Levi’s is a company that has humble beginnings stemming all the way back to 1853. Since then, Levi's has established itself as a popular and successful jeans and other apparel company.
If you also love this brand, you may want to know how to find a Levi’s style number. With the style number, also known as the model number, you’ll be able to search and find an old but oh-so-loved pair of Levi’s jeans.
Alternatively, you may have found a pair of Levi’s at the thrift store and are wondering if they are vintage. After all, that would be a high-dollar seller for your online reselling business!
In this post, we’ll go over how to decipher Levi’s numbers and ultimately find your Levi’s style number.
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Levi’s Style Number Structure
To start off, let’s go over exactly what we’re looking for when attempting to discover a Levi’s style number. Each time you do a Levi’s model number search, you will be looking for an 9-digit code.
This 9-digit code may be separated into 5 digits, a dash, then the remainder of the 4 digits. Other times, the Levi’s style number is presented as one 9-digit number without a dash separator.
Using this information, let’s discuss where Levi’s numbers appear on these apparel items.
Using A Levi’s Inner Tag
The first place to look for a Levi’s serial number is on the inner tag of the garment. To do this, you need to locate the “wash and care” label. It may be on an inside seam or on the inside waistband.
Try to locate where it states “PC9” on the tag. The numbers following the PC9 are the ones that make up your Levi’s style number.
Levi’s uses PC9, also known as a Levi’s product code, to help customers determine the style and finish of their products.
The first 5 digits of the PC9 identify the product style, whether that is women’s 505 jeans, 501 jeans, etc. The last 4 digits outline the finish of the product, sometimes known as the color.
This can include but is not limited to medium wash, light wash, or dark stonewash.
Once you find the Levi’s style number with this method, input the number it into a Google search followed by the brand name. This should yield results for your Levi’s item either on secondhand marketplaces like Poshmark and eBay, or even the retailer’s website itself.
Using A Levi’s Brand Tag
The next place that you can look for a Levi’s product number is on the brand tag or price tag. Although, the Levi’s style number is not always listed here.
Using the strategy that we learned above, look for an 9-digit code. It may be 9 digits in a row, or 9 digits with a dash separating them.
This is not the same as a UPC, which will always be included on the price tag. If you are able to find your Levi’s style number on the tag, just as above, insert it into a Google search.
Alternatively, style numbers can be searched directly on Levi’s website. Just input the style number into the search bar and see if any results are yielded.
As an avid thrifter, I know that not all items will still have the tags attached. This includes both the price tag and the inner care instructions tag.
If this is similar to your situation, keep reading because we still have a few more tricks for finding a Levi’s product code even without using tags.
Using Google Image Search
This method involves using Google Lens. With Google Lens, you can take a picture of an item and perform a visual search.
So snap a picture of your Levi’s item with your phone. Go into your picture settings and find where it states “Search with Google Lens.”
For iPhone users, you will need to make sure that you have the Google app downloaded first.
Following your search, you should start to see visual results come up that resemble your Levi’s item. Scroll through and click around if your item does not come up right away.
It is important to note that Google Lens typically works best for more unique items with standout features. Because of that, it may not work as well for a plain pair of jeans.
However, the process is quick and easy so it’s worth a shot to see what pulls up! If this method does not work for you, we still have one more to try.
Using Keyword Descriptors
Now, we’ll go back to our roots with a good old-fashioned Google search. Start to describe your item in a Google search bar.
Pretend like you are describing it to someone that you’re talking on the phone with (because they can't see it!). Try to give them a real picture in their mind of what the item looks like.
This includes stating the brand name, type of item, gender, length, material, color, any special embellishments, and more.
Search this phrase, but don’t stress too much over your first search query. You can always modify by adding, removing, or rearranging to find different results.
Now that you have all of these tricks up your sleeve for finding a Levi’s style number, you’re ready to do some digging. Let us know which method proved to be the most successful for you in the comments below!
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