# Do Levi's 501s fit differently from how they used to? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 11, 2009, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-levis-501s-fit-differently-from-how-they-used-to/513427 "2009-10-11T20:14:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2009, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-levis-501s-fit-differently-from-how-they-used-to/513427/1 "2009-10-11T20:14:16Z")
I was in a mall yesterday, and while walking through Macy’s I decided to try on a pair of 501s in the size I used to buy. My motivation was more curiosity than any actual desire to buy jeans. Since I last bought this style, maybe eight years ago, I lost a lot of weight so I didn’t really expect them to fit well. So I pulled on this pair sized 31/32–and I was mildly astonished. They used to be tight, but yesterday they were like a pair of pajama bottoms. Huge roomy legs. Way too loose around the hips. I know I’ve lost weight, but they shouldn’t have been _that_ loose. Has the cut been changed, or are the sizes being inflated? I do know they went through a minor modification around the time I bought them the last time: the back pockets were enlarged and moved down; I was startled to find myself sitting squarely on my wallet which hadn’t happened before. As a side question: how long have these jeans been popularly referred to as 501s? ---
**Author:** ![jasonh300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/46a35a/32.png) [@jasonh300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasonh300)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2009, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-levis-501s-fit-differently-from-how-they-used-to/513427/2 "2009-10-11T20:52:03Z")
Are you sure they were 501’s and not 551’s? I wear 505’s and in the past, accidentally bought 550s, which are “loose fit”. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-levis-501s-fit-differently-from-how-they-used-to/513427/3 "2009-10-12T02:57:56Z")
Nope, they were definitely 501s. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-levis-501s-fit-differently-from-how-they-used-to/513427/4 "2009-10-12T22:56:55Z")
I just bought a pair of 501s and never noticed it. 501s do need to be broken in, either by multiple washings or just wearing them. Perhaps after you wear them a bit, they’ll feel different ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-levis-501s-fit-differently-from-how-they-used-to/513427/5 "2009-10-13T01:25:51Z")
I wear 505s, not 501s, but the two pairs I bought recently (in the same size I’ve worn for three years – 34/30) are noticeably looser in the leg than the older pairs I have. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-levis-501s-fit-differently-from-how-they-used-to/513427/6 "2009-10-13T01:27:36Z")
They definitely fit \*me \*differently than how they used to. But that’s the fault of creeping middle age more than any change in design. ---
**Author:** ![Sleel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Sleel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleel)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-levis-501s-fit-differently-from-how-they-used-to/513427/7 "2009-10-13T03:10:30Z")
I haven’t been able to wear 501s comfortably since I was about 15. I got too big in the legs around 16 or 17, so putting them on was like trying to get out of a straightjacket. Also, to put it bluntly, my balls get squished, and I don’t tolerate it for the sake of fashion like I did when I was a kid. And yes, I’m sure the tightness is not because I’m too fat. My waist size — as measured by measuring tape, not flattery-prone clothes size — is less than an inch larger than when I was in high school. There is a bit of size inflation, I think, but not all that much. I went jeans shopping a few months ago and found that with 501s if the waist is comfortably loose, the legs and seat are still uncomfortably tight. There’s also pretty wide variation in sizing. I always have to try on a few different pairs of nominally identically-sized jeans to get ones that fit right. If they’re loose in the leg, and you’re certain they’re 501s, then maybe you’ve lost muscle relative to when you last bought some. If you have old 501s that fit differently, it’s possible that the cut is slightly different, but it’s also likely that they’ve stretched quite a bit with age. You might also just be mis-remembering how loose your old ones were. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-levis-501s-fit-differently-from-how-they-used-to/513427/8 "2009-10-13T18:23:08Z")
> [@Sleel](#): > > There is a bit of size inflation, I think, but not all that much. IME, there’s absolutely been some, though it’s been over a longer period of time. Over the course of a decade, and too much food, I’d gone from a 34/30 to a 38/30. Then, I started losing weight, to the point that, 3 years ago, I got back down to fitting into 34/30s. While cleaning out my closet, I found an _old_ pair of 36/30 Levi 505s, a Christmas present from around 1996 or so, which didn’t really fit when I got them (I was burgeoning on 38" at the time), and they got stowed away, never worn. The “old” 36/30s from '96 fit me just about as well as the “new” 34/30s. In other words, today’s 34" waist Levi’s seem to be about the same size as a 36" pair from a decade ago. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-levis-501s-fit-differently-from-how-they-used-to/513427/9 "2009-10-13T19:43:22Z")
> [@Sleel](#): > > If they’re loose in the leg, and you’re certain they’re 501s, then maybe you’ve lost muscle relative to when you last bought some. If you have old 501s that fit differently, it’s possible that the cut is slightly different, but it’s also likely that they’ve stretched quite a bit with age. You might also just be mis-remembering how loose your old ones were. More likely I’m underestimating the difference ten or fifteen pounds makes. I went from 155# down to ultimately 123, but am now back up to almost 140. If I really wanted to wear that size, I guess I need those extra fifteen pounds! ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-levis-501s-fit-differently-from-how-they-used-to/513427/10 "2009-10-13T21:24:56Z")
Sizes across the board are being inflated quite a bit. Since I reached my adult size (100 lbs)about 9 years ago, I have gone from being a 0/2/4 in stores targeted at adults to not being able to buy anything at such stores (clothes literally fall off of me). I am now a 00 at teen stores or a 12 or 14 in kids. Everything gets bigger every year. Brands change the fit of every style often, according to fashion trends… and there is little consistancy between styles in a brand even at the same point in time. You can try on 7 different pairs of one style of jean in the same size and they will all be slightly or extremely different because of the manufacturing process (patterns are cut in giant stacks, so the fabric in the top and bottom layers aren’t a close match). When it comes to clothes, nothing stays the same from year to year. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-levis-501s-fit-differently-from-how-they-used-to/513427/11 "2009-10-13T23:06:25Z")
> [@rhubarbarin](#): > > Sizes across the board are being inflated quite a bit. Since I reached my adult size (100 lbs)about 9 years ago, I have gone from being a 0/2/4 in stores targeted at adults to not being able to buy anything at such stores (clothes literally fall off of me). I am now a 00 at teen stores or a 12 or 14 in kids. Everything gets bigger every year. > . Over the period of weight loss I went from 31/32 in Levi’s 501s to 28 in Lucky (fortunately, the standard length is just right on me since they don’t have numbered inseam lengths). At my lowest weight I could easily get away with 27 in Luckys, but I think they run a size or two bigger than the 501s. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-levis-501s-fit-differently-from-how-they-used-to/513427/12 "2009-10-14T00:18:02Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > In other words, today’s 34" waist Levi’s seem to be about the same size as a 36" pair from a decade ago. I thought the point of measuring male clothes in inches was your sizing is more accurate than women’s clothing. So it’s not? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-levis-501s-fit-differently-from-how-they-used-to/513427/13 "2009-10-14T01:59:23Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > I thought the point of measuring male clothes in inches was your sizing is more accurate than women’s clothing. So it’s not? Well, at least not in this particular case, apparently. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-levis-501s-fit-differently-from-how-they-used-to/513427/14 "2009-10-14T02:01:49Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > I thought the point of measuring male clothes in inches was your sizing is more accurate than women’s clothing. So it’s not? Not really, at least not from brand to brand. Also, within a brand, you might–or might not–need to adjust the waist size according to where the waistband is supposed to rest. With Levi’s when I bought their lower-rise styles, I had to increase the waist size accordingly; but with Lucky jeans I haven’t found that to be the case. ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-levis-501s-fit-differently-from-how-they-used-to/513427/15 "2009-10-14T14:01:16Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > Has the cut been changed, or are the sizes being inflated? I do know they went through a minor modification around the time I bought them the last time: the back pockets were enlarged and moved down; I was startled to find myself sitting squarely on my wallet which hadn’t happened before. I’ve been wearing 501s for longer than I can remember. Decades. I buy the non-prewashed, shrink-to-fit ones. I haven’t found that the sizing or the cut has changed – they seem the same to me as always. I will say that I have noticed that the sizing of Levis products in general (not just 501s) is wildly inconsistent – two pairs of, for example, jeans, both labeled with the same size, may vary by as much as an inch in either dimension (waist and inseam). ---
**Author:** ![by-tor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/by-tor/32/266_2.png) [@by-tor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/by-tor)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-levis-501s-fit-differently-from-how-they-used-to/513427/16 "2009-10-14T15:58:44Z")
The reviews on Amazon say that Levi switched factories (Egypt?) and that the fabric and consistent fit have therefore become noticeably inferior. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-levis-501s-fit-differently-from-how-they-used-to/513427/17 "2009-10-15T21:14:30Z")
There are more than a couple of factors in play here. Back when they were made in Mexico, the best strategy was to try on 6 or 8 in your size, and take home the best one or two. New denim is tough to work with, for the sewing-machine people, and there was considerable tolerance variation from pair to pair. If you really wanted to feel skinny, you could go down a size, try on 6 pairs, and take home the biggest pair. There’s also “vanity sizing.” Several brands, as a favor to people who want to pretend they’re the same size as three years ago, are making each size bigger. It started with mail-order houses that kept getting a lot of clothes returned as “too small.” If you are the rare person who is actually the same size you were 5 years ago, you’ll find you’ll have to buy a smaller size. Unnaturally thin models and actresses are now wearing Size Zero, which would not have fit any living human 10 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-levis-501s-fit-differently-from-how-they-used-to/513427/18 "2009-10-16T05:44:23Z")
> [@by-tor](#): > > The reviews on Amazon say that Levi switched factories (Egypt?) and that the fabric and consistent fit have therefore become noticeably inferior. I only wear 501’s and I think this is the answer. Depending on where they are made determines how well they fit. Long ago, they were made in the USA and they were pretty consistant. Now, they come from all over and vary quite a bit. (They also do not last as long, by a huge margin) It also depends on how you “break them in”. The old ones would shrink-to-fit in a predictable way. Now, its a guess. Now, I buy used ones from the thrift stores for about $5 (because they don’t last for shit now). I ain’t shellin’ out $35 for an “inferior” product. By the way, you are all SHORT and SKINNY! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-levis-501s-fit-differently-from-how-they-used-to/513427/19 "2009-10-16T18:47:17Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > By the way, you are all SHORT and SKINNY! 😃 LOL! Actually, I’m not terribly short (5’ 10 1/2"), but I do have short arms and legs for my height. I inherited the build from my maternal grandmother (or, as my aunt, who has the same build, said, “you’re built like Yoda!”). Almost always, if I see a guy wearing Levi’s with a 30" inseam (since the size is on the tag at the beltline, it’s fairly obvious…it’s not like I’m asking creepy stalker questions 😉 ), said guy is at least 2-3" shorter than I am. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-levis-501s-fit-differently-from-how-they-used-to/513427/20 "2009-10-16T19:30:08Z")
I’m wearing a pair of Levis that are the same size as I’ve always worn since high school, and they’re so loose around the waist that I have to wear a belt. And I hate belts. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-levis-501s-fit-differently-from-how-they-used-to/513427.md?page=2)