THE HISTORY OF The Button Fly

The button fly can be traced all the way back to the original pair of Levi’s 501 jeans, which were created on May 20, 1873. (That’s 20 years before the zipper was conceived and nearly a half-century before the zipper as we know it today was invented!) In 1947, Levi’s added a zipper fly to their jeans in hopes of appealing to female customers. (Western women who worked on ranches had been wearing button-fly Levi’s for years, but women on the East Coast considered the button-fly to lack modesty.)

Since then, jeans wearers have developed their own preferences. Some appreciate the efficient functionality of zippers, while others prefer the aesthetic of the button fly. In today’s fast-paced world, the zipper generally wins out, but Levi’s and other jeans makers continue to manufacture button-fly jeans because their vintage aesthetic has gained widespread appreciation in recent years. So whether you prefer a button fly or zipper closure, you’re in luck, because it looks like both options are here to stay!