Lee Labels: History and How to Date Them
Appraise a photo of yours, free.
Lee began as the H.D. Lee Mercantile company of Salina, Kansas, making work clothes from 1911 and denim cowboy pants from the 1920s. Early H.D. Lee labels mark the most valuable pieces, and Lee was an early user of the zip fly, which helps with dating.
Company history
The Vintage Fashion Guild (VFG) records that Henry David Lee and associates ran a wholesale dry goods and grocery business in Salina and began making work clothing because Eastern factories delivered poorly. They opened a factory in 1911 and introduced the Union-All, a jacket and pants sewn together at the waist, two years later. Lee made these for the military in the First World War, added denim cowboy pants in the 1920s, and after the Second World War marketed jeans as fashion, including the Lady Lee Rider for women. It added other sportswear from 1954 and was sold to VF in 1967. Our vintage denim values guide notes the 101Z added a zip in the 1920s and that Lee's left-hand twill fades smoother than Levi's denim.
Label timeline
| Label or clue | Approximate dates | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| H.D. Lee Mercantile labels | 1910s to 1920s examples | Early work clothing, the most valuable |
| Union-All | From 1913 | Lee's coverall |
| Cowboy pants in denim, 101Z with zip fly | 1920s onward | Early Lee jeans |
| Lady Lee Rider | After the Second World War | Women's jeans |
| Other sportswear | From 1954 | Wider range |
| VF ownership | From 1967 | Later corporate era |
The VFG also shows Lee labels from 1950s side-zippered jeans and early-1970s jeans.
What it helps date
- Zip flies are covered in date by zippers; union labels in early workwear help too: union labels.
- Compare with Levi's and Wrangler for the main American denim timelines.
Values
Our vintage denim values guide (California Vintage Buyers) gives 1980s to 1990s Lee jeans and jackets $20 to $75; 1970s Lee Riders $30 to $100 worn; 1970s to 1980s Storm Rider jackets $75 to $250; 1950s to 1960s 101-J and Storm Riders $200 to $600; and 1930s to 1940s cowboy pants and hair-on-hide patch jackets in four figures for the right piece. The workwear values guide puts Lee Union-Alls at $50 to $200 from the 1940s on and several hundred to a few thousand for 1910s to 1920s examples. Prices are estimates as of 2026.
check sold prices for lee vintage storm rider jacket on eBay
Sources
Not sure what you have? Appraise a photo
Free vintage label dating cheat sheet, by email:
Related
- Levi's Labels: History and How to Date ThemDate vintage Levi's from the red tab, patch, rivets, selvedge and button stamp: the 1936 tab, Big E before 1971, redline to the mid-1980s, and values.
- Wrangler Labels: History and How to Date ThemWrangler history for denim collectors: Blue Bell's 1943 purchase of the name, Rodeo Ben's 1947 jeans, why "Blue Bell" labels matter, and 2026 values.
- How to Date Vintage Clothing by the ZipperUse zipper type, placement, brand and material to date vintage clothing: metal Talon zippers, side-seam closures, the 1960 nylon coil, and concealed zips.
- Dating Vintage Clothing by ILGWU and Other Union LabelsHow to date American garments by their ILGWU, ACWA, NRA and Consumers' Protection labels, with a period-by-period chart and where the dates disagree.