Levi Creates iPod Compatible Jeans

By Ed Oswald | Published January 11, 2006, 11:46 AM

iPod, meet Levi Strauss. The 133-year-old denim brand announced Tuesday at Macworld in San Francisco that it would be the first to offer consumers "iPod compatible" jeans.

The RedWire DLX line, due out in fall 2006, will be compatible with iPod's plug and play technology. The jeans will also have a joystick in the watch pocket that would allow the wearer to control the audio player without taking it out.

A docking cradle will be built into the jeans, making the "iPod bulge" all but invisible when wearing. Levi's says this is both for the security and safety of the iPod and is removable with the device to allow the user to look at the screen while not having to disconnect.

"The Levi's RedWire DLX Jean is the latest extension of the Levi's brand leadership position by merging fashion and technology that provides consumers with the most innovative way to enhance their portable, digital music lifestyle," US brand president Robert Hanson said.

The jeans will also include a headphone wire retractor to prevent the iPod's headphone cords from tangling inside the pocket.

The company says that the jeans have even been made to allude to the "pure design" of the iPod itself, with white leather patch and joystick, bluffed back pockets with hidden stitching, and clean minimalist buttons and rivets.

The iPod is one of the most successful consumer electronics devices of the past decade, with over 42 million devices sold.

Comments

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This is going WAY too far.....

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damn COOL

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Brialliant! These guys have Banged through the door with innovation and style - lets see how they sell... we love you Steve....!

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lol, WHY??????, If they'r goin this far they micht just aswell make different pants for each individual model of the ipod. Who would like to integrate cloathing and tech????? POINTLESSSSS.

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what a nightmare these are going to be to wash!

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Yes. This is going to create allot of iPod sales when all the moms wash the kids cloths with the iPods inside.

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ahahahahh

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I'm still having trouble with the "joystick" in the jeans and why would I want to get rid of my "bulge"? After all doesn't using the former increase the size of the latter?

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Laughing out loud...I was thinking the same thing. Now instead of having an iPod shaped bulge you will look like you are playing pocket pool.

My only question is how you wash the jeans given they have electronic parts integrated into them. Seems like it may be annoying to remove the parts every time. You thought you were bummed when you left your wallet in your pants and washed them, think about when you ruin the electronic parts that made the pants useful (probably expensive as well).

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Dude, Levi has always done this. They do trends, but you can ALWAYS find the same 501's. Relax.

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One thing I've always liked about Levi is its old-fashioned, conservative, solid design. Now they're making iPod pockets? How about some cell phone, PDA and weapon pockets next.

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Levi's owns Dockers which already introduced special pants 4 years ago for cell/PDA/cameras/etc. Search for "Dockers Mobile Pants" for more info. The product never really took off, so apparently they are trying again, this time using the parent brand and customizing it more specifically for iPod.

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