Freewheelers - The Vanishing West Lot-601XX Denim 1944-1945 Model

During World War II, material controls were enforced to prioritize the production of military supplies. Clothing and workwear were also subject to strict limitations, leading to simplified designs.

The Vanishing West label featured here reflects those wartime influences.

The “S” in S601 stands for “Simplified.”
Branded buttons were discontinued and replaced with iron laurel wreath buttons. The fly uses plain iron two-prong donut buttons. Rivets on the coin pocket have been omitted. Additionally, to make use of leftover fabric, herringbone material is used for the pocket bags.

Despite these restrictions, Vanishing West maintained a firm commitment to preserving product quality. No compromises were made in fabric or construction.

They refused to reduce the fabric weight (ounce rating). Instead, they slightly increased the thickness of the warp yarn and used a deep indigo dye that resists fading. As a result, the fabric weight is actually slightly increased, producing a rich 14 oz indigo denim.

Furthermore, starting from model #2612441, the fabric has been renewed. An original warp yarn with nep texture has been specially developed and adopted.

In terms of construction, they continued to use thick threads and skilled sewing techniques to maintain high quality and durability. All stitching is done with yellow cotton thread.

The laurel buttons and plain donut buttons are original parts specially made for this wartime model.

Color: Indigo

Made in Japan