Levi’ s® Vintage Clothing announces the limited edition “1870 Nevada Jeans,” a reproduction of one of the oldest surviving pairs of blue jeans in the Levi Strauss Company archives. The jeans will be sold by lottery at the official Levi’s® online store starting Wednesday, May 20, 2026, and will also be available at select Levi’ s® stores.
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The story of Levi' s® denim before the birth of 501® The birth of Nevada, characterized by the tool pocket located on the left thigh
In the 1870s, just five or six years after the start of jeans production by Levi’ s®, the The waist overall, created just five or six years after Levi’s® began producing jeans in the 1870s, is the embodiment of the brand’s primitive form. It was also a pioneering piece of what the world widely recognized as denim. While the design closely resembles the structure that would later evolve into the iconic 501®, the defining feature of this original is the tool pocket located on the left thigh. Early Levi’ s® models with this distinctive pocket were later dubbed “Nevada” by archival researchers and enthusiasts, after the region where they were found.
1870 Nevada JeansRecreating workwear from the early days, including the technology that gave birth to blue jeans
The details of the “1870 Nevada Jeans” that faithfully reproduce the specifications of the time include a leather patch in the center of the back, a back pocket on the right side only, and the world’s first blue jeans, which were patented in 1873. The back pocket is made of metal rivets for reinforcing the pockets, which were patented in 1873 and symbolized the birth of the world’s first blue jeans, sewn-on buttons, watch pockets sewn on the waistband, denim pocket pouch fabric, and leather washers on the backs of the rivets. Each of these details recreates the early days of American workwear.
Specially developed fabric with Cone Mills, rigid and 'kibata'
1870 Nevada Jeans’ fabric is made from dead stock Cone Denim White Oak rigid denim (room state denim). The entire production process is done in the U.S. and is available in extremely limited quantities. The fabric is lightweight and untreated, developed exclusively for this special project with the historic Cone Mills company exclusively for Levi’s ®️ Vintage Clothing. The jeans are unwashed and rigid, and are finished in the same “kibata” condition as in the 1870s, without any shrink-proofing, pilling, or other finishing processes.
Paul O'Neill talks about the specialness of the 1870 Nevada JeansWith rare tool pockets, we put our heart into recreating one of the oldest jeans in the archive
Design Director of Levi’ s® Vintage Clothing Director Paul O’Neill says, “The Nevada is one of the oldest jeans in our archives, dating back to our early production days.” He says, “Nevada is one of the oldest jeans in our archives, dating back to our early production days. The secret to what makes the Nevada so special is the tool pockets mentioned earlier. Since the tool pocket was only used for a very short period of time, the brand thought that the most appropriate way to revive this special pair of jeans in the modern age was to produce them in the U.S. using American-made fabrics, just as it was done in those days.
[ Sales outline ]
Price: ¥99,000 (tax included)
Stores: Levi’ s® Harajuku Flagship Store, Levi’ s® Store Shinjuku, Levi’ s® Store Osaka, Levi’ s® Store Nagoya Zero Gate, Levi’ s® Store Kyoto
Contact: 0120-099-501 (Levi Strauss Japan K.K.)
