In the world of women’s denim, it all started with Lady Levi’s, Lot 701 — the very first pair of jeans made for the fairer sex — back in 1934.
On Tuesday afternoon, donning white gloves, Levi Strauss & Co.’s archivist and historian Tracey Panek held up the first pair at the brand’s Manhattan headquarters: A deep blue, slim-fit, high-waisted, wide-legged style purchased by Harriet Atwood at a Best & Co. store on Fifth Avenue. “You can see it was a much more feminine fit than what we were producing for men,” Panek said. “But it had some of those same elements that were on our original 501s.”
Levi’s is hoping to bank on its heritage this fall with a new women’s collection called Lot 700. The collection riffs on the signature three-digit nomenclature more commonly used in its men’s styles. “When we decided to relaunch, we thought: How do people refer to Levi’s?” said Karyn Hillman, chief product officer for Levi Strauss & Co.’s Levi’s brand. “Our lot series [for men] is really famous — 501, 511, 513, we can all rattle them off — and it really seemed very appropriate to do that for her, since [the 701] is what we originally started with.”
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Organized by leg shape — ranging from the 710 superskinny to the 711 skinny, 721 high-rise skinny, 712 slim, 714 straight and 715 boot cut — each style will be offered in a range of colors and washes. Hillman explained that the Lot 700 series is built for someone not too straight, not too curvy, but right in between. After comparing 60,000 scans of women’s body types around the world, the brand found that looks from the 700 series fit most, with its range of leg shapes covering most people’s favorite fits.
“We continue to review and evolve all of our fits to make sure they are relevant for the times,” Hillman said. “We don’t just rest and rely on the old. We have got to make sure that the authenticity hits with what happens today.…That marriage of authenticity with modernity is super important to us. Our eyes shift, innovations happen, and we push forward while keeping true to our authentic roots.”
The fall collection will also encompass Levi’s Revel styles, which feature liquid-shaping technology, as well as relaxed and boyfriend styles, curvy and shaping plus styles, and fits designed specifically for Asian women.
The collection, which ranges from $60 to $120, is slated to hit retail doors and levi.com in July.