As Levi Strauss & Co. historian, I’ve spent over a decade collecting stories about Levi’s® fans of all ages, all over the world. And while Levi’s® products are timeless and the stories they inspire span every season of the year, some of the most unforgettable moments are rooted in the warmth and freedom of summer. From fans waterskiing in Levi’s® cut-offs to hiking Yosemite National Park’s Half Dome in well-worn 501® jeans, here’s a roundup of a few of my favorite Levi’s® summer stories.
Summer Camp Cool — 1959
Lifelong Levi’s® fan Robert Brecko Walker looks back fondly on his first unsupervised summer camping trip as a teenager many moons ago. He was with two high school friends at Strawberry Lake, hundreds of miles from home in Pinecrest, California. As luck would have it, they discovered an all-girls summer camp next door.
“It started out with lots of adventure and promise,” Robert remembered, “but each of our attempted raids was countered by the girls’ camp counselor, Mrs. Caldwell! Certain names you never forget.”
Robert snapped a self-portrait that summer in 1959. The uniform of choice for the trio’s shenanigans? Levi’s® 501® jeans.
“One 16-year-old’s idea of what ‘cool’ looked like,” Robert reflected. “Pomade in the hair, rolled sleeves and unwashed Levi’s®, influenced of course by James Dean and Elvis Presley…[Levi’s® 501® jeans] have been a wardrobe staple for me since 1954.”
Designing a Winning Levi’s® Summer Look — 1974
Jayne Winters was an aspiring New York designer when she came across an ad for a Levi’s® contest in a woman’s magazine. “Help Us Design This Summer’s Levi’s®,” it read. Intrigued, Jayne decided to enter.
“I remember drawing for weeks and weeks until I came up with the design of a denim jeans jacket with a curved yoke inset on the front,” she said.
Jayne submitted her two-piece design to the magazine, including fabric details and notes of colorful embroidery.
“The yoke would have been made from a different fabric background (perhaps a heavy unbleached muslin),” described Jayne. “It was paired with a denim maxi skirt with a fly-style zippered front; and perhaps also an inverted V-shaped inset at the bottom of the skirt matching the jacket’s yoke.”
Jayne’s design won second place in the contest, giving her the confidence to land design work as a freelancer — including, for a time, working for the then-unknown Tommy Hilfiger.
Levi’s® For the Moscow Summer Games — 1980
It was the summer of 1980, and Ari Hyvarinen of Tampere, Finland, was hoping to travel to Moscow to attend the biggest sporting games event of the year. But it was the Cold War and resources were limited — and Ari had no extra money to pay for a trip.
Although limited on funds, he wasn’t limited on creativity. Ari hatched a plan, relying on a coveted American product that could not be purchased behind the Iron Curtain in the then-Soviet Union: Levi’s® blue jeans.
Buying up a stock of Levi’s® jeans in Finland, Ari carefully packed the denim gold into his bags. Once in Moscow, he scouted out the best location — a corner near Red Square — and quietly began offering the jeans for sale, cash only.
Ari’s Levi’s® jeans sold out almost immediately, and his off-market Levi’s® “pop-up shop” financed the entire trip — and Levi’s® became the unofficial denim ambassadors of the world games.
Patching Up A Summer Picnic Quilt — 1990s
Angus Glenn of Pennsylvania, grew up wearing — and working — in Levi’s® jeans. His father was a self-employed tree man, and Angus, his brother and older sister all worked for their father growing up.
“I worked for [Dad] from age 11 to 19 during the Pennsylvania summers,” he explained. “Levi’s® jeans were the family’s unofficial uniform.”
Angus’ family loved their Levi’s® jeans, never throwing them out. After several seasons of hard work, the family’s Levi’s® would be “retired” in a large pile.
“They represent hard work, early mornings, hot days and the effort required to earn a decent living,” said Angus.
In 1993, Angus decided to repurpose the pile into a family heirloom. Picking the seams, stitching, cutting and patching the pants, Angus made a king-size picnic quilt from the legs of the jeans “that had protected [the family] over the years.”
Angus finished the quilt by adding his signature to the back side.
“The picnic blanket has been with us at every outing and BBQ,” he reflected, “and has been complimented and admired by countless people. To me it is a piece of working practical art.”
Summer Concerts at Red Rocks Amphitheater — 2000s
Matt Martinez grew up in Colorado, attending private schools throughout his adolescence. Used to the restrictions of school uniforms, Levi’s® jeans didn’t make their way into Matt’s closet or style until he was well into his teens.
“When I was 15, I bought a pair of Levi’s® 501® jeans,” Matt recalled. “Up until that point in my life I always went to a school where I had to wear a uniform, so when I put on my 501® jeans it always felt like it was…summer or something exciting.”
Matt connects his Levi’s® jeans to fond memories of driving his first car on long summer nights.
“I think of being 15 years old wearing my 501® jeans in the summer. I think about hopping in my 1988 Nissan Pathfinder — a beat up brute of a car — and driving up to Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado, to see a concert with my friends.”
For Matt, these moments are the epitome of his youth.
“Those moments in my 501®s are probably some of the most endearing moments of my life,” he said.
