I've been wearing this jeans for over 30 years. I don't bother going through any special shrinking method. I just throw it in hot wash immediately after purchase (before wearing) and dry in hot dryer. While I'm at it I usually wash the new ones with the old ones for several laundry cycle so any color bleeding would just transfer to other 501s. it takes a few wash/dry cycles to completely shrink it, but once it's shrunk it fits me perfectly. I suppose since I don't take care to do any careful shrinking as recommended I do get some wrinkles along the seams sometimes and excess color rubbing off at such wrinkles, but that's the charm of this type of jeans anyway. after wash/dry they always go on a bit snug, but stretch out just enough to be comfortable. I'm female (yes. I fit in man's 501 better than woman's) and for pre-shrunk size, i wear 28-30. but for shrink-to-fit, I buy 28-32 as it shrinks in the inseams much more than the width. Once you figure out the right size to get the post-shrunk size, buying it just based on size has never failed me.

Order your natural waist size, and about 4 inches longer in the inseam. Cuff those legs. Wear 'em dry. And when you just can't stand it any longer, give 'em a lukewarm soak in Woolite Dark for 20 minutes. Don't wash them too often after that. You want those paint and grease stains to get set, and for those really high contrast fades to come into their own. All good things with time.

Great! No problem with a usually hard to find size and color. And I received it so fast. Thanks!

There are a couple different ways you can approach making these jeans your own. If you want to keep the dark color and customize the fading, then buy 1 size larger in the waist and 2 to 3 in the length; soak in hot water and hang to dry a couple times to shrink; wear as long as possible without washing, then soak and hang dry. It will take some time to soften. If you want wash and wear: for a close fit buy 1 up in waist and 2 to 3 in length; for a slightly relaxed fit go up 2 in the waist. They'll still conform to you, but may take a bit longer. I live in Alaska and hang drying takes forever in the winter. I keep a couple going in each fit. I wash everything in cold and dry on medium (perm press) at the warmest. I've been wearing Levi's 501 for more than 35 years and am hooked on the buttom fly. Started buying the prewashed, but Levi's changed the fit a few years ago and the STF seem better. I'm female and these fit better and last longer than women's jeans. I HATE stretch denim.

I had been buying designer jeans for a long time. I still love them for sure. But there's something really cool about designing your own jeans. And you really can do that with with Levis' 501 STF. I've bought three pairs at different sizes and have had success with all of them. One is shrunk to be baggy (for skateboarding), the other loose but fitted for everyday wear, and the last pair is slim fitted for snazzing it up a bit. Great jeans and a fun experiment at a low cost!