One degree away from the real deal, Freewheelers is resurrecting a piece of elusive denim history with their S601XX 1944-1945 14 oz. Denim. Modeled after WWII Levi’s which were stripped of frivolous details like stitched back pocket arcuates, cotton pocket bags, and stamped buttons on the fly, Freewheeler’s rendition stays true to the ethos of wartime rationing.
For the pocket bags, enjoy olive HBT, a nod to original pairs which used surplus fatigue fabric. No time for custom stamped buttons on the fly, just a laurel wreath donut up top with the rest staying plain. Original WWII pairs would have originally had screen-printed arcuates to save thread, but Freewheelers raised the rationing and cost-saving bar with complete omission.
And since all this clearly wasn’t enough to get into the authentic spirit, they were obviously made on vintage machines using specially developed 14 oz. selvedge denim, loomed to mimic the uneven, irregular texture of original 40s denim. Duh.
Available for $397 from Corlection
