90’s Lee Left Hand Japanese Denim Sanforized Trucker Jacket 101J - 1940’s Model (Unisex S)

1990’s Lee Riders Left Hand Denim Sanforized Western Jean Jacket - Made famous by The Beatles - A 90s reproduction of the classic 1948 model

Made in Japan (Retail Price $390)

• 1948 model denim jacket
• 13.5oz Left Hand Twill Premium Japanese DEnid
• 100% cotton
• Branded tuck buttons
• Sanforized denim for minimal shrink 
• Twin chest pockets 
• 'Zig-Zag' stitch 
• Flat felled seams
• Buckle Cinch Back Waistband
• Custom woven rayon brand patch 

Unisex Size: Small 

Material: 100% Cotton

Style: 0411 101J

Bust: 19.5” flat

Length: 19”

Shoulders: 16”

Sleeve: 23”

Great vintage condition with light signs of wear/wash. Great fades, very minor distressing on sleeve hems. 

This jacket holds its own very special place in denim history, and has been vastly imitated since its inception. Cut from a 13.5 ounce ‘left hand twill’ denim, this short cut, boxy shaped jacket marked the departure from the ‘Cowboy’ range of the early 20th Century.

Twin chest pockets, ‘Lee Riders’ tuck buttons, flat felled seams, and the instantly recognisable ‘zig-zag’ stitch are all there, while waist adjuster buttons have been added, to easily cinch in the shape. In the neckline of this iconic piece sits the brand’s logo, on custom woven rayon, as a final touch of quality assurance.

A Little Lee History: 

In 1935, according to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, H.D. Lee corp. used the phrase “Lee Riders” for the first time.

The Lee Riders collection featured the now-iconic Lee cowboy jeans as well as a new jacket:  the 101J. The “Cowboy” jacket, as it came to be known, was much closer in style to a Levi’s Type I, but unlike the Type I, was soon offered in a slimmed down cut, made popular by a rodeo star named Turk Greenough. The jacket could also be lined, and this particular model was designated 101LJ.

By the close of the 1930s, Lee was well-immersed in the world of rough n’ tough cowboy clothing, but their best-known pieces were yet to come. It wasn’t until 1946 that the New Lee Rider Jacket came out, one of the best-fitting and most iconic denim jackets to ever be produced. Released 19 years before the Levi’s Type III, the New Lee Rider was remarkably ahead of its time.

Many of the most famous images of the Lee Storm Rider come to us from this era. They were seen on the likes of Steve McQueen, Alain Delon, and probably most famously on Paul Newman in the 1963 film, Hud. It was in this period that the jacket seems to have crossed the divide from pure workwear and cowboy clothing to a wardrobe staple.