In the late 1960s, young Americans rebelled against the status quo to create a grassroots environmental movement that would eventually go global.

Levi’s® Vintage Clothing’s Spring/Summer 2022 collection, Project Survival, celebrates the student-led teach-ins and marches that inspired the very first Earth Day in 1970. Our limited-quantity collection reflects the aesthetics of these young activists and the grassroots origins of their demonstrations.

The "501® Z," first released in 1954, represents Levi's® expansion into new territory. Up to this point, Levi's® were primarily worn out West, where they had earned a loyal following. East Coasters, however, were largely unfamiliar with this button fly work pant.

In order to familiarize the East Coast with this American classic, Levi's® took the original 501® Shrink-to-Fit™ Jean and replaced the classic button fly with a zipper, and named it the "501® Z." It retained all the other details loved by longtime wearers: the famed silhouette, rivets and tough-but-flexible denim. Eventually, retailers began providing customers with both options—the 501® Jean and its zippered brother, the 501® Z. Today, Levi's® recreated the 1960 iteration of the latter in premium selvedge denim from the world-famous Kaihara Mill.

• An archival reproduction of a pair of 501® Z jeans from 1962
• This jean includes the rivets and tough-but-flexible denim loved by longtime wearers
• True to the original, these jeans feature a zip fly
• Crafted with premium selvedge denim and finishing for the Levi's® Made & Crafted® collection
• Made in Japan by expert artisans using traditional techniques
• Double-needle arcuate stitching
• Two back pockets with concealed rivets
• Big “E” single-sided Red Tab™
• Iconic Two Horse Jacron paper patch