#Riveting #Reign #Vintage #Denim #Jackets #WorthPoint
As someone from the San Francisco Bay Area, I am deeply familiar with the Levi’s brand. The name Levi’s is almost interchangeable with the word denim and has been around since just after the Gold Rush. When the company began producing jeans in 1873, it primarily created durable workwear for those doing rough and dirty labor. Its use of patented metal rivets ensured that its clothing lasted for a long time. Back then, Levi Strauss & Co. wasn’t focused on fashion. Cowboys wore denim, as did the actors who played them. Denim pants and jackets were utilitarian and made strictly for laborers. But as time went on, denim clothing became popular not only among cowboys and workers but also among the greaser subculture of the 1950s.
Enter the Denim Jacket
In the fifties, celebrity icons such as Elvis and James Dean donned the denim jacket, causing fans to adopt their look. Soon, even women embraced the aesthetic. Denim jackets became associated with the emerging rock ’n’ roll scene and presented a “hardened” exterior to the world. Even today, a throwback look consisting of a denim jacket and greased back hair is considered a “rockabilly” punk style. The Stray Cats rock group is a shining example of the genre.
As the ’60s ushered in the peace and love era, the hippies adopted the jean jacket as their expression of freedom. Martin Luther King Jr. marched on Washington wearing jeans, and political activists took note. Denim became a counter-culture equalizer. Other brands began making the jean jacket as it grew in popularity. However, a Levi’s jean jacket remains the iconic symbol of a rebel (second only to a leather biker jacket).
The jean jacket gained popularity over time and became a fashion statement, thanks to various characters and celebrities such as the Marlboro Man and Bruce Springsteen. Different groups of people wore it in different ways. For example, Western wear lovers kept the trend alive by wearing Dickies, Carhartt, and Wrangler brand jackets during rodeo tours and on the ranch. In Michael Jackson’s 1983 “Thriller” music video, the female character wore a feminine variation of a denim jacket accented with a blue leopard print pattern. After that, women began adorning their denim jackets with all kinds of bedazzling.
A Rocker’s Uniform
Even as jean jackets could be dressed up or down, the rough-around-the-edges crowd still claimed denim as their own. Throughout the ’70s and ’80s, heavy metal and punk rock stars—and the fans who frequented their concerts—showed up to events in their denim jackets as if they were a rocker’s uniform.
A jean jacket continued to accompany concertgoers into the ’90s as an essential part of any grunge lover’s wardrobe. Once again, the jean jacket symbolized one’s affinity with music. Fast forward to 2023, jean jackets are de rigueur for a metal show. However, some modifications must be made to keep in line with the times. Any good metalhead rips the sleeves off their vintage Levi’s jacket, making it into a vest. The back is a canvas for festooning with the best patches, pins, studs, or custom-painted detailing you can imagine. Elaborate skulls or crosses, band names, airbrushed faces, or a simple anarchy symbol create a one-of-a-kind personalized, pit-ready armor. Guys between 18 and 65 are all rocking the look, with or without sleeves.
Inside live music rock venues, such as Vinnie’s in Concord, California, a sea of metal fans show up in altered denim jackets every weekend. As regular attendee Dave Cooper of Lommori Productions told WorthPoint, “A denim vest, in either black or blue, is still the preferred medium for punks and metal heads to showcase their individuality—they put patches and artwork of their favorite bands and create their own unique ‘battle vest.’ It will never go away. Owning one is as vital as owning a pair of Doc Martens or a pair of Converse Chucks.”
Indeed, expressing preference for music has a place on the backs of those paying homage to their favorite artists. It’s an instant way to connect with like-minded individuals inside a crowded room—while bashing against one another.
True rock ’n’ rollers are willing to shell out big bucks to get their hands on an authentic jean jacket from back in the day. Because the age group we are talking about is Generation X, their greatest memories are of the bands they discovered as youngsters. They are searching for legitimate late ’70s to early ’80s jean jackets that may have been at a Kiss or Metallica concert. It’s as if the fabric has the energy of the times, and the sweat expelled while living it is woven into its fibers.
Character Love
There’s also a softer market for denim jackets among Disney and anime fans. Having their favorite characters take center stage on their jacket shows their devotion. It’s a beacon to others who share their sentiment. The image can be either on a patch, airbrushed, or painted. Front, back, or all over—the adornments can be tailored to the fan wearing it, making it the perfect accessory for self-expression. Buying a vintage character jacket from the racks inside a Disney Park is nearly as good as making your own. There’s currently a healthy reseller’s market for those as well.
What Are Vintage Denim Jackets Worth?
Pricing will be all over the board depending on the condition, but generally, the older the denim jacket, the higher the resale price. For instance, a vintage 1940s original 506 Levi’s jacket sold for $10,800 in 2020, while a 1950s 506 Levi’s jacket sold for $2,700 in 2022. You can get an idea of a Levi’s jacket’s age by checking for the brand’s iconic red tabs—before 1971, Levi Strauss & Co. marked its denim with “LEVI’S” in all capital letters, but later denim products featured a lowercase “e” instead. Genuine examples of these older “Big E” jackets, as sellers call them, are worth thousands in the secondary market. Furthermore, rare styles, celebrity-signed, and screen-worn jackets all have hefty price tags.
If you want to learn more about the value of vintage denim jackets, you can check the WorthPoint Price Guide. For example, there are tens of thousands of sold items related to “Levi’s jacket,” so take some time to peruse the listings.
A denim jacket is not just an ordinary piece of clothing. Think of it as a swatch of history that will travel with you while making some amazing memories of your own. More than simply a coat, a denim jacket can be an extension of your personality, displaying to the world what you believe in or what music you love. Now that’s something anyone can get wrapped up in!
Christine Douglas is an Accredited Estate Liquidator with the American Society of Estate Liquidators and a Graduate of the Asheford Institute of Antiques. In conjunction with owning J and C Estate Sales based in the San Francisco Bay Area, she is a 2022 Communicator Awards winner for her work as Associate Editor of 110° Magazine in Brentwood, CA.
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