Pean to Lee denim and modern repros

[One Drop]

Oh yeah. The term for the opener was Church Key.
View attachment 712909

We just called it a can opener. We learned to use it very young to open the big cans of apple juice we drank gallons of per week. I had forgotten all about until I saw them opening the beer cans in the movie, one opening on each side of the can so the air could escape while pouring through the other triangular hole.

 

[Bamaboots]

We just called it a can opener.

I should have said slang term. As a kid, I never got an explanation for why it was called that.

 

[Pandemic]

Reminds me of my old army mate FRED:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field_ration_eating_device

 

[Hurricane Jack]

When Lee first came out with jeans cut for girls the zipper was on one side seam on the hip. Yrs later I can remember my two youngest aunts wearing those.

 

[One Drop]

When Lee first came out with jeans cut for girls the zipper was on one side seam on the hip. Yrs later I can remember my two youngest aunts wearing those.

They were enormously popular with women of the era, from what I understand. I imagine Norma's jeans having something to do with that !

 

[Pandemic]

Any advice on shopping for a vintage 101J? Are there certain labels or eras to look out for?

 

[One Drop]

Any advice on shopping for a vintage 101J? Are there certain labels or eras to look out for?

There are almost always a few excellent examples available on Etsy or eBay, anything in decent shape from the '50s or early '60s will be very pricy, but great examples from the late '60s and '70s remain affordable, costing the same or less than modern reissues. The jacket design and materials remained unchanged at least until the mid or late 70s.

It's pretty easy to date them to within a few years, using the following label charts :

https://attach.mobile01.com/attach/201508/mobile01-9c06347209185021cf9d837a8803e991.png

Check out the general info in the links in the original posts on this thread for more information, such as the Washing instructions that appeared in the early '70s on all Lee items, etc.

Be aware the jacket was also sold in Regular and Long versions, always indicated on the label with an R or L after the size on the label.

 

[Pandemic]

^
Very helpful, thank you! Not too fussy about true vintage, but prefer a shorter length and no hand warmers. I like the TCB repro because the sleeves aren’t too full, but if I can find a 70s jacket for less I’ll start there.

 

[Bfd70]

OK Lee fans, do they do (or someone else repro) a version of the 101Z like those of the mid-50s?

I’ve pored over the sizing charts for far too long trying to understand how this could be an 8” opening (found on the current version):

View attachment 708452


View attachment 708454

That looks more like 9” to me, well proportioned to the boots. I know from experience that, while 8” hems will just cover engineer boots, they look pretty bad. A bit like an big L shape in profile

For my boot size 8” is great. I can even go down to 7.5. 9 is too baggy knee down

 

[Pandemic]

There are almost always a few excellent examples available on Etsy or eBay, anything in decent shape from the '50s or early '60s will be very pricy, but great examples from the late '60s and '70s remain affordable, costing the same or less than modern reissues. The jacket design and materials remained unchanged at least until the mid or late 70s.

It's pretty easy to date them to within a few years, using the following label charts :

https://attach.mobile01.com/attach/201508/mobile01-9c06347209185021cf9d837a8803e991.png

Check out the general info in the links in the original posts on this thread for more information, such as the Washing instructions that appeared in the early '70s on all Lee items, etc.

Be aware the jacket was also sold in Regular and Long versions, always indicated on the label with an R or L after the size on the label.

How does a late 1970s 220 differ from a 101J?

 

[One Drop]

How does a late 1970s 220 differ from a 101J?

I don't know, and haven't been able to find the answer anywhere. They dropped the 101 moniker at the same time the jeans changed to 200 series, apparently, and I've seen it mentioned once or twice that the quality of the denim changed, but I have no proof or experience that that's the case.

 

[Pandemic]

I don't know, and haven't been able to find the answer anywhere. They dropped the 101 moniker at the same time the jeans changed to 200 series, apparently, and I've seen it mentioned once or twice that the quality of the denim changed, but I have no proof or experience that that's the case.

Interesting. To my untrained eye, the late 70s 220 looks the same as the 101J, with more significant changes coming in around 1980. Maybe it was nothing more than a label/nomenclature change.

 

[Pandemic]

The seller lists this one as ‘made in China’. Would that mean it’s a recent re-issue?

 

[One Drop]

The seller lists this one as ‘made in China’. Would that mean it’s a recent re-issue?

View attachment 723603 View attachment 723604

Looks like the Lee Japan 'American Riders' series, Made in China, I recognised the traceability label tht line has, and the sepcs line up with this version. I'm not a fan of the look of the slightly worn denim anf it's colour, the high contrast stitching, and I think the length is a bit longer than vintage specs in keeping with modern tendencies :

https://lee-japan.jp/features/american_riders.html

https://edwin-mall.jp/shop/g/gLM810...483.444747534.1755419580-410156905.1755419580

I just came across the Lee Japan Archives site, it seems they've recently launched a series of reissues that look amazing and are priced really well, you can order them directly from Japan. If you click on the Buy button on any of the models it takes you to the Edwin site, that has better descriptions, superb measurement and fit information, including expected shrinkage, and offers the option of single or chain stitched hemming.

If I was buying a 101-J today I'd order one of the versions here, the early Cowboy one is cool with the earlier pre Rider buttons, and they made the Westerner jackets and pants available again in the original Sateen fabric - I've been looking for the latter for ages to match my MIJ reissue jacket, unfortunately they are already sold out on my size.

The Storm Rider 101-LJ on the site is the nicest reissue I've seen in years, with the Alaskan wool/cotton unattached denim hemmed blanket liner, proper LH twill, and the price is exceptional.

The various 101 jeans and dungarees all look superb as well, with period correct features, measurements, and denim types, including the narrow loom selvedge on the earliest ones and the single selvedge on the '62 version.

https://lee-japan.jp/features/lee_thearchives.html

There's a cool comparison page that compares the features of the Archives model that serves as a useful data point for the historical changes, as the Archives series is based on copying exactly various vintage pairs they find and base the models on rather than generic models that make approximate copies or that mix features from different years, as the European 101 series models tend to do.

https://lee-japan.jp/features/archives_detail.html

 

[Pandemic]

^
Well there goes my morning, as I scroll through and try to cypher those pages!

The only thing I don’t see is size charts

 

[One Drop]

^
Well there goes my morning, as I scroll through and try to cypher those pages!

The only thing I don’t see is size charts

If you click on the Buy icon for each model, it takes you to the Edwin site in Japanese (I use the Translate page feature in Safari or Chrome). Once there, Scroll down towards the bottom for sizing info, (underneath the expandable Product Description and Product Information sections), if you click on the Double Window Icon (see below, on the upper right hand side of the screenshot (to the right of the Japanese characters next to 'Item size'), a new window will open with the full size charts that include body measurements and product measurements:

The Product Description sections include, in the Precautions section when indicated, the expected shrinkage, and any other particularities about the way the denim will wear. Hope this helps, I found it very useful!

 

[Pandemic]

If you click on the Buy icon for each model, it takes you to the Edwin site in Japanese (I use the Translate page feature in Safari or Chrome). Once there, Scroll down towards the bottom for sizing info, (underneath the expandable Product Description and Product Information sections), if you click on the Double Window Icon (see below, on the upper right hand side of the screenshot (to the right of the Japanese characters next to 'Item size'), a new window will open with the full size charts that include body measurements and product measurements:

View attachment 723828



The Product Description sections include, in the Precautions section when indicated, the expected shrinkage, and any other particularities about the way the denim will wear. Hope this helps, I found it very useful!

Thanks again! That seems like very western/modern sizing. I think I’m a 40 in vintage and most Japanese repro versions, but I would be a 38 in this 101J

 

[Pandemic]

I emailed TCB last week to see if they planned to do another run of their 101J repro, the ‘Cat Driver’. Just got a reply to say no

 

[One Drop]

Thanks again! That seems like very western/modern sizing. I think I’m a 40 in vintage and most Japanese repro versions, but I would be a 38 in this 101J

As far as I can tell they are following the original dimensions and non-vanity US sizing of the original models, meaning true-to-size and Western cuts. The measurements of the jeans and jackets are identical to the vintage pairs I own and to the European Lee 101 items (after the slight warm wash shrinkage).

I have a 40" chest and 33" waist, I take the 34" in Lee jeans and the 40" in Lee denim jackets, which I wear on the small side, over 1 layer, and usually open.

I'm sorely tempted to sell one of my two vintage 101-Js and my '70s unwashed Storm Rider and picking up this Storm Rider in their place, it's a perfect repro and that Alaskan blanket lining is really nice.

 

[Pandemic]

As far as I can tell they are following the original dimensions and non-vanity US sizing of the original models, meaning true-to-size and Western cuts. The measurements of the jeans and jackets are identical to the vintage pairs I own and to the European Lee 101 items (after the slight warm wash shrinkage).

Good to know! I have a 38” chest and want to wear this over a button-down shirt at the office. Typically wear jackets on the slim side, though if like this to be comfortable enough for all-day wear.

I have a 40" chest and 33" waist, I take the 34" in Lee jeans and the 40" in Lee denim jackets, which I wear on the small side, over 1 layer, and usually open.

I'm sorely tempted to sell one of my two vintage 101-Js and my '70s unwashed Storm Rider and picking up this Storm Rider in their place, it's a perfect repro and that Alaskan blanket lining is really nice.

Looking forward to your review. That’s a bit more than I’m willing to pay for my first Lee jacket. Now that TCB is out, I’m looking at one of the cheaper Japanese ‘Rider’ repros or a vintage 220.