It all started in 1873 when Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis were granted a patent for riveting trousers and designed a denim-and-duck canvas pant for miners prospecting for gold near San Francisco. Originally known as XX Waist Overalls, the style was renamed the 501 in 1890.

Toots & The Maytals for Levi's 501 jean Toots & The Maytals - “54-46 Was My Number” (written by Frederick “Toots” Hibbert) soundtracks Levi's latest commercial, which is part of their campaign to celebrate 150 years of the 501 jean.

The former immortalizes a man who passed away and requested that his loved ones all wear their 501s to his funeral. The camera pans across different shades of denim while Cliff Richards's 1961 country tear-jerker My Blue Heaven is heard in the background.

First created in the late 1800s, the denim style has evolved from a workwear necessity to a symbol of the '60s youth movement to a modern-day fashion insider's wardrobe essential. “The 501 is the first, it's the original, and it's our icon,” says Tracey Panek, who works as a historian for Levi's.

copper-riveted waist overalls Lot numbers are first assigned to the products being manufactured. 501® is used to designate the famous copper-riveted waist overalls. We don't know why this number was chosen. We also made a 201 jean, which was a less expensive version of the pants, as well as other products using other three-digit numbers.

He opens his own dry goods business to serve the small general stores of the American West. Levi Strauss & Co. and Jacob Davis receive a U.S. patent for an "Improvement in Fastening Pocket-Openings." By adding metal rivets to work pants, which would be known as blue jeans, they created stronger pants for working men.

Singing, rapping, improvising, James Marron defines himself as a complete artist and imposes no artistic limits. For 7 years now, the Levi's® Music Project has allowed young talents to meet up and exchange in order to develop their artistic projects, while being mentored by professionals and renowned artists.

The music is Handel's 'Sarabande' from the Suite in D minor for solo harpsichord. John Altman employed a late-classical chamber orchestra -- 22 strings, flute, clarinet, bassoon, three French horns and timpani.

“Levi's brand is iconic because it's trusted by consumers - trusted for innovation, quality, performance, durability, style, fit and more. Levi's listens to its shoppers and empowers them to help guide the company.

Are Levi's® 501® jeans men's or women's jeans? The answer: Both. Over the decades, they have been worn by men, women and gender non-conforming folks alike even despite products being designed specifically for one gender, like our women's 501®.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the most valuable jeans are a 155-year-old pair of Levis 501, bought by an anonymous bidder on eBay for $60,000 in 2005. While vintage jeans may be in high demand and come with large price tags, newer pairs embellished with rivets and rhinestones are just as coveted.

“Levi's brand is iconic because it's trusted by consumers - trusted for innovation, quality, performance, durability, style, fit and more. Levi's listens to its shoppers and empowers them to help guide the company.