Levi’s Vintage Clothing has announced an exclusive lottery release for the S506XX 1944 Jacket, offering collectors a rare chance to acquire one of the most historically significant reproductions in modern denim. Known among specialists as the “Great War Model,” the jacket represents the pinnacle of archival collecting for denim historians and vintage purists.
The S506XX 1944 Jacket is a meticulous recreation of an ultra-rare Type I silhouette originally manufactured during the height of World War II. At the time, strict resource rationing mandated by the U.S. government forced apparel manufacturers to reduce the use of fabric, metal and decorative elements. These constraints resulted in a series of “simplified” design choices that would later define one of the most sought-after chapters in Levi’s history.
The “S” in S506XX stands for Simplified, a designation that reflects the wartime conditions under which the original jackets were produced. In this faithful modern reproduction, Levi’s Vintage Clothing mirrors every historical anomaly created by those limitations. The jacket features a four-button front instead of the usual five, eliminating unnecessary hardware, while the chest pocket is stripped of its flap to conserve fabric. Exposed rivets and a boxy, utilitarian silhouette further reinforce its functional origins.
Crafted from period-accurate selvedge denim, the fabric displays the uneven texture and character associated with 1940s looms. Authentic laurel wreath–stamped metal buttons are used in place of branded hardware, a detail rooted in wartime regulations that restricted the use of logo-bearing materials for civilian garments.
Rather than positioning the jacket as a general release, Levi’s Vintage Clothing has chosen a lottery system, underscoring its rarity and appeal to serious collectors. The approach reflects the brand’s ongoing commitment to historical accuracy and preservation, treating the S506XX 1944 not simply as a garment, but as a wearable artifact from a defining era in American workwear history.
