03 – SELVEDGE TYPE 2 TRUCKER JACKET

History of the Trucker Jacket

Until very recently it was thought that the history of the earliest trucker jackets began around 1905. Workwear and Jackets are nothing that new, but the History of Denim or Duck trucker jackets most certainly starts with Levi’s.

One of the most iconic denim jackets ever made is the 1905 Levi’s Jeans jacket Lot Number 506XX. This Jacket is now called the “Type 1”

But only in the last few years more evidence has come to light, going back a further 31 years – a part of history which was found in a old rubbish dump: The Levi’s 1874 Triple Pleat Blouse.

We can thank writer and researcher Mike Harris, who’s completely rewritten the history of early denim and workwear in his book Jeans Of The Old West, for discovering what is almost certainly the most ancient example of a Levi’s jacket found to date. It was found in an undisclosed location on Nevada

Levi's themselves had known of the jacket but had no sample of the jacket their own archive. On investigation, it turned out that there was an artist’s rendering of the same jacket in the archives – the jacket was in a catalog listing from 1874. Soon after the jacket was acquired by Levis and placed in their Levi’s archives. Rewriting history 1874, not 1905.

The follow-up jacket was the 507XX, also known as Type 2, by Levi’s. The 507XX jacket is the modernised version of the 506XX. The most important switches in this follow-up jacket is that its less boxy than the 506XX, a little bit longer, they added two breast pockets instead of one and removed the cinch back.

Officially the jacket was introduced in 1953. This same year Levi’s introduced their ‘two side’ Levi’s Red Tab.

The first editions of the 507XX jackets were produced with leather patches on the back neck. The later versions have the paper tags. They switched the leather patch into paper patches as it was cheaper in production so as a counter to the growing denim competition in the market. The Levi’s 507XX jacket became the ultimate worker jacket for cowboys, farmers to complete their Tuxedo style.

Although Levi’s heritage and story is solid, in 1921, Lee introduced its’ first “Railroad Jacket”. Designed specifically for railroad workers, it was named the Loco Jacket and was actually tested by railroad workers. At the end of the decade, Lee also introduced the first denim jacket with a zipper closure known as the 91, which could be identified by a house silhouette on the jacket tab. In addition to the name Lee on the label, it was also inscribed with a “UNION MADE” tagline.

Encouraged by the success of the 91, Lee went on to create the Slim Jacket, the first shorter Western-style denim jacket designed for cowboys. Its slanted pockets made it easier for cowboys to reach inside whilst riding a horse and the wide waistband ensured the jacket did not fold upwards. A few years later in 1933, Lee launched one of its most iconic denim pieces to date – the Storm Rider jacket, which was a winter version of the Slim Jacket. It featured an Alaskan blanket lining, and cord collar and cuffs which were added for extra warmth.

After World War 2 a lot of young people were starting to wear jeans in their daily life. They were the rebels who saw soldiers wearing them in their spare time. Until the fifties jeans were not a fashion item, it was only made for laborers and allowed for laborers to wear them during their work. People from the lower class were wearing denim, so it was very uncommon what these young kids did. The youth was also inspired by the upcoming film industry where rebels as James Dean in ‘Rebel Without a Cause’ and Marlon Brando in ‘The Wild One’ were dressed in double denim, white t-shirts and a pair of boots. Later in the early sixties even Marilyn Monroe was spotted in double denim suits.

In 1973 the film Badlands came out with actor Martin Sheen. Martin Sheen has a kind of James Dean look in this cult film. He’s wearing a Levi’s 507XX jacket and a pair of 501XX jeans.

Last but not least, we have the “Type III” Jacket, which is probably the most recognizable jacket style. During the early 1960’s Levi’s introduced the 557XX, also known as the Trucker Jacket. This jacket was a complete modification from the previous jackets, coming in as the first jacket to feature the now famous pointed pocket flaps and a slim fitting cut.

REFERENCES:

[1] http://loomstate.blogspot.com/2012/02/make-minetriple-levis-1874-triple.html

[2] https://www.heddels.com/2013/03/levis-denim-truckerjacket-review-type-i-ii-and-iii

[3] https://www.rokit.co.uk/blog/2019/01/03/the-historyof-the-denim-jacket