After you submit your true measurements, I will show you what the various recommendations are for what size of Shrink to Fit jeans to buy.
For more on sizing, check out the article!
For ideas on where to purchase Levi’s Jeans, please see the 501xx FAQ.
For repairing older jeans with hem or crotch or other holes, please see Denim Therapy.
Sizing Guide
Waist size (W)
Measure around where you normally wear your pants (A in above picture), keeping the tape measure a bit loose or putting one finger between your body and the tape measure. Alternatively, measure the waist size (A in above picture) of a pair of well fitting pants you already own.
Inseam size (L)
You’ll need a friend to measure from your crotch to where you want your pants to end (B in above picture), breaking at the top of the shoe in the front and just above the heel in the back (you’ll need to be wearing shoes for this one) Easier method: Find a pair of good fitting pants, and measure from crotch seam to bottom of pants (B in above picture).
I can relate to A & B, but what do you do with c-d-e& f ? Are there options for fit in these areas. I’m finding that true W size in stf works because the waist seems to remain the same even after shrinking and wearing for a while. Also, at the bottem of the C arrow, straight to the outside of the pant leg (lateral) is where I have the problem of too wide. Have you heard of a way to shrink just this area? I’ll coment more in the STF 501 forum later. Keep up the good work.
Hey Bill D, Thanks for the great questions! C-D-E-F measurements more define what makes the 501 a 501. For example, D on the 501 is a bit higher than on other jeans because of the higher yoke in the back. To answer your question, I think those parameters can be changed by looking at different styles of Levi’s, whereas the A and B can be changed within the same style.
Personally, I haven’t had success ever with shrinking just parts of the jean but not other parts. I do, however, experience a gradual change over time that can change the overall appearance and fit. That just comes with normal wear and tear. I think you’ll really enjoy the discussions going on on the forum, and I look forward to seeing you there!
Bill,
Thank you for posting your question, as I am happy to see that I am not the only one who has had issues with the actual cut of the 501s. I see a lot of the old repeat posts on how to measure length and waist, but rarely other factors.
So, this may be coming a little late, but from what I have found…
Any two pair of 501′s can vary so much depending on when and where they were sewn that they might as well be marked as different fit numbers (501, 502, 503, etc.) or even different gender (!!).
The most critical difference I have found is the back side of the inseam. If you were to fold a pair of jeans in half lengthwise (like how you normally do) this would be the edge running from the where the legs join in the arse, down to the ankle. It seems like those made in the 80′s and 90′s have a true straight cut, that is this edge is a perfectly straight line all the way to the ankle. New 501s have a ridiculous crescent-cut that causes them to be very tight in the thigh and knee, flare out to the ankle and have an abundance of fabric in the hips that causes a, shall we say, “provocative” cut in the seat and crotch. They look like girl pants, dawg.
I will note that this has only been on the pre-shrunk pairs that I have bought, so I am not sure if this has to do with the fabric itself, how it is cut and sewn, or how it is shrunk. My personal recommendation is to find a pair on ebay. Look for “made in USA” (higher quality and from no later than about 2000 when production was outsourced) and with “moustache arcuates” on the back pockets (the signature arches are sewn with a less dramatic design), which usually means straight-leg old-school 501s. And for the love of God, stay away from the Mexican-made ones. Each pair is cut/shrunk differently and so awkwardly. They tag is all discolored, too, like it might be moldy or something.
By the way, I called Levi’s and at first the rep told like “yup, 501′s are all vintage and haven’t changed a bit and are so old-school and trendy and scene, etc” until I pointed out the differences in even arcuate design and pocket depth and he had to concede that the actual cut has changed over the years.
Sorry if this has drifted into pre-shrunk realm, but I am very concerned that if the cut of 501 PS has changed, then so has it for 501 STF.
I have been coveting a pair of deadstock 1995 501 STF for over a month on the ebay and have just ordered them. I will shrink as per the wonderful advice found on this site and report on the difference. If anyone has any advice on how to treat them for an even stonewash fade without dumping 20 pounds of gravel into my (landlady’s) washing machine, please let me know.
Thanks. Cheers. Shrink. Fade. Fit.
-Tom
Hi Ned, what a great tool! If I may, I’d like to add a suggestion for the tool from my own experience. I have just recently shrunk my 501s and got PERFECT results. The fit is the best i’ve ever had in a pair of jeans.
My suggestion is in the area of choosing the right waist size. As you know the waist does stretch, so while I did take your advice about purchasing the raw STFs at my actual waist size…I took that advice a bit further and actually purchased a pair that were a bit tighter than what i would normally wear. I normally wear size 32×32. When purchasing my STFs I went to the levis store and tried on both 32×36 and 31×36. While the 32 waist size was more comfortable, i knew that it would stretch with wear. The 31 waist was rather tight and I was only just barely to button it (it was even a little uncomfortable at first). But I went with the 31×36, factoring in that they would stretch. I wore the jeans raw at first (about one month total) and within the first few days the waist stretched out comfortably.
I have now shrunk my jeans while wearing them in the tub and have acheived a perfectly comfortable slim fit.
Perhaps you should put a sizing recomendation that says to choose 1" smaller than your normal waist size (as long as you can button them!!!) if you would like to achieve a slimmer fit and also compensate for stretching in the waist
Gill, thanks so much for this comment, I think your experience is really helpful! I think I will take your advice and add a recommendation for a slimmer fit, there has certainly been a lot of interest in it. Like: “I really like the idea of shrinking my jeans to my body, but I want a slimmer cut to start with.” I don’t think people realize how fluid and how much the jeans stretch and shrink naturally with wear and wash. Great observation and thanks for sharing!
It is interesting to note that the method for shrinking 501′s to fit well hasn’t changed since I was a teenager. That was fifty years ago! Back then, we’d buy them to fit comfortably while allowing extra length to accommodate the shrinkage.
Like the current recommendations for shrinking them, we’d get into a tub of hot water (not so hot as to scald one’s skin). Usually, one stayed in the tub for about a half hour. If the water got too cool, you could drain some out and add more hot water. Since I lived in Encino, California in an area where most folks had and rode horses we’d then get on our horse and go for a ride in wet jeans. This made for fast drying in the summer. Sometimes we’d ride through a creek which was actually a storm drainage system for the Sepulveda Dam that eventually drained off in to the Los Angeles River. The river itself was empty in the summer. I suspect the water in the creek came from the irrigation system inside the dam which was used to irrigate the farmer’s fields there.
In the end, the jeans fit well and were pretty comfortable. How good they looked still depended on how good the body inside them was. No matter how well jeans fit, they really cannot make one’s body look any better than it is. I was really skinny back then and so these well fitting jeans didn’t make me look any fatter.
These days, I’m a lot more muscular, but my waist is bigger too. Recently, I bought a pair of shrink to fit 501’s. I plan on shrinking them by getting into the tub filled with hot water and wearing them until they are dry. I suspect because I am far and away not a teenager any longer, I’ve been putting this off for a couple of days because of the imagined discomfort. I no longer have a horse to ride and I now live in a cooler region of the country so who knows how long they’ll take to dry.
They say you can never go back, but who says you can have fun trying.
Prime
I have a question regarding the stretch that the preshrunk 501s get after a couple of days wear, when they become quite loose in the waist and baggy at the rear. Do you recommend also to get 1 inch less than your normal waist size when buying 501 preshrunks?
Hi George! I have much less experience with the pre-shrunk 501′s but I can’t see why the same principle won’t apply. If you do try this please be sure to let us know how it works out!
I normal wear a 32 inseam and i don’t like having a cuff. Will a 34 be too short? Too bad they don’t make 35…
Hi Bill! 34′s may be a bit on the short side and 36′s may be a bit on the long side. It depends on your height, if you wear your pants closer to your hips or to your waist, what kind of shoes you wear, etc. Personally, I’d go for the 36′s and let the gather a bit at my ankles; i perfer my pants a bit long though. I hope this is helpful, let us know what you decide and how it works for you!
Thank you Ned, I think I’ll go for the 36. I’ll let you know how it worked.
Finally I changed my mind and went for the 34. Good intuition, the length is absolutely perfect and so is the waist. They look great!
Congrats Bill! I’m so glad to hear that they worked out so well for you. Please post pics in the forum if you’d like to show them off
My measurements are 32 in. waist and 34 in. length
hi, great site, but cant fint that tool, i cant see it nowhere on this page
Thanks for the heads up Petr! It should be ok now.
yeah its ok now, i have one more question, my size is 33×32 your recommendation is 33×35, i thought it will be too lenghty (3″ is a lot) and waist is same, am i wrong?
thanks Petr
yes that’s my recommendation, check out the other articles they may help the recommendation become clearer. thanks for your interest!
thanks ned, i aske for size 33×35 but they sell only 33×34 or 33×36 what do you think i should take?
thanks
it depends whether you like your pants long or short…cuffed or uncuffed etc.
mm i dont know how much it shrinks, im wearing black leather shoes so i dont want that it will be short..
I always err on the side of long but it is personal preference.
Hello, I was just wondering about what inseam size I should buy. I normally wear a 31×32, but that’s a bit long for me as it is. I would just get a 32 inseam like I always do, but I don’t want them to shrink too much and be too short. I’m debating getting a 34, but I plan on wearing them a bit before I wash them to get them worn some, so I’m not sure>
Warning for newbies : I just bought a pair of 501 STF’s, W33 L31 and the actual pre-shrunk measurements of the jeans are quite different – W is 35.0″ measured but the L is correct at 31.1″. These jeans are made in Haiti.
its quite possible to size down two with these, im naturally about a 31×30 but i was able to get a relatively slim fit with a little stacking at the bottom by buying a 29×36 and hot soaking it. the measurements for my jeans at the moment are 31 by about 32.5 with a leg opening of about 7.75. there was a little pain at the start but it was gone in 1 or 2 days. i wish they made the 29 with a 38 or 39 inseam like much more expensive jeans as i like the excess length.
I have worn Levi 501′s STF for years. Always the same size 34 X 36. They fit great w/my boots. The last pair that I bought -same size- are about 2 inches too long. I have washed and dried all the same. I may be getting older but I have not shrunk 2 inches. Any word if Levi’s has changed their sizing?
Rich, I know that Levis sizing changes every so often, as I have some 517′s from the 70′s, 80′s, and early 00′s and the length from the 00′s is longer (in addition to the very roomy fit). They are the same size waist and length and yet the newer models seem to be at least 2 inches longer. I know the 501 model has the same issue(s) with sizing being inconsistent; I have some deadstock 501′s from the 80′s and the fit is more body conscious (slimmer) than the modern cut which is more loose.
im pretty sure i should take waist size 28, problem is where can i get those pair in size28, any link or something? online stores doesnt stock it in those size, ive been wondering why does lvc stop producing 501xx in size 28? ._.
Buongiorno, mi dispiace ma scrivo in italiano la mia lingua, non conosco l’inglese. Il problema:
ho un girovita di cm. 86, ma quando acquisto jeans levis 501 in Italia la taglia giusta è quella W32 mentre L32 è lunga. Dovendo acquistare on line su Eu-levis, ho molti dubbi per scegliere la giusta W. mi potete aiutare?? grazie e un saluto da G. Monaco
Hey Ned, great site man! I’m a rookie coming into the STF game. I’ve purchased the pre-washed 501′s for the last ten years and I have 6 pairs. I rotate them every few days because I don’t like the seat and knee sags. I normally wear a 36×30 and they fit fine but I hit the iron and my thighs grew like crazy. My 36×30′s fit tight around the thighs but pretty loose on waist. Just wondering if you have come across anyone with this problem sometime during your experience? My thighs are 30 1/16″ around at the thickest, crazy I know. I tried on 40×32′s and my legs are comfortable in them and the length is great but the waist is way to big. Any suggestions?