Mint condition Levi's Jacket from World War II era sells for record-breaking £260,000

The romance of vintage denim attracts many fashion lovers around the world, but its scarcity means items can come with a hefty price tag. And sometimes, that figure can become a world record.

The jacket in question is a "Levi's S506XXE". It was a jacket made during the World War II period, when rationing was in place for people around the world.

Now, it's been sold for 55 million Japanese Yen (approx. £260,590), breaking the record for most expensive second-hand denim jacket (non-memorabilia).

One of the unique features of this model is the "split back", where two pieces of fabric are sewn together to create the back part of the jacket. The feature was often found in jackets of larger sizes; this is either to make efficient use of the fabric, or simply because the width of the fabric (as it comes out of the loom) was not sufficient enough.

Split back WWII models have added significance as they point to the manufacturer's efforts to keep material use down. Other methods were donut buttons and different pocket fabric on jeans.

As a result, the split-back feature is not just visually interesting, but has historical and archival significance too. So much so that the jacket was featured in an anthological book, Levi's Vintage Denim Jackets.

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The jacket, purchased by beauty salon group FIVESTAR Inc., is in near-deadstock condition. While leather patches on many wartime denim jackets and pants have either become scrunched or lost, the patch on this jacket is properly intact. What's more, the lot number and sizing is in legible condition, which is extremely rare.

But why did a beauty salon group make this purchase? CEO Masayuki Sasaki explains: "This is not about how expensive a purchase it was. It is a gesture to show that Japanese aesthetics have been nurtured to an extent that we have eyes to find and value world cultural heritage and to pass it down to generations.

"Beauty isn't limited to hair and cosmetics. Clothing, environment, movement, time all contribute to beauty. I hope that with this event, we can create opportunities to take Japanese aesthetics further to the stage of world culture."