Lee
A Kansas workwear house behind the Union-Alls and the Storm Rider jacket. Lee's hair-on-hide patches and union-made woven labels mark its mid-century output.
- Origin
- USA
- Founded
- 1889
- Category
- Denim
- Documented eras
- 3
How Lee labels evolved over time. Match the markers below against the tag in hand to place a garment in its era.
1920–1950
Union-Made Woven Label
Mid-century Lee work garments carry a woven union label alongside a hair-on-hide leather patch.
- Hair-on-hide leather waistband patch
- Woven union-made label
- Lee 'Jelt Denim' branding
- Sanforized shrink-control wording after 1936
How to spot it
A leather patch with the hair still on, paired with a union label.
Value signal
Early Lee 101 jackets and Union-Alls are strong collector pieces.
1950–1980
Registered Script on Dark Label
Post-war Lee shifted to a printed/woven label, often on a dark ground, carrying the registered script logo.
- Lee script logo with the registered ® mark
- 'MR' or '101' model coding
- Sanforized and Union-Made callouts
- Made in U.S.A. wording
How to spot it
The registered Lee script set on a dark woven label.
Value signal
Solid vintage value, particularly the Lee Storm Rider jacket.
1980–present
Printed Care-Era Label
From the 1980s Lee labels are printed and paired with a separate fibre-content and care label.
- Printed brand label
- Separate care/fibre label, with symbols after the 1990s
- Overseas 'Made in' origins increasingly common
How to spot it
A printed brand label with a separate care tag.
Value signal
Common; value tied to model and condition.