Originally released as the "501 Z," these 1954 501 jeans represent Levi's expansion into new territory. Up to this point, Levi's were primarily worn out West, where they had earned a loyal following. East Coasters, however, were largely unfamiliar with this button fly work pant.

In order to familiarize the East Coast with this American classic, Levi's took the original 501 Shrink-to-Fit jean and replaced the classic button fly with a zipper, and named it the "501 Z." It retained all the other details loved by longtime wearers: the famed silhouette, rivets and tough-but-flexible denim. Eventually, retailers began providing customers with both options—the 501 jean and its zippered brother, the 501 Z.

Today, Levi's recreated the latter in classic selvedge denim for these 1954 501 jeans to help tell the story of the 501 and its evolution through the decades.

The only 501 with a zipper instead of a button fly, originally released as the "501 Z"

This jean retains the famed silhouette, rivets and tough-but-flexible denim loved by longtime wearers

LVC worked with a Japanese artisan mill to painstakingly recreate 1950s Levi’s selvedge denim

Double-needle arcuate stitching

Two back pockets with concealed rivets

Made in Japan by expert artisans using traditional techniques