It might have been either Calvin Klein or Gloria Vanderbilt who convinced the style-conscious world that jeans were a luxury item suitable for fancy people or their aspirants. Other lines like Wrangler, Guess and The Gap entered the denim ring to be the Pepsi to Levi’s Coke. (I remember when the original Gap stores sold records and Levi’s.)
Acid-washed, stonewashed and ready-worn styles came onboard to give us even more options. Our jeans can come flared, pegged, loose, skinny, low-waisted or with a relaxed “comfort-fit” to accommodate a specialty ass. The variations come and go. They’re in, then they’re out.
When the fashion dust settles, there is one silhouette that always remains standing: the Levi’s 501® Original or its 505® zip-fly counterpart. Impervious to every denim trend, they never go out of style, and they go with everything. And, unlike all other trendy designer jeans, you can score a pair of Shrink-to-Fits for less than $60. I’ve always preferred a brand-spankin’-new pair of Shrink-to-Fit 501®s because I like to earn the wear and tear that can otherwise be bought for a few bucks more. Sure, you don’t get that cool worn-out look out of the box, but nothing beats a well-worn pair of these babies that can truly fit you (and only you) over time. They shrink and stretch into a genuine custom fit.
If you want to spend three figures on a pair of designer jeans that will look silly in three years, knock yourself out. Otherwise, stick with the winners. They’ll run you between $60 and $70. Unlike your fashion victim contemporaries who risk looking like they over-spent and over-thought, you can feel 100% confident that you’ll never look stupid in them… ever.
If there is any doubt that a classic pair of Levi’s is they way to go, let’s remember a couple of iconic and unforgettable album covers that gloriously flaunt what Levi-Strauss perfected decades ago. If these covers were re-shot today, I don’t really think a pair of Gap or Diesel jeans would cut it.
Rolling Stones – “Sticky Fingers” – 1971 (front cover)
Rolling Stones – “Sticky Fingers” – 1971 (back cover)
Bruce Springsteen – “Born In The U.S.A.” – 1984
Link:
Levi’s Men
12 Comments
As I live and breath. Bruce Sprinsteen is to die for.
What color do you go with?
501 shrink-to-fit original blue. Always.
is that the color referred to as “rigid” on the levis website?
Yes indeed.
Is the correct color?
http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/levis-501-original-shrink-to-fit-blue-wash-jeans?ID=1146986&CategoryID=11221#fn=SIZE%3DRegular%26sp%3D1%26spc%3D4%26kws%3Dshrink-to-fit%26slotId%3D3
Yes.
Thank you
what did you do with all the extra hem before you washed them
Before I washed/soaked them, I usually only wore them in the apartment or on quick trips to the bodega across the street. (Limited exposure.) I just let them puddle extra long.
how long did you let your jeans dry before putting them on after the initial soak?
Bone dry.