Levi's 501 Shrink to Fit (STF)

[indigo_junkie]

But they're raw, so won't throwing them in the dryer ruin the ability for the jeans to fade with cool whiskering and stuff over the next few months? Or is it something else that you can do to mess them up that will cause them to lose the ability to fade?

Again, I'm a noob to raw denim, so I can be (and probably am) wrong.

Sorry to burst your bubble but, if you're thinking you're going to get "cool whiskering and stuff" from a pair of STFs, you're going to be disappointed. As lildavid so eloquently pointed out, this is "open end denim from hell." I bought my STFs before I was even on this site, and I bought them to do yard work and grease work on my bike. Getting the awesome fade characteristics you find on other raw jeans on this site can't be achieved with $30 denim (well maybe, but I've yet to see it).

That being said, one wash and tumble dry is not going to 'ruin' your raw jeans. That's like someone starting out in a gym and saying they're afraid they're going to get too big. Just wear them. I recommend you get all the shrinking you can possibly get done out of the way, otherwise (and STFs are apparently notorious for this), whatever fade you do get on the jeans will ride up your hamstring, and nothing IMHO looks more ridiculous than that. Plus, I wash and tumbled my raw $330 Sugarcanes the day I got them. It's denim. I don't think there's anything other than stone washing them with pumice and acid that's going to 'cause them to lose the ability to fade.'

[leftover_salmon]

Sorry to burst your bubble but, if you're thinking you're going to get "cool whiskering and stuff" from a pair of STFs, you're going to be disappointed. As lildavid so eloquently pointed out, this is "open end denim from hell." I bought my STFs before I was even on this site, and I bought them to do yard work and grease work on my bike. Getting the awesome fade characteristics you find on other raw jeans on this site can't be achieved with $30 denim (well maybe, but I've yet to see it).

That being said, one wash and tumble dry is not going to 'ruin' your raw jeans. That's like someone starting out in a gym and saying they're afraid they're going to get too big. Just wear them. I recommend you get all the shrinking you can possibly get done out of the way, otherwise (and STFs are apparently notorious for this), whatever fade you do get on the jeans will ride up your hamstring, and nothing IMHO looks more ridiculous than that. Plus, I wash and tumbled my raw $330 Sugarcanes the day I got them. It's denim. I don't think there's anything other than stone washing them with pumice and acid that's going to 'cause them to lose the ability to fade.'

These are the $175 LVC 1947s...are you saying they're crappy denim, or you thought I had the regular STFs? And would that change what you said about getting a good fade?

[indigo_junkie]

These are the $175 LVC 1947s...are you saying they're crappy denim, or you thought I had the regular STFs? And would that change what you said about getting a good fade?

Sorry, being on the STF thread, I naturally would have assumed you had a pair of 501 STFs. Personally, I don't like the denim on LVCs. I'm not saying it's not good denim, or that you can't get a good fade on them (you're on the wrong thread anyway. there are other threads for LVC, or search the Evo thread). But everything else I've said to you is true. If you don't believe me, ask anyone else on the site that owns LVC. If you're worried about indigo running off your jeans if you wash them, just soak them instead. But you should get all the sizing out of the way first before you start working on your jeans. Otherwise, all the whiskering and honeycombs you've slaved over for the past few months will shift up your leg on your first wash.

[KillaCAM]

I just wanted to share my recent purchase of a pair of Levi's 501 STF from a Macy's department store. I was astonished to find out that the pair I had purchased was made in the U.S. The quality of the stitching is far superior than that of its imported counterparts as well as the tag on the back. Retail was 36.99 but they were on sale for 32.99. I was under the impression that Levi's premium and LVC line were made in the U.S. while their lower lines were outsourced overseas. Here are some pics...

[Pandemonium]

Why not? I see a lot of older men with great fades on cheap washed denim.

sorry, i had to do it.

i have a pair of open seamed shitty ass stf 501s as well and i gotta say, they're pretty shit.

[theLorax]

love the price. they seem like the stiffest jeans you can get for $30, but getting STFs to a nicely shaped slim fit is pretty much impossible. especially when you have a 34" waist mismatched with skinny legs.

[meader]

sorry, i had to do it.

i have a pair of open seamed shitty ass stf 501s as well and i gotta say, they're pretty shit.

Is my english wrong in the quote?

[meader]

love the price. they seem like the stiffest jeans you can get for $30, but getting STFs to a nicely shaped slim fit is pretty much impossible. especially when you have a 34" waist mismatched with skinny legs.

It's not impossible. My 501 from 2004 or 2005 are skin tight everywhere except for the waist.

[Pandemonium]

Is my english wrong in the quote?

no, not at all.

it's just that highlighting 'i see a lot of older men' connotes a different meaning depending on the situation.

by highlighting it, i made it look like you went out with older men (as a joke, of course).

[theLorax]

Originally Posted by theLorax

love the price. they seem like the stiffest jeans you can get for $30, but getting STFs to a nicely shaped slim fit is pretty much impossible. especially when you have a 34" waist mismatched with skinny legs.

It's not impossible. My 501 from 2004 or 2005 are skin tight everywhere except for the waist.

Well I decided to take the pepsi challenge and got myself a cheap pair from Sears. On a side note, I looked at a bunch of inner tags on all the other prewashed 501s and I swear to god, each one I checked was made in a different country. Mexico, tahiti, egypt, bangladesh, india, china, columbia. And some other countries I forgot. I had no idea they outsourced to so damn many countries.

Since it was my goal to get slim fitting 501s, and these tend to be baggy, I bought them in my sized down waist size (32), and got a 36 inseam (i wear 32-34). I could barely button them when I tried them on in the store, and I knew that after the soak, the tight waist would be my #1 challenge. If I would have sized up on the waist, the jeans would have been too baggy for my liking. I knew this size had to be it.

I filled up my sink with cold water and put the jeans in and weighed them down with some weights and let them soak for 8 hours when I slept.

The next morning I took them out. From the look of the water they looked like they lost a lot of indigo. But I think its because they were soaked with less water. If I soaked them in a full bathtub the water wouldnt have been as dark.

I hung them up inside my shower to let them dry off.

When they stopped dripping I hung them out in my balcony to finish the drying. They were still dark and looked like they had enough indigo. But im not too concerned about that, if they become very light I wont mind, I have plenty of dark jeans and wouldnt mind a light pair. They still feel pretty stiff too, and the inseam looks to be 34, and just right for me.

I could tell just by glancing at the waistband that theres no way I could button it all the way up. I used my tried and true waist stretch method that I previously did with my nudies.

The legs look to be the right size, and i think i'll be happy with the fit, i'll find out as soon as the waist is stretched out enough so I can try them on.

I'm not expecting intense honeycombs or whiskers. I'll be happy with a decent looking pair of beater jeans.

Will post pictures of them worn soon.

[bustinxjustin]

I like the way you stretch out your jeans haha.

[Guest declasse]

i am a denim noob and just got a pair of STFs this week too, so far 2 warm soaks to shrink, might do even another one but i don't think they shrink too much. they are actually the best pair of cheap jeans i've ever had

[Roflcopterpwnsyou]

Definitely interested in the pics because I'd like to get a pair of slim fitting 501s myself if it's possible. But I have to ask. Why is this ^^^^ in your house? Disco emergencies?

[Sympathy-For-The-Denim]

I´ve always got the problem with my waist, if the jeans fit perfect at the waist, its too loose on ass and legs, but then I found this clamp here, you can easily stretch to the max, just make the denim wet and then stretch and stretch, but beware, don´t get over the top, otherwise you´ll lose the top (button) btw: I´m not from the horrorable commercial "Amazing Discoverys" hehe!

http://cgi.ebay.com/4-NEW-Quick-Grip-Mini-6-Inch-One-Handed-Bar-Clamps_W0QQitemZ140132470424QQihZ004QQcategoryZ43573QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[indigo_junkie]

I´ve always got the problem with my waist, if the jeans fit perfect at the waist, its too loose on ass and legs, but then I found this clamp here, you can easily stretch to the max, just make the denim wet and then stretch and stretch, but beware, don´t get over the top, otherwise you´ll lose the top (button) btw: I´m not from the horrorable commercial "Amazing Discoverys" hehe!

http://cgi.ebay.com/4-NEW-Quick-Grip-Mini-6-Inch-One-Handed-Bar-Clamps_W0QQitemZ140132470424QQihZ004QQcategoryZ43573QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

We got that type of clamp in Australia. Could you post pics on how you use it to stretch jeans?

[Sympathy-For-The-Denim]

okay, most of this clamp work in two ways, it´s important that the denim is wet, so you can get some extra inches, most of my new jeans I stretch this way:

Look at the chair, this is why Levis in 1937 introduced conceald rivets, but thes cratches came from a 2007 Levis Engineered Back Pocket Rivets, I SHOULD COMPLAIN!

[theLorax]

Definitely interested in the pics because I'd like to get a pair of slim fitting 501s myself if it's possible. But I have to ask. Why is this ^^^^ in your house? Disco emergencies?

When I used to live with my parents, my sister moved out and we had an empty room that I made into a band room. We decided to liven it up and added the disco ball and some other lights to make it cooler. Then I moved out and got my own place the disco ball came with me. Now this is how I use it.

[theLorax]

The waist finished stretching. I just tried them on, and I am so fucking happy with how they fit! The waist is perfect now. Just tight enough for me to not need a belt. The inseam is about 33, and just right. The legs and crotch are perfect. They fit like my regular ralfs.

Now I think i'll iron and starch them.

[sriracha hot sauce]

Still a big of the cut. I wish 47s were cut like STFs.

[SolesOnMyMind]

Just got my 1st 501xx STFs this weekend and im loving them.

[seatiger]

Hi my STF501 at 13months or thereabout. Pics taken without flash.

Front:

Back:

[overmind1632]

Hi my STF501 at 13months or thereabout. Pics taken without flash.

Front:

Back:

Wow those look amazing, I hope mine turn out as nice as those. My STFs are only 2months ago atm with 2 soaks, still got awhile to go

[hype_killz]

omg...those are amazing, better than half the jeans in the evo thread...if you posted those in there ppl would be amazed. how often did you wash them

[rome1]

Thats a big smack in the face to all the people who say that this mexican denim can't or wont fade nicely. amazing jeans!

[ihaveanevilplan]

what's the rise on a pair of these? is there a chart with the measurements?

[thorough]

the leg opening doesnt even look tapered. i wonder if they were hemmed or if its just because of the combs?

[rome1]

501's don't really have a wide leg opening, I have a pair of 32's and the leg opening is 8".

[Sympathy-For-The-Denim]

oO I would go that far to say, that these are one of the best faded jeans I´ver seen, especially those tiger whiskers are damn nice!!!

[seatiger]

omg...those are amazing, better than half the jeans in the evo thread...if you posted those in there ppl would be amazed. how often did you wash them

I first hand-washed them at 3 months, then machine washed at the 6th. Subsequently washed them monthly.

[seatiger]

Thats a big smack in the face to all the people who say that this mexican denim can't or wont fade nicely. amazing jeans!

Not sure if its mexican denim, but i think they are made in philippines, with the factory code 359.

But quality wise, the crotch is blown in 2 or 3 months, so its not very durable.