Customer Reviews Levi's® Mens 501® Original Shrink-to-Fit Jeans

If you are Tall or Extra-Tall, but slender, you MUST buy these jeans! These are by far the best way to go in jeans in my personal opinion but as far as the science of best fit for jeans on a tall frame, you can't beat "shrink-to-fit". That's the key. The other jean styles are way to roomy here and there, or they plain just don't make the waist small enough. They're designed for big or literally big AND tall. That's not me. The other jean styles, like "comfort" and "relaxed" are also pre-shrunk so reduce shrinkage after purchase so you're stuck with the way they fit pretty much. If they're way to roomy, they're going to stay that way for the most part. So I couldn't find 501s in the size I needed for forever but now I've found them again in the size I need, 38" x 38". And for a great price too!! Remember to order like 2" too long in inseam and at waist! For me, the best results were achieved by washing them two times in regular warm water and then dry at medium to high temp. ON THE FIRST TIME ONLY. (Before first wearing) After that, wash only sparingly and at low temperatures then dry at low temp or air dry. (Jeans should not be washed all the time like regular clothes btw) So mine ended up perfect at about 36" waist and about 37" inseam which is what I needed. Perfect! And they look fantastic and fit to my body just right. It even makes my keister look great even though I've lost weight and it was shrinking and flattening. Bonus! If you have a hard time with pants and think is because you don't have good proportions or something is "off" about you. FORGET THAT NOISE! You just didn't have the right knowledge to buy successfully. Now you do. Good Luck!

I have been wearing Levi's my entire life 501's os all o wear all colors for dress and work. The only thing is now days the material if cheeper (thin and not fluffy) and my length is off .

Much much baggier in the leg than older 501s. Levis must have changed it’s sizing. Wish I had known that before buying.

I have been buying 501s all my life. These are much, much baggier in the leg than my old pairs. I’ve washed them multiple times, still baggy. I’m guessing Levis has changed its sizing for 501s.

I am a woman that consistently wears a 27 in Levi’s, lucky brand and gap jeans. I ordered this jean in a 28 and it wouldn’t even come close to buttoning at my waist! Like, it fit as if it were a size 25. I would say, size way up. And that was before even considering shrinking them. I have reordered a size 30 and will see what happens with it.

Original. the black color isnot exactly black but is a cool modern wash.

I love the regular high rise of these jeans.

Ive been wearing 501s since i was 10,way back in 1969, awesome jeans and the break in very nice, I buy my waist size and 2 sizes longer than my inseam, I wear them for a while then wash, hang to dry. In a few months these turn into soft, perfectly faded and fit very well. Zappos is the best, although I don't understand how amazon and zappos have two different prices since they are basically the same corporation??? most times amazon are cheaper for the same size. amazon prime is same free shipping and free returns.

Unfortunately, I had to return them. They were a gift for my father. I had to order a larger size. I reordered them and ordered an extra pair as well. Now, my father will have a black pair and a dark blue pair. I'm overall pleased. I would highly recommend these jeans

Overall I like the jeans. They are shrink to fit, but did not shrink as much as I had expected, so they are a bit looser and longer than I normally wear. I bought 35/34's, but those were WAY longer than 34! So I went with 35/32's, still longer than 32, but I hoped they would shrink enough that it wouldn't matter. I will likely buy again in the future, but will start at shorter length before shrinking to fit.

I enjoy buying at your store

Levi's are more expensive, but they have a better ruggedness. A pair will last compared to some other cheaper brands.

these 501's are special because made in Egypt. The cotton is the best I have seen in non-vintage 501's. Read about the various ways to wash and shrink before deciding how you wish to wear them.

Seriously, you can't beat the originals, in my opinion. Been wearing them my whole life (used to pay $5 per which kinda dates me). Even though they are not as hefty as they were 50 years ago, they are still strong, well built, comfortable and sharp looking - especially with cowboy boots. What's not to like? I just bought 3 new pair!

Mandatory break in period reuired. Recommend washing in hot water wearing.

The Levis 501 Shrink to fit are my favorite jeans 35x38 shrink perfectly for my 34x36 frame. Levi quality I have come to expect and Zappos always has quick ship.

Nothing better than the classic. They do need to be washed in hot water first but worth the effort. Last for years and fade over time.

If you treat these properly they aren't stiff. You just have to break them in. Plenty has been written about how to shrink these the "right" way. These are just jeans, not some precious artisanal cheese. Just wash and wear. I will say though that I do follow Levi's recommendations to not wash jeans too frequently. There's really no need unless they are visibly stained or getting funky. I never put jeans in the dryer. I read a lot about these shrink to fit jeans regarding how much bigger to buy in order to allow for shrinking. After buying a couple of pairs I've realized that you should pretty much buy your normal waist size and a couple inches longer in the leg. At least that's what works for me.

I have a hard time finding pants that fit my shape. The shrink to fit process (google it) provided a custom fit that looks great. My only gripe is the pockets are a little small in today's big phone world.

Wow! Someone at Levi's should probably get fired over this. The 501 Shrink-to-fit is arguably THE item that defines the Levi's brand, and somehow, someways they've managed to ruin it! No one in the USSR or China was paying 3x their price for authentic Levi's 501's with crappy stitching and denim weighing 3-5 ounces less, c'mon! A few years ago 501 shrink-to-fit jeans were the nicest thing your dollar could get you, heavyweight denim stitched right and an icon. Well, instead of personnel at Levi's saying "we might need to charge $5-10 more for these jeans to keep them as they are", they decided to f**k them up, single-stitch inseam instead of double-stitch, crap lightweight denim instead of what they'd been using, lighter indigo dye to save some pennys, etc. Levi's wrecking the classic 501 shrink-to-fit (while still selling then as a disingenuous "original") has forced me to consider other brands that do it right because they've decided to do it wrong. Buy at your own risk, find an older pair on eBay or something if you can.

baggy fit