LEVI’S 501XX - REBUILD VINTAGE

Responding to my 18-year-old self with the 501XX.

Good evening. This is Matsushima from cantáte.

Do you remember the denim we made by taking apart deadstock 501XX jeans and reworking them using cantáte's pattern?

📎Rebuilding clothing with the 501XX. Along with an entire life.

Thankfully, the response was tremendous, and it also gave me the opportunity to feel once again that “The 501XX really is something special.”

To be honest, I feel they still weren't “complete” at that point.

The goal of this project isn't reached the moment we use deadstock, you see.

Rather, I thought that only after actually wearing them from that point, washing them, and incorporating them into everyday life would they finally be completed in the true sense.

So this time, I am introducing a pair from my personal collection that I have actually been wearing very frequently since last September.

I must say, the fading is magnificent.

 

A leather patch made for this project. A green stamp with even the font specially created.

 

All the buttons have been reused.

 

When I was 18, deadstock 501XX jeans existed only in magazines.

They were something to look at through the glass cases of vintage clothing stores, and of course they were far beyond what I could afford.

Even if I had been able to buy them, I think I would have been too afraid to wear them.

 

Because, to my younger self back then, they were an aspiration like “adult things” such as the nightlife, alcohol, and cigarettes.

So if my 18-year-old self saw these now, what would surprise him most wouldn't be the fading.

“I really wear them every day.”

I think that is the point.

 

If I had been my younger self back then, I would have been too afraid to wear them this much.

I absolutely wouldn't have worn them on a rainy day, and sitting on the floor would have been out of the question.

In fact, I haven't been particularly careful with this denim from the start.

I sat on the floor normally, got into the car in them, and got caught in the rain. I traveled in them, wore them while preparing exhibitions, and didn't think twice when crouching.

I think vintage denim had parts that made you feel a little cautious while wearing it.

or, “Oh, this looks like it might tear.”

Things like, “I don't want to put any more strain on this,”

But the thread used for the stitching this time is not the deteriorated thread from back then; it has the strength of modern thread, so, in extreme terms, squats are no problem.

Of course, I wanted to preserve the distinctive character and atmosphere of the 501XX.

But if you can't wear them without being careful, they felt slightly wrong to me.

I didn't want to recreate vintage,

“A 501XX you can properly wear in everyday life”

I think I wanted to create

 

In fact, as you can see, I wear them very frequently,

Before I knew it, I was wearing these and little else.

The reason is simple.

They are comfortable.

Of course, the comfort is part of it, but more than that, they make me feel at ease.

They work with a jacket or a T-shirt. They work with leather shoes and blend right in with sandals.

But that isn't the biggest thing.

To my 18-year-old self, the 501XX was both an object of admiration and something a little frightening.

Even if I had managed to get a pair, I probably wouldn't have worn them on rainy days, and I think I would have hesitated to sit on the floor.

I don't want to damage them.

I don't want to diminish their value.

 

I must have been thinking about things like that constantly.

But now it is different.

Wear them normally, wash them normally, and live normally.

This is the denim I made for that purpose.

 

In the end, I think that is the most important thing about denim.

 

Before you think, “I want to wear these today,” your hand has already reached for them.

Truly good denim is probably like that.

When it comes to fading alone, there are countless pairs of denim that fade more dramatically.

Or pronounced whiskers.

Things like vertical fading.

Of course, there are ways to present them like that.

But what I realized again this time is that, in the end, that isn't what I like about them.

They have faded a little, become slightly worn, and the hems have become ragged.

Even when viewed as a whole, they are simply stylish.

If anything,

“Simply stylish”

That is the most difficult part.

With denim, if you try too hard, it suddenly becomes impossible to wear.

But these still work properly even when you wear them without being careful.

I feel that we have come quite close to the ideal in that respect.

Because I didn't make this fabric, I need to understand the intentions of the people who did.

Since we are using the W76-inch front buttons as they are, there are three buttons on the button fly.

 

The selvedge has also developed a nice patina.

 

On an original pair, I think this area would become badly worn.

What do you think?

 

When I was younger, I felt tense whenever I saw deadstock.

But now, more than things kept beautifully preserved, I prefer denim that has been properly worn and washed, with someone's life woven into it.

Because that is probably what is right for clothing.

What I wanted to show my 18-year-old self was not a vintage pair in perfect preserved condition.

Worn properly every day.

Washed properly.

Used properly in everyday life.

A pair that has remained stylish all along.

What I am introducing this time is a pair of cantáte 501XX that I actually kept wearing in that way.

I feel that they have finally become the actual pair I wanted to show my younger self back then.

Back then, I probably wasn't looking at the fading at all.

The thing that would probably surprise me most is,

“You really are wearing them.”

I think that one phrase says it all.

cantáte 501XX - REBUILD VINTAGE

This year, we will take orders based on the Denim Straight Trousers.
26 / 28 / 30 / 32 / 34 / 36 inch

Please choose your preferred size. We can also discuss the inseam length.

※All items will be delivered in their completely unwashed, deadstock condition. Depending on humidity and storage conditions, they may shrink less or more than expected. Please understand this in advance.

Lead time: 3 months
Price: ASK (please inquire)
Limited quantity: 3 pairs
Release date: Saturday, June 20, 2026

Purchase requirement: Customers who have previously purchased cantáte denim

If you live far away or would like to purchase by mail order, please contact us by email or Instagram DM.

We will do our best to accommodate your requests.

 

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