Women

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For the lovely-tough girls then and now

We’ve selected historical pieces from our global archives and painstakingly replicated the first-edition Lee garments ever made for women. This limited, re-release is an homage to Lee’s 130-year history and the industrious spirit of women who claimed men’s workwear for their own.

First Issue: FEBRUARY 1947

Reissue: NOVEMBER 2019

The original boyfriend jeans. Even before Lee Riders were available specifically for women, the Lee woman sometimes wore the men’s cowboy pants. Because she wore them, too. The contesting cowgirl. The farmers’ daughter. The WWII land girl.

The Ladies Lee Rider Jean was identical to men’s. The difference? A small dart in the yoke to creat a more fitted waist for the female physique. Just as tough. Just as cool.

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First Issue: JULY 1950

Reissue: NOVEMBER 2019

In October 1949, Lee introduced its second style of denim jeans for women: Ladies Dungarees with a side-opening zipper. This was the very first time Lee referred to its denim as “jeans.” Gamechanger.

Made with sanforized denim, the smoother feel and workwear pockets gave this pair a distinctively utilitarian vibe for the factory femmes and motor babes.

shop all-purpose blue jeans

First Issue: JUNE 1952

Reissue: NOVEMBER 2019

In the early 1950s, Lee Frontier Lady pants capitalized on the increasing popularity of Western attire not only through its name, but also through details: arrow-shaped “Fancy Dart” belt loops, pearl snaps found on cowboy shirts, and a horse-led stagecoach design on its interior woven label.

While these details reflected our origins in work & western wear, it also signaled that Lee was truly embracing the women’s market through relevant fashion moves. That same year, actress Joyce Holden wore the Frontier Lady in the rodeo film “Bronco Buster.” In Technicolor, no less.

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First Issue: APRIL 1949

Reissue: NOVEMBER 2019

The Lee Rider Jacket: a slim, form-fitting denim cowboy jacket with slanted chest pockets (for easy access on horseback), a short-cut yet wide waistband for a better fit—a fit that the ladies liked, too.

It was common for women to purchase men’s small or even youth-sized Rider jackets for themselves. The proof? Search for a certain iconic blonde bombshell wearing a Lee Rider jacket on the set of her 1961 movie, “The Misfits.” Epic hotness.

shop lee rider jacket