STAFF STYLE

WHAT WE’RE WEARING VOL. 5: STYLE FROM SOUTH AFRICA TO SAN FRANCISCO

Style
May 2020

GIF of Levi's employees.GIF of Levi's employees.

All around the world, Levi’s® employees are working from home, putting on their jeans every day to hold onto a sense of normalcy. For this story, six employees from three continents took time out of their very busy days to talk about their quarantine clothes — the ones that are their favorite, their most comfortable, or all they had in their carry-on. This, in their own words, is what they’re wearing.

Ramu Mohan | Women’s Bottoms Merchant

Bangalore, India

I’ll tell you a secret: This is a Levi’s® women’s Trucker Jacket, from our Made & Crafted line. I like jackets and pants that work across genders.

Nine out of 10 people ask the same question: Did you cut the sleeves? But no. It’s supposed to be like that.

I have about three Truckers, and this one is my favorite — not that I can repeat it very often because it’s very memorable. It's the most unique Trucker I’ve ever seen.

Photo of Ramu Mohan standing by a window inside his home. He is wearing a Levi's logo tee, a Levi's Trucker Jacket with cut-off, frayed sleeves, cuffed jeans, and chunky, colorful sneakers.

Jhae Lasaca | HR Operations Specialist

Manila, Philippines

Here in Manila, it’s hard to find overalls, because they don’t really have sizes for larger women. So I actually ordered these from Australia. They’re Levi’s® Premium Vintage Overalls. I got them just a few days before we got quarantined. I need to have them altered because they don’t really fit me. We have a sewing machine at home, but I don’t want to butcher them.

It’s hot in Manila. It’s 40 degrees Celsius, and it’s going to reach 45 — which is more than 110 Fahrenheit. Overalls are really comfortable to wear in the heat because you only need a sports bra underneath. I even wear them while I’m doing yoga.

Photo of Jhae Lasaca standing outside in front of a fence. She's wearing dark Levi's overalls over a red tank top with flip flops.

Ezra Price | Assistant Manager, Brand Environment

San Francisco

I like to have a Touch of Ezra in everything. Baggy and eclectic layering — that’s a Touch of Ezra.

At one of my first internships in New York, for a fashion brand, I was slaving over this vat of dye to find the perfect yellow for this look they never even used. Afterward, they sent me home with all this dye that I started using. I’ve been dyeing my clothes ever since.

I like to repurpose items and keep myself guessing. I’m not into buying new. The shirt I’m wearing over the fleece was a gift from someone who used to work at Levi’s®. It was white — then I had to dye it.

Photo of Ezra Price in his apartment. He's holding his cat and smiling.

Haley Mitgang | Merchandising Assistant

San Francisco

I found this Trucker at a flea market here in the Bay Area, and it’s the first Levi’s® vintage piece I ever purchased. It was 25 bucks, and it came with the collar ripped off. On the bottom are our new pleated Balloon Pants, rolled up so you can see my gorpcore tie-dye socks.

The fleece is my dad’s. I found it seven years ago in a closet, and it was definitely from the early ’90s. I love the color. I haven’t seen that orangey-mango color before. And I love that it was my dad’s.

A mirror selfie of Haley Mitgang. She is wearing a red pullover fleece, a Levi's Trucker Jacket, and khaki pleated Balloon pants with sneakers.

David Davey | Brand Manager

Cape Town, South Africa

This is for sure my favorite outfit. It’s pretty classic and versatile, and easy to wear, which is lucky. I was relocating from Johannesburg to Cape Town when we got locked down, and I only had one carry-on bag — these clothes made it into that bag. The rest of my clothes are in storage.

I had the 514™ jeans first. When I saw the tan jacket, I said, “That’ll go with my tan 514s.” I loved the fact that it wasn’t just a normal Trucker—it was a Sherpa Trucker. I like monochrome outfits, and that probably comes from working for years in the sneaker industry. If you’re wearing a crazy loud sneaker, you don’t want to have on a crazy outfit.

Photo of David Davey standing against a cream wall outside. He's wearing a brown corduroy jacket, a white tee, and tan 514s with tan sneakers.

Zoe Chrysochoos | Assistant Marketing Manager

San Francisco

I’ve pretty much always been casual. I like a cool graphic T-shirt, a plain tank. Sneakers or sandals — maybe a statement jacket.

I love San Francisco because it’s jacket weather all year round, so I can always wear one. I wish I could count how many jackets I have. Our whole front coat closet has been taken up by my jackets.

I sometimes feel like these Ribcage jeans were made for me. Every problem I had, like waist-gapping, was fixed with the Ribcage. And the Ribcage goes with every pair of shoes: sneakers and socks, slip-ons, sandals. I’ve even worn it with a heel, even though I hardly ever wear heels.

Aerial shot of Zoe Chrysochoos lying on her couch on her stomach with her laptop open. She is wearing a brown top and Levi's jeans.

Mark Chan | Assistant Manager, Brand Environment

Singapore, Singapore

I’ve never worn shorts to work. But in Singapore, the weather’s really hot. It’s about 35-36 degrees Celsius — so around 96 Fahrenheit — and humid, too. So there’s no way we can actually wear long denim at home.

That’s why I’m in these 501® distressed shorts and the Cubano shirt. The material is breathable, and the colors spice it up. That’s important because everything else right now is the same every day. Occasionally I’m a colorful dresser — maybe 10% of the time, at most — but I usually dress in black. For this period while we’re staying inside, I need some color.

Photo of Mark Chan brandishing a portable vacuum. He is wearing a tropical-print Cubano shirt over a white tee with cut-off denim shorts and white socks with black Vans.