Levi's dan kedai Bundle di Segamat!

Perghh, setelah seminggu dodok kat rumah mak ayah di Segamat ni, memang tak dinafikan ada beberapa benda yang dah berubah pada diri kami sefamili, espesyeli aku. bertambah - berat badan, bintat2 kena geget nyamuk, malas, etc. berkurang - kerajinan, waktu tak tido, eksesais, waktu tak main Wii.

ok2 malas nak citer dan type ape terjadi kat kami seminggu ni..sebab malas tu beratnya dah bertan-tan kat jari-jemari aku.

Tadi lepas sarap roti telur bawang kat sebelah taman bendahara, kami nak pi Giant beli barang dapor. aleh2, aku terrrrsinggah lak kat satu kedai bundle ni. Rambe Bundle.

Perghhh, memang menyingkap kembali nostalgia masa di Melbourne, saat2 aku menyelak2 baju2 sekenhen di kedai2 op shop, savers, salvos, dan sewaktu dengannya. banyak treasures dalam trashesnya di Rambe Bundle ni. Mata aku memang tak tercari2 macam2 kecuali gantungan jeans2 dan jins2 dalam kedai ni.

Levi's melambak2! macam2 cutting termasuklah engineered jeans. Yang aku tak sempat nak jumpa, Big E.

Yang aku perasan, regenya secara relatifnya di bundle ini kurang lebih opp shop di Melbourne. cuma kualiti di Melbourne tu lebih baiklah untuk rege yang ditawarkan. Kat Rambe Bundle ni, Levi's yang nampak cantek lagi, regenya pun makin canteklah.

Tak sempat aku nak belek2 lebih lama, bini aku sudah berteriak manja dari luar kedai "Bang, jomlaaaa!!!" (baca dengan nada marah 20%, manja 70%, dan 10% lagi geram ;p)

Naufal dah mengantuk dan mengamuk nak shushu..haaaiii, kacola anak ayah ni!! ;p

Sempat gak mata aku melirik2 Levi's kepala kain yang digantung2 seperti spesyel jua adanya di satu sudut dinding Rambe Bundle ni. nantilah, aku akan datang lagi..mana tau ada 'rezeki' dan 'jodoh' aku dengan mana2 levi's tu, akan adalah jua 'ole2' untuk aku di segamat ni.. hehehehehe.

Sehingga ketemu lagi wahai Rambe Bundle...jua Nain Bundle, dan kedai2 bundle lain di Segamat. takdak kerja kalu, aku ziarah korang lagi...dan lagi...dan lagi....dan lagi......! ;p


p/s: damainya hidup di Segamat.... :,)

My Personal Collection: Levi's 501xx Big E a..k.a Levi's Big Capital E Part 2

Satu lagi Levi's 501 Big E aku adalah jugak 1966 repro. Kalau tengok reference on how to spot a fake Big E kat internet, memang alhamdulillah, ini bukan fake. Ini memang ori. :)

patch leather -- 501xx 1966 repro

Aku dapat Big E 1966 repro ni juga dari Ebay awal bulan enam lepas.

pandangan belakang

pandangan depan


Tak terfikir pun akan menang bid sebab aku bubuh harga bidding aku tak tinggi mana pun. Aku expect yang aku akan kalah sebab based on pengalaman aku tengok Ebay bidding untuk seluar LVC camni buleh cecah ribuan ringgit. Itupun 2ndhen, 3rdhen dan dah buruk punya pair of Levi's Jeans!

Yang aku dapat ni brand new, unwashed, made in USA tapi ebay sellernya based in France.

Antara ciri2 Big E 1966 reproduction yang aku ingat adalah:

1. Kat bawah button fly atau zip fly tak ada rivet LS&COSF macam sesetengah vintage Big E lain--e.g. 1955 atau Big E 201.

2. Sudah tentulah capital E perlu ada pada sehelai jeans Big E! ;p

3. Kepala kain adalah satu kemestian buat sepasang Big E

4. Kat coins pocket selalunya boleh nampak selvage lining a.k.a kepala kain.
Tapi untuk repro 1966 memang takde.

5. Back pockets untuk 1966 repro ni shape dia empat segi sket. pastu kalau tengok 'V' lines kat pockets belakang ni, curve 'v' tu tak ketara sangat macam levi's jeans yang biasa. seakan2 tengok dah macam huruf 'm' pulak.


contoh v stitches kat back pockets 1966 repro aku.

Ni contoh v stitches yang biasa pada Levi's jeans

6. ciri-ciri untuk 501 pun perlu jugak ditengok. ikutkan seluar big E aku yang ini, oke betul ini memang 501 punya cutting. kalau tengok line untuk tali pinggang sebelah tepi kiri dan kanan, akan attached dengan lining/jahitan lurus kat belakang jeans nih. so, memang sah ini Levi's 501 .

7. Dan satu lagi ciri yang menunjukkan keoriginalan levi's ni adalah ditunjukkan melalui 'finger test'...ni kawan2 bagitaula, kalau salah maklumat aku, maka salahlah maklumat diorg tu jugak..hehehe. Levi's yang ori kita boleh masukkan jari kelingking bawah rivets pocket depan kiri dan kanan. Ini disebabkan jahitannya akan ada lubang sikit antara rivets dengan belt punya lining tu (sebut pun tak pandai, main taram je ;p).


tu ajelah yang aku tau pasal 1966 repro Big E ni. Alhamdulillah puas hati aku. cukuplah dengan koleksi aku ni. pakai pun bukan dapat hari2. tapi bak kata orang, dah ade kat obesey ni, barang2 murah (2nd hand lah banyak), so ambiklah peluang.

ada kawan aku sorang tu siap pesan "kau nanti kalau dah bosan pakai big E yang ni, kau make sure jual kat aku, jangan jual kat orang lain!" hahahahaha....dun wuri brother, aku takkan jual kat sapa2 pun. tapi kau buleh tuntut kat bini aku nanti kalau aku dah arwah (provided tak arwah masa pakai seluar ni la...sanggup ke ko nak pakai? ;p)

So ini surat yang 'konon-konon'nya levi's strauss ni kirim kat akulah sebagai pemilik 501 Big E nih:

p/s: alhamdulillah.

My Personal Collection: Levi's 501xx Big E a..k.a Levi's Big Capital E

So, aku nak sambung sket pasal collection Levi's aku. Kali pasal Big E. Alhamdulillah, aku berjaya jugak dapatkan dua helai Levi's Big Capital E di Australia ni. Big E yang ini aku dapat thru' Ebay. Harga? memang-memang-memang-memang tak terjangkau dek akal para collectors sekelian akan kemurahannya berbanding kualiti yang ada pada jeans nih! Walaupun 2nd hen, tapi masih lagi terserlah nilai ke'vintage'annya dan masih cantik sangat-sangat-sangat untuk dipakai. Seluar ni warna biru tua, straight cut,pre-washed, bukan stonewash, made in USA.

Saiz 34..memang saiz aku.

Aku dah bawak jumpa 2 pakar penilai Big E nih (Encik Zafiri dan Encik Hairil), memang diakui original, memenuhi ciri-ciri Big E yang di percayai 1966 reproduction Levi's Jeans.

Ber'kepala kain' a.k.a selvage---syarat penting keabsahan sehelai Jeans Levi's Big E!

dan yang paling penting sudah tentulah Tab Merah kat poket belakang yang tertera LEVI's dengan huruf E besor!

Syukur alhamdulillah...

Apa kejadahnya Levi's Big E tu? macam mana nak tahu Levi's Big E tu tipu punya?

Apa itu Levi's Big E?
Main carik, main pakai, kalau tak study sket pasal Big E ni rasanya tak boleh nak kata 'real collector' lah kan..hehehe...sebab kenalah ade sket ilmu, baru tau keabsahan dan nilai Big E ni yang sebenarnya...

So,Video-video kat youtube yang aku jumpa ni antara yang paling thorough lah explenesen nya tentang Big E ni. cuba tengok...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aBVRE8uBOg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OI9S9fMTXEY

Seluar Big E ni selalunya memang susah nak jumpa dan MAHAL. kenapa? sebab nilai autentiknya, nilai 'rare'nya, vintagenya, specialnya berbanding pasang2 Levi's yang lain.

Berikut adalah contoh-contoh seluar Levi's Big E yang dijual melalui internet,sanggup ka nak beli kalau betul2 bukan collector? hehehehe....

http://www.vintagetrends.com/Vintage/thumbnails.asp?MC=Vintage&CA=Men&SC=Pants&ST=Levi+Big+E+Jeans

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/LEVIS-503-503BXX-501-501XX-BIG-E-LEATHER-26-X32-/180506368771?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Vintage_Men_s_Clothing&hash=item2a07049b03

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/LEVIS-551-ZXX-Big-E-Jeans-DARK-28W-34L-Made-USA-/140271151023?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Men_s_Clothes&hash=item20a8cfe7af


Ok, bagi collector Levi's LVC ni, memang Big E ni adalah satu 'kemestian' untuk dimiliki, dapat sehelai dua pun jadiklah. Maka berkumpul2lah duit berdikit2 untuk dapatkan Big E pujaan hati. Tapi, malanglah kalau dah kumpul2 duit susah payah, lepas tu bila beli LVC Big E ni mahal2..aleh2 tengok fake! palsu! tiruan! tipu! aduuussss! tu yang seksa jiwa raga tu.

Ni satu website simple citer pasal Levi's Big E:

http://www.levisguide.com/bige/bige.html

Jeans known as "Big 'E' " are generally Levis jeans that were manufactured before 1971. They are noted by the capitalized E on the rear red tab. This identifying feature has to be used in conjunction with other identifying features in order to prove authenticity and differences between originals and reproductions, and fakes.


The famous Big E tab. The (R) on the tab also denotes jeans
Regular more common little e tab.
that were made after 1950 - When the ® started to appear
as Levi's red tab had became a registered trademark.

There are some more defining points to look for.

-3 digit, 555 or J, J21 stampings on the top of the top button indicate a reproduction jean. 501 stamping usually indicate fakes.

-Singe digit stamping on top button indicate authentic vintage jeans

-Offset middle belt loop, Single Stitch Rear Pockets and Lemon colored stitching indicate Real Big E Jeans.

- A V-stitch near the top button could indicate either original or fakes.

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Maka, ini ada satu panduan yang baik jugaklah macam mana nak trace sepasang Levi's Big E tu fake atau tidak. sebelum tu, pada aku, elok juga tahu sejarah perkembangan macam mana wujudnya Levi's Big E ni dan spesifikasi2nya mengikut tahun. Misalnya eh, nampak sangat reproduction atau real Big E tu tipu kalau tab memang cantik tertera Big E tapi seluar tu bukan kepala kain! Ok, kalau nak tahu camno spesifikasi Levi's Big E yang ori dan tiruan, ni aku ambik dari untuk tatapan semua:

Spotting Fake big E Levi's

http://reviews.ebay.com/Spotting-Fake-big-E-Levi-apos-s_W0QQugidZ10000000004420292

With the flow on eBay of big E Levi's, original vintage (pre-1971) or LVC repro, has appeared the usual downside to the popularity of any item: the Counterfeit item (in this case, again as usual, Asian).

Buying vintage Levi's can be tricky for the layman, considering the lack of expertise may be on both sides: the buyer AND the seller. That's why it's necessary to ask the seller as many questions as you need to ask. And if you're not a pro and are not sure what you're buying, or whether the seller is really knowledgeable in the area of vintage denim or not, only bid up to the price you'd pay for the jeans according to their physical appeal to you, NOT to what you think they might be worth.

Most of what authenticates and dates a pair of jeans is in the details: the color of thread used, the position of the patch on the right hip and what it says, the size of the "big E" tab and whether it carries the "registered" logo (circled R), LEVI'S on both sides or not; the shape and size of the pockets, etc, etc... Once again, the trained eye will immediately recognize a pair of vintage Levi's from afar, and will likely be able to make out the time slot it was made in. The same goes for the recent LVC repros, US- or Japanese-made. LVC (US) has purposely made inaccurate copies of their own products (denim quality, shape & size of pockets, thread composition & color, size of, & lettering on red tab, general appearance of final product...), while presenting them as "point-by-point recreations of the original models". As far as I'm concerned, they outta get whacked in the face with a misleading publicity trial for lying so blatantly to a customer base obviously way more specialized than they are in their own past products, but Levi's recent tradition (since 1984) of using their history as a maker of decent and mythical clothing to publicize and hustle low-quality clothing is another topic... As far as I know, the best and most accurate repros around are those licensed to LVC Japan. The lemon stitching is usually used in the right places, the pockets are pretty much positioned correctly, the red tabs they use are the longer more accurate type, the denim has the correct blackish navy hue; even the apparent imprecise stitching is closer to what you'd get in a pair of Levi's before the '60s. Unfortunately, unless you're a very standard (smaller) size, and have connections in Japan, it'll be very hard to impossible to find a pair.

Which leads me to the main topic of this guide: the recent surge of Thai fakes, appearing daily under the "vintage big E 501 Levi's" search. I noticed this around 2006, out of a seller from Osaka, Japan. At first, the jeans they sold looked like really well worn vintage 501s, as if they'd found dozens of them locked up in a mine somewhere for years, after elegant miners had fortunately spent years wiping their palms on the right places (thighs and butts, mostly), without ever wearing them out to the point of making holes. So the jeans were sold as "vintage" while obviously being asian copies, but they looked good, and seemed to be of quite good quality denim. The second (and current) wave that appeared on eBay came from the same sellers, as well as others based in Thailand: the Thai fakes! While the fabric itself doesn't look too bad, the construction is of a way lower grade, and several details blow the whistle on them:

-a redline selvage in the middle of the back belt loop,

-a redline selvage on the change pocket, visible from the outside, not folded and stitched inside the pocket like on the originals. Other variants do have the selvage on the inside, but sewn with a double stitch instead of the normal single stitch.

-leather patches are usually centered on the right instead of being on the far right of the waist, usually of a smaller size, and in the weirdest colors, from off-white to dark brown, or even navy, black, or red.

-if an inside care tag is shown, you can sometimes spot typos or just broken English. They'll usually claim "Made in USA", but in a font never used by Levi Strauss C°.

-a more discreet, but still visible break in the back pocket top stitch (along the line you usually look at for double- or single-stitching). The fabric is folded under the parallel stitches, and let out near the edges of the pockets. On original vintage or repro, this serves to secure these edges with rivets. On these Thai fakes, there may or may not be rivets, but the fabric let out usually sticks out far, which is visible particularly when the jeans are faded. In the following pic, it goes all the way down to the red tab

-the red tab: usually very small, and added on without much care. You can see someone unstitched the old tab, replaced it with the current reading "LEVI'S", and stitched over the old seam, so you know it's been added outside of the factory and initial manufacturing process.*

-more difficult to see, the rises of these jeans are usually lower than normal, to follow the current trend, and perhaps simply because they were cut off Thai models.

As you can see, most of these features can easily be verified, and could help you avoid spending your money on mass-produced fakes.

*I've learned through research that Thai law is much more lenient for vendors than for manufacturers, although the Thais certainly aren't known for tough enforcement of copyright / intellectual property laws in general. There are quite a few manufacturers of fake Levi's, some also manufacturing their own legitimate brands. So it seems in some cases, to protect the factory from scrutiny from the authorities, these manufacturers produce "unmarked" jeans, for smaller workshops to sew labels on later, in more discreet settings, where they can also be hand-distressed, or lent to a local trustworthy derelict to break them in, by actual wear (true story!). The jeans then end up by the dozens on vendors' stalls on street markets, and in some specialized stores. Apparently small vendors risk little more than getting whipped with a bamboo stick in public, and/or their merchandise and money confiscated (stolen) by the local police. The local labor being so cheap explains how some eBay sellers find obvious interest in selling $5-10 jeans around $59-79 as BINs, when originals would easily get bids upwards of $200 (usually around $500-1000)

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Jadi, sebelum nak membeli Big E/atau dah terbeli Big E, adalah elok untuk tengok betul2 spesifikasi seluar tu..kena tak dengan apa yang dah diberikan oleh orang2 lain tentang Big E yang ori dan sebenar2nya...kalau tak, rugi je bayor ratus2 untuk fake Big E yang harganya cuma 10 hengget je sebenor2nya...



p/s: kalau dah minat, ginilah jadiknya! obses!

NOT SO GREAT personal collection -- Levi's part 7: 520

Levi's 520 ni jenis cuttingnya adalah regular fit. Seluar ni aku dapat kat Savers Greensborough dengan rege tak silap aku AUD9.99 aje. murah kan? maklumla, Savers...kedai barang seken hen yang diminati bukan saja orang2 MALAYSIA kat melben ni, tapi jugak orang2 tempatan (jangan ingat suma mat salleh tak suka pakai barang seken hen, raaaamaiii gak kalangan diorang ni suka cari seken hen goodies).

Aku suka kaler lusuh 520 ni (yang tah berapa orang dah pakai, wallahua'lam--harap2 owner lama takde penyakit2 kulit ka, apa ka...amin!) dan jugak butang seluornya yang lain sket dari koleksi levi's aku yang lain.

p/s: ramai gak yang datang blog aku nak tau pasal jenis2 cutting Levi's ni. baguslah kalau maklumat aku membantu sikit2 beri panduan apa jenis2 levi's yang korang nak. nanti kalau sempat aku bagitay tips camne nak kesan Levi's ori dengan pelesu..aku dah mentioned sket haritu..nanti lain kali aku try cerita dengan lebih spesifiqqqq...

NOT SO GREAT personal collection -- Levi's part 6: 527

Ok, collection aku yang seterusnya adalah Levi's 527.. ini jeans jenis potongannya relaxed boot. Kaki bawah ada besorlah sket kan. tapi kalo sapa2 tak minat boot cut, buleh pi kecikkan kat kedai jahit, sonang yooo...


Levi's 527 aku ang satu ni Made in Mexico. Tertulis kat kain kecik dalam tu dan jugak kat butang seluarnya (104M--letter M tu menunjukan negara mana seluar Levi's ni dikilangkan. Kalau J- most probably Jepunlah kan. Kalau nombor2 saja, selalunya tu made in USA, kalau aku silap boleh tolong betulkan...).

Seluar jeans yang ni seken hen je...dan aku dapat kat Savers Greensborough dengan rege tak silap aku AUD9.90 dan tolak lagi 20% sebab aku student dan ia dibeli hari ahad! so, jadikla kurang lebih lapan dolah je rege suor ni... ;p syukur.


L.S.&.C.O.S.F tertera kat rivets selor ni... dan apa yang spesel sket kat seluor ni adalah line belang2 kat koceknya belah dalam...hahaha, cantek untuk dipakai secara terbalek jugak ;p

Oke, sepasang 527 aku yang satu lagi ni aku dapat kat EBAY. ni antara Levi's jeans yang terawallah aku dapat masa mula2 berjinak-jinak dengan EBAY. Aku dapat dengan harga belasan dolah. Awal2 dulu, aku kurang puas hati sangat sebab spesifikasi seluar ni tak sama dengan apa yang diceritakan si e-bay seller ni. nak tau kenapa? bukan sebab cuttingnya tak menarik, atau warnanya yang tak ngam, tapi sebab dia kata seluor ni saiz 35 dan sesuai untuk orang yang punyai waist sekitar 33" to 34"...bila aku dapat, try2 tengok besor sket..hampeh kan!

Tapi lepas borak2 dengan pakar seluar Levi's aku (Encik Zafiri dan Encik Hairil Rashmizal), diorang sejukkan hati aku denan kata seluar besor boleh kecikkan, selor kecik camn nak besorkan? betul jugak.... balik Malaysia nanti, pandai2 la aku carik tailor yang teror2 untuk adjust2 Levi's2 aku nih..Insya Allah.

(ciri2 boot cut seluar Levi's 527 ni..)

Ok, next....part ada letter L kat kocek seluar ni jugak buat aku tertarik nak bid kat Ebay masa tu. Sebab jarang ade Levi's yang buat cengginih.

Dan ciri2 lain pada 527 ni adalah seperti gambo2 berikut....

p/s: alhamdulillah...