506XX, 507XX, 557XX: A Specification History of Levi’s Three Denim Jacket Generations

In vintage denim and workwear circles, “Type I,” “Type II,” and “Type III” refer to three generations of Levi’s denim jackets — model numbers 506XX, 507XX, and 557XX respectively. The generational labels are informal but now standard shorthand. Understanding what changed between each generation — and why — is useful both for historical reference and for communicating specifications in product development.

 

Type I (506XX) — Introduced c. 1905, Originally Called a “Blouse”

The earliest generation is designated 506XX. Multiple sources place its market introduction around 1905, though the garment was not called a jacket at that point — Levi’s catalog terminology used “blouse.” The word “jacket” appears in Levi’s marketing from 1938 onward, associated with the “Dude Ranch Duds” western wear catalog.

The fabric was a 9 oz unsanforized denim woven by Amoskeag Manufacturing Company, a major New England textile producer of the era.

506XX Details

The silhouette is boxy. There is a single chest pocket. The back features a cinch back (also called a clincher) — a buckle-adjusted belt sewn horizontally across the lower back for waist adjustment, a standard detail on workwear of the period. The front has vertical knife pleats rather than the chest panel construction that would come later. No flap on the chest pocket in early versions.

Levi’s red tab was introduced to the 506XX in 1936, initially with “LE VIS” lettering on one side only.

Wartime Specification Changes and End of Production

During World War II, metal rationing required substitutions: the cinch back buckle shifted from silver to bronze, buttons were replaced with “donut” (laurel wreath) versions, and the arcuate stitching on the back pockets was at times replaced with paint. The production end date for the 506XX is disputed across sources — estimates range from 1941 to the early 1950s, complicated by wartime variants (S506XX). The consensus is that 507XX had replaced it by the early 1950s.

 

Type II (507XX) — 1953: The Cinch Back Disappears

The 507XX entered production in 1953 and was manufactured through approximately 1962. Two changes distinguish it most clearly from its predecessor.

First, the chest pocket count doubled from one to two. Second, the cinch back was eliminated and replaced by side adjusters (waist adjusters) at both seams — a detail that reflects a shift toward a more tailored silhouette rather than externally adjustable fit.

The overall length is slightly longer than the 506XX, and the silhouette moves modestly toward a body-conscious fit, though knife pleats on the chest are retained.

507XX Details

The red tab switches to two-sided “LEVI’S” lettering in this generation. Bar-tack reinforcement is added at pocket stress points. The leather patch (two-horse design) continues. The pocket flaps remain a squared trapezoid shape — the pointed flap that characterizes the Type III had not yet appeared.

 

Type III (557XX) — 1962: V-Stitch and the Pointed Flap

The 557XX is the generation most commonly referred to as the “Trucker Jacket” — the informal name that became widely established from this period onward, though exactly when Levi’s used “Trucker Jacket” as official catalog terminology has not been confirmed in available sources. The model reached market in late 1961 or 1962. (Some Levi’s reissue products use “1961” as the reference year, likely reflecting prototype or development timing rather than commercial release.)

Three specification changes define this generation:

  1. The chest knife pleats are replaced by a “V-stitch” — a V-shaped seamed panel that defines the chest without the pleat volume.
  2. The pocket flaps become pointed (peaked) rather than squared — the “pointed flap” detail that is now a hallmark of the Type III silhouette.
  3. The overall silhouette becomes substantially slimmer, aligning with early-1960s fashion proportions.

Side adjusters continue from the 507XX. The red tab remains two-sided; from 1971 onward, it transitions to a lowercase “e” tab.

On the Term “Trucker Jacket”

The exact origin of “Trucker Jacket” as a product designation is not precisely documented. It appears to have become common parlance from the Type III era (1960s) forward. “G-Jan” — the Japanese abbreviation widely used domestically — is a contraction of “G-pants jacket” (jeans jacket), a term coined in Japan with no direct equivalent in English.

 

Reading the Three Generations as a Design Trajectory

Aligning 506XX, 507XX, and 557XX in sequence reveals a consistent directional shift: from workwear function (cinch back, boxy fit, single pocket, heavy fabric adjustability) toward fashion-forward cut (slimmer silhouette, decorative stitching, designed details). The cinch back disappeared because the silhouette itself became fitted enough to eliminate the need for external adjustment. The knife pleat became a V-stitch because the chest panel no longer needed to accommodate forward movement through added volume.

 

Why This Matters in Product Development

When a buyer or designer says “I want a sample based on a First” in a development meeting, that is a shorthand for a specific set of specifications: single pocket, box silhouette, cinch back option, no pointed flap. “Second with the cinch back retained as a detail” is a different set. “Third silhouette with V-stitch and pointed flap” is another. Knowing the generational breakdown compresses alignment time in early-stage development and reduces the risk of spec mismatches surfacing at sample review.

 

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