How can you tell when your Levis were made? Why have some Levis got big ‘E’s’ and small ‘e’s?’ Why do some have just the trademark logo and why are some orange? We’re going to take you through a simple guide on what tab colours means what, and how to differentiate even the smallest of differences on Levi’s tabs.
What's with the Red Tab on Levis?
When Levis patent expired in 1890, competitors such as Stronghold, Boss of the Road, Can't Bust ‘Em started manufacturing riveted denim jeans. From a distance the pocket stitching looked similar, they had a patch on the waistband and of course, they were all blue. Frustrated, the national sales manager of Levi’s, Chris Lucier, came up with the idea of a little red tag on the back pocket. With Levi’s sewn in white so whether you were at a rodeo or a movie, you could see immediately who was wearing Levi’s. The red label was patented in 1936 and today the tab is one of the most iconic parts of a pair of Levi’s jeans.
Levi’s Big E.
Levi’s created the ‘Capital E’ in 1936 and ran until 1971. After 1971 Levi’s changed the tab letters to small ones, Levi’s instead of LEVI’S. It is extremely rare to find a true original Levi’s Big E item. In the Big E area there were some more different tab colours on the back pocket besides the famous red one; orange, white and black. Orange Tab was for fashion jeans, White Tab was generally for Levi’s For Gals (except it was also for corduroy). The Black Tab with gold lettering meant the pants had undergone the STA-PREST process (non-iron).
Levi’s Small e.
In 1971 Levis had changed its tab to read Levi’s rather than LEVI’S. However, the only letter to change visibly was the ‘e.’ This has become a mark to differentiate a big E to a more mass produced small e, the latter still in production today. However Levi's has through the years produced many anniversary models and the Levi's vintage collection which also has the Big E tab. It is therefore not enough to only look at the red tab to date a pair of Levi's
The Red Tab with the Trademark
You might come across a pair of Levis with just the trademark and write them off as a fake, however, they are intentionally designed with the almost blank tab. Since the tab is copied the world over, it requires extra-legal force from Levi’s and their right to market clothes with the tab. They, therefore, have to produce a certain percentage of Levi’s products with a plain Tab and just the trademark symbol. This shows that Levi’s owns trademark rights in the Tab itself, not just Levi’s wording.
The Orange Tab
In the 1960s Levis wanted to differentiate other kinds of Levi’s from the standard 501s. It was the birth of their ‘fashion denim’ - Shirts, jeans hats, flares and boot cuts. The design team of Orange Tab, got to be more experimental, changing the silhouettes and stepping out of the stringent requirements put behind red tab clothing. Early Orange Tabs do not have care labels inside as that wasn't enforced by US law until 1971, so be on the lookout for the care labels as that will make the difference between the 60s and a 1970s and newer Orange Tab.
White Tabs
Levi’s white tab is more specifically known for corduroy jeans and jackets, but if you’re very lucky ladies, the Levi’s for Gals collection also had a white tab, which ran in the 1960s and 70s.
Black Tab
The 1960s sta-prest, the black Tab with gold lettering for products treated in the new Sta-Prest process — which guarded against wrinkles.
Silver Tabs
In 1988 the Silver Tab was introduced, from baggy jeans to street inspired denim, the Silver Tab defined the late-80s and 90s grunge denim.