A Year in the Making

I bought a pair of 31×38 501xx’s from Langstons and started wearing them on 1/29/09. I knew they would shrink vertically 2-3 inches — ending at 35-36″ — which would give me an about an inch or two for a cuff at the bottom. Here’s a picture of them before soaking with light wear, you can see that the cuff is quite long before the shrinking:

I decided I wanted to soak them on my honeymoon in Jamaica; my wife actually bought a pair as well and shrunk them with me. I got about two months of wear in them before the day of soaking 3/4/2009. Since I can’t wear jeans at work everyday, this was under 300 hours of wear. Here they are right before soaking, you can see they already look much more fitted and comfortable then the first picture:

Here they are right after soaking. We soaked for about 20 minutes in a private hot tub (which was really nice, btw):

I let them dry on me which didn’t take very long since we were outside in warm weather with the hot sun (maybe 5 hours max).

After that there hasn’t been much excitement in these jeans life for the last eleven months or so. I wore them on nights and weekends and DIDN’T wash them ever. For those keeping track, that means for over a year the only water that has touched my jeans has been the soak in Jamaica.

If this sounds gross to you, I really do understand. My original plan was to wear them without washing for maybe a month or two figuring that after that the smell would drive me to wash them. Carrying out this experiment really challenged my perceptions of this.

As long as you don’t get dirt on them, don’t do a lot of strenuous activity in them and — sorry if this is a bit vulgar — be sure to always wear underwear you can really go a very long time between washing. Even towards the end they were not offensive unless you held them close to your nose. If you have a partner, be sure to listen to them if they tell you enough is enough!

But more on washing later. Here are some progress photos taken at random intervals over the last year. First, about a month after soaking:

6/20/09 – about four months after soaking:

11/7/09 – About 8 months after initial soaking:

Like I said earlier since I’m just a nights and weekends jeans wearer we’re only talking like 230 hours per month. You can do your own quick calculation to get an idea of how to compare apples to apples with my pictures. Thirteen months is about 3000 hours which us to the pictures below which were taken before washing them for the first time (click for full size):

Wear and Tear

Since Levi’s switched to lighter weight denim the most common complaint I hear is the wear in the crotch. Without washing your clothes will wear quicker as well because of the grit you’re carrying around and rubbing into the fibers. Between the two you’re likely going to see some wear and tear and my pair was no exception but I have to say it wasn’t as bad as I was expecting.

Cuffs have the disadvantage of a weak “hem” at the end of the pant leg. The hem the jeans come with is double or triple thickness makes it stronger and less prone to wear. The cuff doesn’t give you that kind of protection so I did see a couple holes right on the crease of the cuff.

I did also have a couple points of noticeable wear in the crotch, one of which will likely need to be repaired within a few months of more wear. The top layer of jean on the inseam wore off in two places and there is one crease that looks like it will become a hole pretty soon. From my experience and reading about other’s, I think this is to be expected and is just an unfortunate reality of the decrease in workmanship and quality of materials we’ve seen across the entire brand. Here’s a detail of some of the damage, as you can see i got lucky and it will be relatively easy to repair especially with Denim Therapy‘s crotch and hem repair services:

Washing

Why wash ever? If you’ve gone this long why not continue wearing and getting a deeper fade and higher contrasts. First, as mentioned earlier, there is a balance between wearing out your clothes by washing too much, and having them wear out faster due to neglect. Also by this point, they were bagging in the seat and knees to a point where they were no longer looking that great — it was getting difficult to justify wearing them to casual Friday at work. There was also the smell and the general dingy appearance that comes with long wear. I held out but also knew when it was time.

Here was my approach to washing:

• Inside out
• Cold water (not extremely cold but not warm)
• Hand wash in the bathtub
• 1/4 Cup Dr. Bronners Classic Liquid Castile soap (peppermint)
• 1 Cup white vinegar
• 1 hour soak agitating every 20 minutes or so
• Rinse cold (not too much!)
• Air dry flat (remember to flip every now and then)

Finn watches:

The theory behind this approach was to minimize fading (cold water, vinegar, minimum of mild soap, hand wash) while getting full benefits of washing (removing dirt, reshaping the clothes). There are many many different approaches that also work well, here are some additional tips that have been reported to me:

• You can also substitute WOOLITE Dark as the soap
• If you use the washing machine, wash them alone, inside out, on cold and remove before the spin cycle for air drying
• Water, vinegar, and salt is another combination that will get good effects
• Washing in the (clean) ocean and rinsing with clear water will get the job done as well

For a review of jean care and achieving different fades see the Levi’s 501XX Shrink to Fit FAQ.

The End Results

After wash and thorough air dry, here were my results (click for full size):

Here they are on (with my new Fred Perry Kingston Mid Prince of Wales sneakers):

Honestly I couldn’t be more pleased with how they are coming along.

The critical steps are done so from here on out my plan is:

• Repair the damage by getting Denim Therapy to close the holes
• I’m going to put them in the regular rotation of jeans, so they will get less regular wear and last longer
• I will not wash often but also not wait another year for washing. Once they start sagging a lot in the knees and seat it will be time for a wash

I hope this was helpful experience. Going through this process and documenting it has only reinforced that this m is the choice for achieving the best fit and best fade possible. Please respond in the comments and on the forums with your own experiences so we can all learn and improve.

Admittedly, buying the right size of 501xx Shrink to Fit jeans is not the easiest task since they change so drastically when they shrink. However, with a bit of practice and help a lot of the mystery and variability can be eliminated. Of course, like in many things, experience is king; luckily a pair of 501′s won’t break the bank if you mess up (usually about $35) so experimentation is always recommended. Getting the exact right size can make the difference between a pair that is ok and a pair that you love.

Personally, I haven’t found the official Levi’s recommendations (printed on the back pocket tag on a new pair) to be very helpful. Even after extended wear they never quite get to the right proportions for me. To make things more confusing, denim is fluid and changes slowly with age almost as dramatically as the first quick change. Continued wear and wash not only fades the jeans but inperceptively changes how they fit and change to shape your body.

So how can you possibly know what size to buy to get the perfect jean? Well, thanks to the experiences that people have shared here (and my own personal experience with 501′s), there are some guidelines that can be given. I’ve even written a tool to help you find the perfect firt before you purchase: check it out!

First, I recommend using your true waist size when you size a new pair of shrink to fits. Yes they will shrink a bit in the waist but they also stretch easily with very little wear. They may feel a bit tight when they first come out of the dryer after a wash but in just a couple hours will feel comfortable again. If you add inches to the waist, when they stretch they will get quite baggy.

Second with the length, I recommend +3 inches. They will seem quite long when you first buy them and try them on, but most of the shrinking occurs in the length. Three inches will ensure that they will be the correct length after shrinking them and you won’t have to tug on the inseam while they are wet to get the right length.

Another thing to remember is that 501 Shrink to Fits notoriously look slimmer than they feel. Keep this in mind, and try using a mirror or a trusted friend to judge how they look rather than just going on how they feel. They will also get slimmer with age so don’t give up on them too soon. Initial reports suggest that the new cut of the jean (since about summer 2008) is quite a bit slimmer even at the start; so if you haven’t tried the 501′s for a couple years, now may be a good time to try them again.

So check out the 501xx Sizing Tool and enjoy a new pair of perfectly fitted jeans!

Let’s all admit it, soaking and drying your 501′s is a huge part of the appeal of these pants. It’s the personal touch and the messiness and the smell of wet denim and the looks your significant other or friends give you when you tell them of bathing in your new blue jeans. What seems to be always true though, is if someone asks — and sometimes even if they don’t — you are eager to share the story of your shrink to fits starting with that initial soak.

So why not make it an interesting story? Here are some great ideas — some mine, some from the readers — of ways to start your jeans off with an adventure and a good story to boot.

These kids have got it right? or wrong?

Apparently, back in the early days of the 501, indoor plumbing was not nearly as common as it was today so folks would put on their new pants and hop in a horse trough, or a creek, or a water tower (ew). Later, counter culture youths would wear their jeans into the ocean or have shrink parties together in the bath tub. One of the common threads however, which I would hazard as a recommendation, is that one would shrink their jeans according to their lifestyle. (thanks for the info Steve!)

As a review the recommended steps to take is 30 minutes wearing them in a warm bath and then letting them dry on your body (approx. 6 hours). However, don’t let that stop you from experimenting; it would be awful boring if there were only one way to do it — and these jeans are anything but boring! Remember, while you are planning your soaking, try wearing your stiff new jeans with cuffs (turn ups) for a few weeks or months. This will only make them better after they are soaked and fitted to your body.

Many people have pointed out that both cold and warm baths work (warm shrinks more) as well as showers. Hot tubs, swimming pools, oceans, lakes, ponds, rivers, even gross horse troughs are all viable options. Outside is best for drying weather permitting, and moving around a little in your jeans while they dry is probably a good idea as well.

In the good weather your options are greatly increased: shrink them and go out for a walk, or to a bar, or the beach, or shrink them before going out on a saturday night (by the time you get home they’ll probably be dry). Maybe go to the mall or to a restaurant, although I would not recommend soaking in fountain unless you want to have a chat with security. It’s a good idea to get your friends involved and make a day of it. If you are in Chicago, maybe that means swimming in Lake Michigan and riding bikes around downtown.

Joe from Austin, TX left this comment:

I have always worn mine in a spa, hot tub or pool brand new and let them dry on. I’m a lifeguard and scuba diver so water is always near. You can adjust the fit of your Levis by doing a couple of deep knee bends, and also by providing lift in the crucial areas for good athletic support. Levis and Wranglers are the only brands that provide good support. Divers and open water guards wear Levis for protection from stings, abrasion and cuts [under water]. I live in Texas so the hot summer sun allows you to swim in Levis every day if you want and have them dry on. Some people will say that “jeans are heavy wet”. Not for intrepid swimmers. And, if you want to swim and free dive just add good dive boots and fins and you’ll become a fish [under water]. I do this all the time. In fact, dive shops carried Levis 512 Slimfit Jeans modified for aquatics and embroidered and labeled them “Levis Diveskins”.

Take Jesse’s experience for example: “I recently shrunk my first pair of jeans in a local lake and dried myself/them on the sun drenched dock. No bath tub cleaning for me!”

In the cold weather at home I tend to sit on a towel and watch and movie then do chores around the house. I you could also try taking a nap.

This year during the coldest month, I am going to be on a beach in Jamaica. I’m looking forward to soaking a new pair in the ocean and drying on the sand. That will be a great story to tell and to remember every time I wear those jeans.

The Ocean Approach

Remember, be creative and be true to your lifestyle. Please share your experiences below, it’s fun to hear about people’s relationship to their Levi’s.

The FAQ

Boy oh boy, I’ll tell you I really had no idea. When I wrote the first Howto on shrinking Levi’s 501xx Shrink to Fit (STF) blue jeans I had no clue what a huge and fun topic it really was! I still feel like the 501xx is the best value in jeans out there today and certainly the most personal experience when compared to the pre-washed variety. Plus — and I don’t care how much you pay for them — new jeans that are manufactured with a “already worn” look will never look as good as a pair of well loved 501′s.

On just the two articles I have gotten close to 200 comments and questions from really insightful, curious, and knowledgeable people. Together I think we have all learned a lot about jeans based on our own experience and the research that everyone has put into it. I felt like it was about time to post another article with the highlights from these discussions. Keep commenting and keep breaking in those jeans!

• Can you quickly describe the best way to shrink your 501 Shrink to Fit jeans?
  As a review, the generally accepted best way to shrink you 501xx’s is to: 
  1. Buy a new pair at your regular waist size and about 3 inches longer than you usually buy pants.
  2. Wear the stiff jeans until they become a bit softer.
  3. Draw a normal temperature bath and wear the jeans in the tub for about 30 minutes.
  4. Get out of the tub and continue to wear your jeans until they are dry.
  5. Wear your newly shrunk jeans for a while before washing them for the first time.

  There are many more tweaks and aspects to understand about this process which I will hopefully answer in further detail below.

• Can I get my 501′s any slimmer?
  501′s are a classic cut which is slightly straighter leg then is currently in syle for men’s jeans (skinny jeans for the most part). I have a few answers when people ask me this question: 
  1. Be sure to buy your STF’s at or below your waist size for a snug fit
  2. After your first soak before you wash your jeans, you can do a second tub soak which will shrink them further but not nearly as dramatically as the first soak.
  3. 501xx’s actually feel roomier than they look. Be sure to get some feedback from people you trust about how they look rather than just going by how they feel.
  4. As you wear and wash the jeans they will continue to change and mold to your body. Try wearing them for a while before giving up entirely on them.
  5. Hot water and hot dryers shrink jeans (and almost everything else). Boiling will also shrink them. Be warned though, you will lose a lot of indigo dye by treating them this severely. If you want a fadded look this will help the process along. If not be sure to turn them inside out or use colder water. Less dye means less contrast. see below for more on color.
• What size 501xx should I buy?
  This is quite a common question. My advice is to get your regular waist size and your length +3 inches. I’m about 6 feet tall 155 lb and I get 31×36 for a perfect length. If you want to cuff or want really tight in the butt and thighs adjust length and waist an inch or two in the direction you want. Also check out the Sizing Tool.
• How can I get a certain color or fade in my STF’s?
  All STF’s may start out the same, but it’s entirely up to you on how they turn out. Basically, you can buy STF new in Indigo and Black, the former being the most common choice. How color and fade goes is simply: the more dye in the pant the darker it is. Contrast is when you purposely try to keep dark colors in some areas of the pant (inseam for example) and wear away color in other areas (thighs, whiskers, wallet outlines, etc). Basic rules of thumb are: 
  1. The first wash is the most important wash (after initial soaking)
  2. Washing the jeans will remove dye
  3. Soap removes more dye than just water
  4. The hotter the water is, the more dye it will remove
  5. Turning your pants inside out when washing will keep more dye than right-side out
  6. Dry cleaning will remove dye but not as dramatically as soap and water

  People will go for 6 to 12 months wearing their jeans daily without washing. The longer you go between washings the greater the contrast you will have between the faded and non-faded areas of your jeans. The longer you can go the more character they will have. If the smell is too great for you, soaking them in cold water (with a bit of salt and vinegar, always inside out!) or dry cleaning may be an option if you want to keep the dry denim look (will remove dirt without removing much dye). If you go that long hot water will give the most contrast but will shrink more and will make them lighter than if you use warm water.

• What is the difference between Raw, Rigid, Dry, and Washed denim?
  Let’s take them one at a time: 
  • Raw denim is what you buy when you buy your new 501xx Shrink to Fits. This cotton denim has been completely untreated and unwashed which is why it will shrink so much during the first soak. It has a lighter hue than after the soak.
  • Rigid and Dry denim are the same as far as I can tell. They are similar to the soaked STFs. Basically they are still quite stiff and will continue to shrink and change over time with washing but are much closer to the size they will remain. They may be stiff but in no time they will feel quite comfortable. Many jeans companies sell rigid jeans including wrangler for a similar price point and other for considerably more.
  • Washed and Pre-washed 501′s have essentially been machine washed before you bought them. They feel like most jeans you have bought and worn in the past. The pre-washed 501′s it should be noted are different from the STF’s additionally because their inseam is sewn with a single stitch rather than the double stitch used for the STF’s. More on this later.
• I’m confused by this jean terminology! What is double/single stitching, double/single felled, selvedge, hidden rivets, denim weight, etc?
  No sweat, I was confused too at first! Let’s take them one at a time: 
  • Stitched and felled are terms used to describe the actual construction of the jeans. Levi’s Guidehas a great pictoral guide which I will try to recreate here. A single felled versus a double felled inseam would look like this:
    

    Single Felled

    

    Double Felled

    For example the inseam (seam that runs down the inner thigh) on the 501xx STF is double felled whereas on the 501 Pre-Wash it is single. Single and Double stitching can either mean the same thing as fel or can be used to describe stitching that has been gone over more than once with thread.

  • Selvedge describes how the denim fabric itself was made. On regular 501xx’s if you look inside the pant leg, the outseam will have stitching in place to keep the edge of the fabric from fraying. Jeans that use selvedge fabric instead have a solid white edge which is the actual edge of the fabic on the loom where it was woven. Here’s a picture of selvedge edging to give you an idea:
    
    This is red line selvedge on vintage 501′s. The purpose of selvedge is mainly for looks and to denote a jean that is perhaps higher quality and of finer craftsmanship (although there is a slight strength advantage over non-selvedge jeans). There are new and vintage Levi’s jeans that have selvedge which are described below and are much more expensive than the standard 501xx STF.
  • Hidden rivets are rivets that cannot be seen from the outside of the jean because they are covered with denim. You can check on the inside of the jean to see the hidden rivets. The current 501xx STF do not have any hidden rivets though in the past Levi’s have used them from time to time. Hidden rivets main purpose is to denote a vintage pair of Levi’s or Levi’s of finer craftsmanship.
  • Denim weight is a characteristic of the thickness and heavy-dutiness of the denim fabric (thread count, density, etc). 501xx STF jeans currently use a denim of 12.5 oz. Denim weight and cotton origin and quality are often used to separate quality of jeans. 12.5 oz is pretty average and 501xx STF for the price are by far the best value for this quality of raw denim.
• Do 501xx have selvedge/hidden rivets/heavy wieght denim/etc?
  Standard $30 501 STF’s current are a pretty basic jean and do not come with some of the bells and whistles that people look for in more expensive raw/rigid denim pants. Levi’s does however have a line called Levi’s Vintage Clothing (LVC) that sells very high quality replicas of vintage 501′s for about the $300 price range. Besides ebay for — mostly already shrunk — genuine vintage Levi’s, LVC’s are a great choice for someone looking for a particular style or a high quality selvedge/heavy weight demin jean. LVC 501′s are usually named by the year they are replicating (for example a popular choice is 1966 501 or the 1947 501).
• Where can I buy STF’s?
  I really enjoy going to the brick and morter Levi’s Stores and trying on the pants before buying. Here are some other great options: 
  • The Online Levi’s Store is of course an option but is usually more expensive and may not have the selection of raw sizes you are looking for
  • Sheplers is the choice of many of the people here because of their great size selection, discounts, and coupons
  • Langston is another great choice for the standard 501xx
  • Bargains Avenue
  • Cultizm is a fantastic resource for expensive and high quality denim
  • Ebay Store for Jeans (thanks Klaus!)
  • Denim Express (thanks Klaus!)
  • Jeans Direct (thanks Steve!) for the heavier weight (~14oz), pre-shrunk, european made 501′s
• What about vintage Levi’s?
  Vintage Levi’s is an absolutely huge topic that I only have a cursory knowledge of. There is a fantastic site: Levi’s Guide that should certainly get you started if you are interested. Let us know what you find out!
• Where can I repair my Levi’s?
  If your favorite jeans are getting hole-y, be sure to send them to denim therapy. They are a way better option than your local tailor and do excellent work. That’s one of the disadvantages of heavily breaking in jeans, but now there’s this great option for repair. Do it today.

That’s all I have for now. Keep the comments and questions coming and keep loving your jeans!

The first article I wrote on this topic was after a few tries with Levi’s Shrink to Fit Jeans. I achieved the best pants I had ever owned and wore them exclusively for almost a year (the picture shows newly shrunk ones with my old faithfuls. No one believes me when I tell them that they were once the same color). 501′s by design feel roomier then they look which is the reason they are so comfortable and stylish.

Heavily worn 501's and almost new ones

A button fly and $40 a pair seals the deal. If you haven’t tried them I’d highly recommend it. It is fun to do and you get jeans in the end that feel like they were made just for you. I recently did another pair and just love the results. This is what I did:

• Buy your new raw jeans at your normal waist size but with long length
  I am a tall skinny guy and I like jeans that fit comfortably with minimum bagginess. I bought the new un-shrunk jeans at my waist size and the longest leg length they had; this left me with 31-36 (told you I was tall and thin). The final fit is snug and probably perfect length although I would have preferred a bit longer (if they sold 31-38′s it would be perfect in my mind they do make 38′s! here’s a ideas on where you can buy them depending on availability). I buy my jeans at the Levi’s store so that if I don’t like how they come out after shrinking I can return them for my money back. Pretty sweet. Try the sizing tool.
• Wear your new un-shrunk jeans for a few days before shrinking them
  I don’t think I could quantify the benefits of doing this, but wearing them with that deep navy color and cuffs is just darned cool. They are a bit stiff at this point but you’ll be surprised how quickly they adjust to being worn (or you adjust to them?).
• When you are ready to shrink them, draw a hot bath and get in wearing your jeans
  One time when I was shrinking my jeans I made the bath too hot an scalded my legs. Not fun! It’s not necessary to make the water that hot. In fact I hear you can also shrink them by going swimming (something I’d love to try in Lake Michigan this summer) Just draw a comfortable bath and sit in it wearing your jeans for about a half an hour. You can also shower with them if you prefer but I haven’t tried it.
• Keep them on for the rest of the day while they dry
  Before I actually tried it I thought this step was full of problems. It was actually quite painless.The key learning was that they dry much faster on your body then they do hanging up in the bathroom. I sat in the tub with no water in it for another hour or so then walked around the house and went about my business. They had stopped dripping constantly by then. If you want to sit down and feel like they are still wet enough to leave marks on your furniture, try putting down a dark towel first. If it is warm weather, take a walk outside or sit in the park! More practically you can use these few hours to clean your tub which will certainly be blue after soaking in it with your jeans. Try to keep them on for four or five hours, you’ll be surprised how dry they are by then. If you can’t stand the dampness anymore at that point go ahead and hang them up. If I could do it in the winter so can you.
• Keep wearing them for a week or two
  Don’t do anything else to them until you’ve worn them for a week or two straight out of the shrink tub. This will help them mold to your body even more. If they get too baggy to stand move to the next step.
• Back to the shrink tub
  I choose to do the shrinking again at this stage. I’m not sure how much it helped but it certainly didn’t hurt. In fact you can repeat these last few steps as many times as you like. Your jeans will get lighter every time which is good if you are going for a lighter look quicker. If you just love that deep deep navy and they are fitting well, I recommend skipping the subsequent shrinking after the first one.
• Wear them until they need to be washed then hand wash them
  Wear them a lot which won’t be hard cause you’ll probably be in love with them by now (does that blue dye go to your brain? maybe…). Since I like to keep the color dark at first, I hand wash them in the tub inside out with warm water and just enough detergent to get them clean (surprisingly little…that stuff is potent). I hang them up to dry which takes at least over night for me sometimes longer. Using a dryer at this stage is ok if you are in a rush. If you are going for a lighter look, make the water hot, wash them right side out, use more detergent and rinse them in hot water a bunch of times. Drying them outside in the sun also helps to fade them quicker.

I love the results I got with the above steps. Thanks to all the commenters for helping me perfect the process. There are a few things I’d like to try in the future:

• I’d like to try a size 30 waist to see if I can get a nice tight look. 501′s tend to feel roomier than they look and they tend to stretch comfortably in the waist so I think this will be a good plan to skinnier legged jeans. I think I’ll also really research to see if I can get longer legs with these small waist sizes. Anyone have info on custom sizing or getting out of production sizes?
• I’d like to try shrinking some 501′s by swimming in Lake Michigan and lying on the beach and biking around Chicago afterwards. Sounds like a perfect summer day!
• I’d like to see if I can get a hold of the different color and weight 501 XX jeans that are now available. Please comment with information about good online or brick and motor vendors for Shrink to Fits.
• I’d like to try denim therapy to repair any holes so I can get more life out of the jeans I put all this effort into creating.

I hope I’ve inspired you to go and buy a new pair of Shrink to Fits. Have fun with your custom jeans and report back in the comments on any experiments or tips you come up with.

I love Levi’s 501 Shrink to Fit jeans and have done the shrinking thing a bunch of times. Some ways work, others are not so good; here’s the best way:

• Fill your bathtub (or kitchen sink if you don’t have one) with the hottest water that will come out of the tap.
• Put the pants in there and let them marinate for 15-20 minutes
• Drain the water and hang the pants over the tub (they’ll drip. They’ll also make a mess so be prepared to give the tub a scrub down after you are done).
• Optional Step A few hours into drying (when they are no longer actively dripping), put them on and let them dry on your body for a bit.
• After they are dry (overnight) they will be so stiff you may be able to stand them upright. Even so, Try them on and see if they are close to the right size. You can repeat the above steps many times to shrink them down further. I find that after the initial shrinking, the length is less likely to change than the tightness.
• When you think you have the right size, wash them in the washer machine BY THEMSELVES or else they will bleed all over everything. I’ve tried to wear them in without washing first but it doesn’t work as well. After the first wash is when you can go long times between washes to get them really sculpted.

I’d recommend buying them 1″ too big in the waist and 2-3″ too big in the inseam. This will give you a skinny but relaxed fit (classic). Adjust from there if you want a tighter or shorter look.

Mistakes I’ve made that you should not repeat:

• Getting in the tub full of scalding hot water wearing the pants: I thought that they would “mold to my body”, instead all the skin peeled of my legs.
• Washing the pants before the hot water marinating: they shrunk but it took a lot longer for them to start looking good. If you need to take some serious inches off them, this will not work as well as the marinating.
• Buying the wrong size: if you buy the wrong size and they just don’t shrink correctly you are usually just plain out of luck (SOL). I buy my pants at the Levi’s Store and they guarantee my satisfaction. This means even after I shrink them, if I don’t like them, I can still return them.