Vintage Levi's Jeans Guide - Rear Pockets



                                 
                            Era:First Edition
                            This was the first pocket that appeared on Levi's jeans.  The arcurates were freehand,
                            meaning that the design was sewn by hand by the person making the jeans.  This continued
                            until modern techniques were devised to sew the design in, thus making it more 'standardized'
                            Jeans with this type of pockets are usually valued at many thousands of dollars.  In fact, a collector
                            paid $60,000 USD for a pair of the oldest jeans on eBay, June 15,2005. Speaking of eBay, Levi
                            Strauss also paid $46,532 for a pair back in 2001 reported to be the oldest known pair in existance.
                         
                                                          
                                                            One of the oldest known remaining pairs of Levi's

                             
                            Era: War time edition  
                             These pockets were used during World War II when there were rationing of thread.
                             any detail that had no effect on the garment and was for decorative purposes only was
                             banned.  The arcurates were actually painted on by hand and very few remaining pieces
                             still have their paint because it washed off or flaked off after wearing. A pristine pair of WWII
                             jeans with or without their paint can fetch well into the thousands of dollars from a collector.
                            Of course a pair with the paint would fetch on the higher side of a pair without.


                              
                            Era:Post War - 1966
                            The arcurate design made its reappearance on this post war design
                           
                           
                            
                             Era:1966-Onward
                              The more modern arcurate design, not as deep as in previous versions.