Button flies suck. I had a couple pair in high school and hated them I’ve been all zippers since.
Back or side zippers were the hallmark of fifties or sixties pants for ladies. Until the late sixties, women or girls who wore jeans wore men’s or boy’s for the most part. Women still didn’t wear pants for anything beyond casual.
Man; owned a couple pairs of button-fly and just didn’t like them. But being a little heavy (to more than a little) may have had some influence on that - the short version is that my gut jammed them into my penis.
I dislike button flies. I prefer a zipper.
However, I do prefer a button waist band. I don’t like snaps.
Question:
What has a thousand teeth and eats weenies?
Answer:
A zipper.
Ain’t nobody got time for buttons, especially the re-buttoning. Zippers for me.
This^ - button waist with a zipper. Never liked button fly jeans, even when they were popular.
I think most males have done this once, usually as a child. I know of none who have done it twice! 
Button flies are cooler, but my thumbnails are too brittle to deal with them.
If 501s are button fly, and 505s are zipper fly, then 509s must be the Velcro fly design.
Haha, thanks! I had somehow missed this all these years. This has to be one of the tackiest videos of the 1980s!
The brain dead fools at Levi have screwed around with the design of 501s recently. The advertising goobers might say they refreshed a classic, but to me, they screwed the pooch. The last pair I bought fit strangely, they had too many buttons and the cuffs are apparently intended to curl and twist. Returned them and not planning to buy more unless they put things right. Unsurprisingly, I wrote to them via their website about this and got no response.
Who else makes button fly jeans for guys?
Wearing a “cross over” today. Don’t know what the technical term is, but there aren’t any buttons or zip: it’s just crossed well over (like a Y-front). As seen in pictures of poncy 18th century dudes.
I use Diesels, myself. But I had no trouble getting button fly jeans in cheaper, store-specific brands, as well.
I never caught my dick in a button.
I prefer button flies unless I’m at work, especially out in the field where you have to fish through multipple layers of clothing if you have to use the bathroom. I’ve worn 501s since I was a teenager but as I get older (and denser) it’s harder to find sizes that fit. Unless you’re a 38 waist it gets tricky.
There are several brands that are closer to the 50s-60s style denims that 501s used to be renowned for durability, using better hardware and selvedge loom denims. The downside is they are not cheap. Levis, Bravestar, Uniqlo.
I do particularly dislike the rolled cuff thing on all the pics, though.
Where I grew up, they were called barn door britches. Amish and similar groups wore them.
I’ve literally never had or noticed anyone else where a button fly. I do remember having a pair of jeans that had problems in college, and it was quite embarrassing. I think I definitely would have tried them.
In my experience, only load bearing buttons ever fail.
I voted for buttons. But the only button fly I want is on a pair of shrink-to-fit 501s and Levi’s isn’t interested much in reducing the price of these. I can understand their position, since the premier version of shrink-to-fit 501s goes for $160 at full price. Even their regular (non-selvedge) 501s go for $60. I end up buying cheap Kirkland jeans at Costco for work or abuse or maybe $30 versions of whatever Levi’s Costco might be offering at a given time.
I do love a button fly, though. Maybe it’s time I shopped around for maybe a slighter better deal on some STF button-flies. There’s nothing like the fit after you’ve broken them in. Of course the breaking-in period can last through months of frequent wear.
The 2-3 pair of button fly jeans I’ve owned were really annoying to fasten and unfasten. I have no complaints with zippers.
I seem to remember also finding button flies really annoying when a GF was wearing them.
I prefer zipper fly, but 501s only come with a button fly and my wife likes the way I look in them.
The things I do for love… 