is refreshing"
If you do some research, you'll find a variety of opinions.
What actually happens?
There is no doubt that it is straight, but is there really a difference between the generations with the same 501?
I was curious, so I checked the 47, double-sided tab, and early 66 that I have.
This is just a reference since it's about the model I have at my place, but there wasn't that much of a difference, but I do feel that the 47 has a stronger tapered feel and a deeper rise.
However, it was clearly different! Please note that this is not the case.

About the fabric

I don't know much about fabrics, but I feel like fabrics from this era have a unique feel.
It has a rough feel to it, or rather, it has a rough feel to it in a good way.

back pocket

The bulge at the beginning of the pocket hit

The beginning of the pocket slam is bulging.
Of course, there are individual differences, but this is the case in most cases.
This is because hidden rivets must be avoided.
In other words, it can be said to be used to hide the seam allowance for hidden rivets.

Hidden rivet cut position

The notch for the hidden rivet is on the side.
You can feel Levi's commitment to hidden rivets in the position of this notch.
Hidden rivets are made in a special way, so you need to make a notch in the seam allowance of the pocket opening.
Where should I make that notch?
This is important.
"Edge of Pocket"
"Position about 1.5cm from the edge of the pocket"
Either.
Both types of products exist in the world, but for Vintage Levi's, in my opinion, it is 100% the former.
That doesn't mean there is no difference either way.
The position of the notch will change depending on what you are aiming for.

belt loop

Belt loops are long.
Since it was an early model of 47, it had a 1.5cm wide loop and was 7.5cm long.
Even though it's 7cm long, it's even longer.
By the way, if I were to create a pattern on this 47 base with the instructions to "leave it to you" according to my current manufacturing style, I might make the loop length 7 cm.
The reason is that some sewing machines that automatically attach belt loops can only make belt loops up to 7 cm. Can I use autobelter? Should I use it or not?
Aside from that, I think I'll make it so that it can go either way.

coin pocket

When I look at a lot of Vintage 501s, there are many that have distorted pockets.
The same is true not only for disassembled items but also for patterns made using VINTAGE501 as a reference for work.
However, as you can see, the folded width is not very uniform.
From this, we can infer that the coin pocket may not have been ironed and was left to the care of the seamstress.
The shape of the beginning, like the back pocket, is quite distinctive for this individual.
What I think here is that it probably swells to accommodate the seam allowance.
One of the factors is that the pocket opening is folded backwards between the pocket slamming part and the pocket opening.

Side and crotch seam allowances

The old 501XX has a narrow seam allowance at the crotch.
The side seam allowances are also thin.
I can't say it's 100% because the stitching is uneven, but at the time there were no interlocks (sewing machines that combined ground stitching and lock stitching), so the ground stitching and lock stitching were sewn separately.
So, I can imagine that it would have been more efficient to have the crotch seam allowance and the side seam allowance the same, resulting in a seam allowance of about 8mm.
I'm sure there must be some other reason behind the 8mm size, such as the presser width.

Whatever it is...
The more I know about it, the more I feel like it's a world that I can't explain.

Back yoke (mountain joint) sewing

The seams are misaligned.
The fundamental reason for this is that the CB is at the center of the stitch, not on the transition line.
This is due to the effect of how to take the seam allowance for rolled stitching, but when looking at the transition line as a base, the seam allowance differs by 1 cm and 2 cm on the left and right sides.
Even so, since the left and right sides are cut in 2 pieces, this part where the diagonal cuts intersect will be misaligned.
Therefore, the amount of misalignment changes depending on the angle of the switch, and now seamstresses are often able to match them well. If you want to shift, just let us know.
However, it's amazing how you can match the seams perfectly with rolled stitching.

belt attachment

This belt attachment can actually be seen as a quite important point.
When I look at the era and compare it with denim brands other than Levi's, I get the feeling that each company was particular about their specifications.

Upper front belt attached

The stitching on the upper side of the belt is sewn with a lockstitch to avoid the risk of it coming undone by dropping one stitch on the body and bending it into an L shape. (Maybe it's because if you sew it straight, it might interfere with the wings.)
The bottom side of the belt is chain stitched, so you need to make sure to press it with the top stitch.

lower front belt attachment

The process is the same as the top front until it falls onto the body, but this time it is sewn in a V-shape.
Because of this V shape, it is often read as V stitch.
And how do we fit this V shape? This is also where the current manufacturing process comes into focus.
This is because the shape of this V gives the impression that there are quite a lot of individual differences, so there is no such thing as ``This is the correct VINTAGE!''.
Actually, there is no right answer to most things.
This individual is completely different, but I often place the end of the V stitch in the position where I press the button.
You could say it's good because it gives you a guide for when to press the button, but I don't think it's that important.
This is because it is possible to hit the button without checking the position in the first place, so I think it is difficult to decide which is more efficient considering the time and effort it takes to aim at the button at the sewing stage.
Please take a look at the jeans you have.

Crotch opening

This crotch part is called komata.
The sewing here is also incredibly deep.
But this time, the sewing thread here is thick. Let me touch on that.

front pocket opening

Should I save 1mm?
I always face this problem. It's actually a very troubling point.
First of all, one important thing.
I don't cut only the curves and seam allowances, and I think it's better not to do that when it comes to denim.
This is because if it is cut, it may stand out as a stain when the color fades.

buttons and rivets

button

Can you see that there is a rod running through the back of the button?
This is good.
This is because subsequent buttons will no longer have this shape.
Did I mention it when I wrote about 506XX and 507XX?

rivet

Although it is quite difficult to see, the engraving on the upper side (round hole side) is on one side.
After that, it changes to marking on both sides, but when installing a rivet, there is a huge difference in speed between recognizing and checking the front and back side and hitting regardless of the front and back sides.
I made a mistake. Nothing like that happens and all good things happen.
In the end, the efficiency was better than the cost of engraving on both sides.
It's also interesting to think about it.

This is a hidden rivet.
It looks different from the rivets on the front.
The fact that they understood that there were disadvantages to attaching the same rivets as the front pockets and used them differently shows that they were very particular about attaching rivets to the back pockets.
When you think about it like that, you start to love the hidden rivets that aren't kind to your butt.
By the way, I like hidden rivets as a specification, but when I focus on wearing them, I don't like them that much.

so,
It was fun this time too!

LEVI'S LEVI'S 501XX-47 This is it.