Levi's Orange Tab Travels to the Desert for a Close Encounter

Levi’s Orange Tab Goes to the Desert for a Close Encounter of the Third Kind

Posted September 30, 2014

Introducing the Levi’s Vintage Clothing Fall/Winter Orange Tab Lookbook

True to its mandate, Levi’s Vintage Clothing faithfully reproduces not only the fits, styles, and heritage of the past. They also adhere to the philosophy behind each individual garments’ place in the Levi’s history. The expantion of the Orange Tab collection is no different.

Conceived in the 70s as a more fashion orientated line of clothing, Levi’s Orange Tab saw bartacks replace rivets, slimmer fits, lighter denim, and the first foray away from selvedge denim. (Re)introduced last year, the Orange Tab is a line unto itself, not simply a few items in the main Levi’s Vintage Clothing line. It is a full, standalone collection with its own backstory and lookbook, which for F/W 14 is themed around a group of adventure seekers who take to the desert in search of a close encounter of the third kind. And by the looks of it, they eventually find what they are searching for.

No Selvedge But Made In USA

As with all Levi’s Vintage Clothing lookbooks, the intention is to capture a distinct impression of the time from which the clothing hails from. The setting of the desert and the models compliment the clothing perfectly. Many true deninheads may malign this collection for its use of washes and non-selvedge denim, but remember that this was an intrinsic part of the history of Levi’s and therefore of jeans themselves.

We at Rope Dye applaud Levi’s’ continued efforts to bring us the history of Levi’s in a tangible form. The Orange Tab wouldn’t be authentic if the jeans were made from selvedge denim, it would go against the entire LVC concept. Staying true to how things used to be is also one of the reasons that the Orange Tab collection is mainly made in the USA, just as it was back in the day.

The main Levi’s Vintage Clothing collection focuses on the Metropolises envisioned by architects such and Frank Lloyd Wright and Le Corbusier. True to form, it focuses on the workwear worn by the men employed to construct the Modernist cityscapes. Check back soon for the full lookbook from the Levi’s Vintage Clothing Fall/Winter collection.

Levi's, Levi's Vintage Clothing, Orange Tab

Matt Wilson

Before turning his attention toward clothing and fashion, Matt Wilson was a product designer. He witnessed first-hand the unethical manufacture of products designed and developed specifically for obsolescence and quickly recognised the inherent dangers of this attitude towards consumerism. A happy chance occurred when he discovered Raw Denim. Fascinated by the narrative contained in each garment, this newfound passion led him into a journey of discovery through the fashion and clothing industry. The qualities he found in a great pair of jeans he soon found in other garments, shoes and accessories. Up until February 2017, Matt was heavily involved with Selvedge Run, a trade show for menswear, shoes and accessories. A home for brands with a philosophy that aligned perfectly with his principles of craft and quality at the core of a good product. He now shares this passion the as the Editor of Rope Dye, an online men’s lifestyle magazine about the passion for well-crafted menswear as well as other cherished products and designs that baulk against today’s throw-away culture.