Levi’s introduced its first women’s jeans in 1934.
The garment was marketed as Lady Levi’s and is commonly identified as Lot 701. It was designed specifically for women, with a more feminine fit while retaining the durable denim construction and workwear heritage associated with Levi’s men’s trousers.
The launch came during the Western “dude ranch” craze, when visitors from the eastern United States traveled west, encountered ranch clothing, and brought the style home. At a time when women’s everyday wardrobes were still strongly centered on skirts and dresses, women’s jeans represented a notable shift toward practical clothing and greater freedom of movement.
The 1934 date is sometimes confused with later women’s Levi’s milestones, including the women’s 501 launched decades afterward. Lady Levi’s was not simply a men’s 501 in a smaller size: it was an early women-specific design, later remembered as the predecessor of Levi’s women’s denim lines.