A century has passed since the first Lee jeans appeared, but this brand remains one of the most popular not only in the US, but throughout the world. What is the uniqueness of this brand’s denim clothes, and how to get a pair of high-quality trousers find out from our instructions.
Lee Jeans History
The Lee company appeared at the beginning of the twentieth century. The first factory was opened in Kansas. Lee, like most denim pioneers, was originally made for the working class.
The fact is that most of the clothing factories were located in the south, and only in small batches reached the west. Then the owner of the Lee company, Harry David Lee, thanks to his entrepreneurial spirit, took his place in the jeans industry and began to sew really high-quality denim workwear.
Success was not long in coming, and in 1915 Lee opened a new factory in Kansas City, which was already specialized in the production of military uniforms. During the First World War Lee made clothes for the soldiers of the US Army.
How to Identify Original Lee Jeans
Lee has a standard method that makes it easy to identify the authenticity of denim pants and other items of clothing. The original Lee has certain features: high-quality finishing of pockets, side and waist seams. But the most important thing about Lee jeans is the meticulous fit. One of the company’s advertising slogans is “The Brand That Fits”.
Lee uses yellow threads on all indigo models – in all other cases, threads are chosen to match the overall tone. A tab (small label) is sewn either over the right back pocket or on the watch pocket.
The service tag should be located on the inside of the belt in the area of the front left pocket. This label indicates the country of origin and the address of the company’s office in the United States. All zippers are YKK branded – Yoshida Kōgyō Kabushiki produces 90% of the zippers for the world’s top brands of jeans.
The leather waistband label was sewn onto all Lee jeans as early as 1936, at that time it was a piece of hair-on-hide leather with a little bit of wool left over. Now it’s pure leather, a twisted Twitch label that looks like a brand. Since 1944, another characteristic difference has appeared – a wavy seam on the back pockets.
Current Models Jean Lee
By 2022, Lee has moved away from complicated model designations using proper names. Instead, a simple categorization has been introduced that takes into account the width of the trouser leg.
Lee jeans for men’s
- The Skinny Fit – Leg tapers from hip to ankle for a slim, streamlined silhouette.
- The Slim Fit – similar cut to Skinny but looser pants;
- The Tapered Leg – the legs gradually taper towards the ankle;
- The Straight Fit – regular fit trousers with straight legs;
- The Regular Fit – trousers that are loose in the thigh area, the legs taper from the knee;
- The Bootcut is a design inspired by the past. This style, in which the legs flare slightly from the knee down, allows you to wear jeans over boots;
- The Relaxed Fit are the loosest denim trousers.
It is also worth knowing that Lee is engaged in the production of clothes and plus sizes. Some models are sewn in a dimensional grid up to the 70th size.
Lee jeans for women’s
- The Skinny Fit – the slimmest models available in different waist heights;
- The Slim Fit – slim fit, comfortable trousers with a high or mid-rise;
- The Regular Fit – classic trousers with a medium or high waist;
- The Bootcut – models with slightly shortened legs that expand downwards, suitable for wearing over any boots;
- The Flare – retro styles ranging from slightly flared to puffy flared trousers;
- The Relaxed Fit – loose-fitting trousers;
- The Wide Leg – models with the widest legs in the style of the 1990s.
In conclusion, I would like to note that I am very happy with the purchase, I hope the jeans will serve me for a long time. Good luck to everyone with a difficult choice!
