70s-80s West Cal 45 Western Denim Shirt, Similar to Lee

Width 50.5 cm
Length 69 cm
Shoulder width 41 cm

No tears or fraying that would affect wear. In excellent vintage condition.

West Cal 45 is the brand name of snap buttons (press studs) mainly used on American-made vintage denim items from the 1970s, especially workwear and Western-style shirts and jackets from Lee. The name is a combination of "West Cal" (an abbreviation of West Coast California, symbolizing the Western style of California) and ".45" (evoking the tough image of a Colt .45 caliber pistol, reminiscent of the Wild West), and was adopted as a design element to add the essence of Western movies and cowboy culture to Lee items.

Introduction of West Cal 45 (1970s): West Cal 45 snaps appeared on Lee's products in the 1970s. These were used in Lee's Workwear series (e.g., denim shirts, jackets), and the metal "Bullet Snap" (bullet-shaped) with the brand name stamped on it is representative. The "WEST CAL .45" stamp emphasized California's Western heritage, and combined with Lee's "Made in USA" tag, it appealed to authentic American heritage. The fabric was often heavy 12oz denim, and combined with orange stitching and W-shaped pockets (Wrangler-style), it was popular with rock and country music fans. In vintage markets such as eBay, 1970s Lee shirts with West Cal 45 are still traded at high prices, with items in good condition selling for hundreds of dollars.