Launching today – for all you denim loving patriots – at the Levi Strauss & Co. flagship store in San Francisco (Union Square) is the Levi’s Tailor Shop, a one-of-a-kind customization area with special goods and services. The LS&CO folks have outfitted the Tailor Shop with a chain stitch machine, an embroidery machine and a darning machine (for repairs or maybe just to get the repaired look). At the tailor shop you can also make your own buttons, choose vintage patches, screen print to fully customize your jeans.
In addition to all of the customization equipment there are also a few special displays of 50 vintage trucker jackets with chain stitch embroidery (one for each state; my two favorite states pictured below), collections of vintage labels, back packets, back patches and an array of famous Levi’s red tabs. The good people at Levi’s even tapped Field Notes to create special red white and blue limited edition notebooks – something I’m sure Draplin loved doing. (Side note: when is the rest of that documentary going to be released? WTF!)
The shop’s displays are made from industrial tables, racks and bins from Steele canvas, Grainger and our friends at Cleveland Art. Good stuff. From what I hear, The Tailor Shop has a bunch of new stuff coming down the road – so stay tuned. Now if they can just open one in New York City…
An answer to prayer.
I think this sums it all up
Truly have added this shop to top of list to budget for a custom denim jacket that will last the rest of my life,just like my bicycle.
How appropriate for you to post this on the 4th of July!
times article on the Declaration of Independence
Here’s what I said on Facebook last night about this very subject that included an LA :
“Nathaniel Bliss, my great…grandfather fought in 3 companies during the American Revolution. His DNA coming through to post his on the day of our Independence.USA, a young country, but… we really do wear denim in the best possible way, out of all the others.(Japanese denim, the current rage, is woven on exported American looms abandoned in the early 1960s!!)
Let’s celebrate being part of this Tribe!d”
S Y N C H R O N I C I T Y
Thank you and Aloha,
Emma
Die for this moment….God bless America
Love this. Going to have to plan a trip out to SF. Also great to see the book ‘Quilts of Gee’s Bend’ in that last picture. They have some good taste for sure.
Cool and designy, but I’ll stick with Pointer Brand. They never left.
some type of online form of this would be super cool. As an American I would consume that 100%. Hearts
It is cool that Levis is starting to listen to denimheads, now if they’d just re open 1-2 American factories every frew years i’d be inclinded to pay retail for their product.
-RF
And change the back-pocket arcuate back to the shallower-curve style from maybe 8 or 10 yers ago…
If they open 1 or 2 factories in America I’d pay a premium.
Great article. Can’t wait to check it out.
P.S. Are those Carl Chiara’s ’47 501s on the wall? The patchwork is recognizable.
those are definitely Carl’s
It sure would be nice if Levi would return to manufacturing in the US, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. I couldn’t believe it when they decided to close down their SF factory back in the early 2000s. It had been in operation since the early 1900s. It is now a school. I guess the cost of maintaining one’s heritage/history has its limits.
Levi actually still produces a small part of its goods in the US. Above all the company has been hard at work to ensure it takes back some of its production back in the US.
Of course they are trying to balance that with ensuring they keep competitive price of the bulk of their customers, not an easy task but they will figure it out I am sure.
In the meantime, this is a great step forward.
Levi does not produce anything in the US. All of their US factories are closed. They use subcontractors for any and all Stateside production.
Well, at least it’s ony 400 miles away and not the 3,000 everything else is in New York. Trip in September. I now have stop number one.
I love this. Reminds me of the new Danner Factory Store just opened a couple weeks ago in Portland. The trend of factory-flavored retail stores is quite welcome.
LVC (Levi’s Vintage Clothing) is producing part of its line in the US.
4 different white t’s, 2 jackets and 9 different versions of the 501’s (from 1890 to 1966).
They are not made in Levi’s owned factories (but made in US regardless).
Denim fabrics are also made in US by Cone Mills (all selvedge).
Next year product offering will expand.
Good to hear Maurizio. I hope the trend towards US-based manufacturing continues and begins to include more items (button-ups, non-denim trousers, sweatshirts, etc.). I really feel that would enhance the appeal of the line for those seeking authentic American heritage garments.
Edit:
Maurizio: I’m assuming this list is for the upcoming Fall collection, as I was under the impression that for the Spring ’10 re-launch of LVC the only garments produced in the US were the non-sanforized, “rigid” jeans. T’s were made in Portugal and jackets made in Turkey.
I’ve been to the Cone mills in North Carolina. Nice guys, lots of denim history there.
7th picture down from the top of page… where can I get a jacket like that?!
If only it was available online…
Well, I guess for the sake of authenticity/scarcity.
Actually, that jacket was in stores early this spring. It also came in a off white twill? I believe, with a cinch-back.
I guess I have one more reason to hit up San Fran!
wow. finally.
Texture, patina, reality.. this is what we yearn for. Hand made.
Any SF folks please correct me if I’m wrong, but the flagship store has had a service area like this in the past. (I’m thinking circa 2005?) It wasn’t quite as Americana oriented, but the services were basically the same. “We’ll add things to your jeans, mess them up, and we’ll call it custom/tailored.”
I have to say… this shop seems disingenuous.
I should probably note that I wear foreign-made 501 shrinks, and I am aware of how that colors my opinion.
Evan, you’re not wrong. I went there in 2000 and they had similar stuff available. I wonder if the hot-tub is still there so you can shrink-to-fit jeans. http://www.metroactive.com/papers/sfmetro/11.08.99/style-9943.html
To the jeans in the picture hanging on the wall.. I’ve been searching all my life for you.
They’re so perfect it makes me sad because I probably can’t have them.
Evan/Rebecca – the STF hottub is long gone and yes, there has been a shop that offers some sort of customization for quite sometime. It should be noted though that it has been totally redone. Gone are the bedazzled iron-ons that could be applied by anyone. What they have now are true vintage machines and a Master Tailor to alter/customize.
I’m curious to know how this seems disingenuous?
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