Image: Levi’s Vintage Clothing

With Levi’s Vintage Clothing making a point to “faithfully capture the spirit and heritage of American work wear,” it should come as no surprise that one of the company’s biggest inspirations comes from hot rod culture. The 1940s and 50s were full of young men sporting white Ts and blue jeans, marching to the beat of their own drum, or rather, the rumble of their own engine. And now, Levi’s has created a special exhibit to commemorate the interconnectedness of blue jeans and the hot rod life.

Image: Complex Style

You may recall that Levi’s just recently released a vintage hot rod video showing the true tie between blue jeans and working-class hot rod culture. But now, according to Complex Style, Levi’s has gone a step further, continuing their hot rod tribute with a set of handmade, one-of-a-kind pieces inspired by our favorite era.

The pieces that were made as a tribute to hot rod culture were designed in collaboration with iconic American guitar company, Fender Guitars. For the display, Levi’s commissioned the production of a pair of “rodder” jeans and a jean over shirt with the option of a one-off vest, also made of denim. Fender then added to the display by building a 1957 Stratocaster replica designed to show what one could only assume to be well-worn years of use on and off the road.

The inspiration for the collection came from the typical theme of vintage hot rod culture – a young man returning from the service and ready to live by his own rules, whether it be through his car, his guitar or his attire. Levi’s and Fender certainly captured this essence and we couldn’t be more proud to see classic hot rod culture still being embraced by our younger generations and iconic American companies.