Ahh..the iconic Levi’s 501s. I love that these everyday jeans were originally designed as rugged workwear. The design is 141 years old… I have a bunch of pairs of Levi’s – most of which are 501s. I’ve really gotten into the twill versions lately. In the last few months, I’ve added tan, white, and crimson.
Given that I work in a corporate “business casual” environment, I don’t have the opportunity to break in jeans in the sense of true whiskers, wallet spots, or knee teepees (I made all those words up, but you know exactly what I’m talking about). I have other pairs of jeans, some APCs that I really like, and and a couple pairs from Naked and Famous, but my go-to’s are the Levi’s. The cut is great, the style is timeless, and the price point is dead on. I am about a 31″ inseam, so I buy a 32 and take them to the shop to get them taken up and tapered about 1″. Perfection.
Enter my love of thrifting. Of course I see Levi’s all the time, but for the most part, it’s the really loose fit versions or STFs that had been dried and are essentially unwearable. I came across these beauties, and was ecstatic that they were my size:
I really like the color and the wear. These fit exactly as I would expect, not the awful ‘dad-jeans’ trend that tried to take hold in the #menswear world a while back. I’ll take these to get shortened by 1″, and possibly tapered; we’ll see how they look when they are pinned.
How to wear these? I’ll go as classic as it gets. These jeans with a white oxford and a pair of classic loafers (bits, pennies, drivers) look good anywhere. Throw on a navy blazer to dress the outfit up, and you are a good to go. For a more casual look, put on a great solid polo, a flashy belt, and some drivers. These jeans will be the statement piece of every outfit, so don’t get too crazy.
I’m super pumped to add these to the rotation. I need another drawer for jeans.
Can you recommend some thrifting locations in ATL? I usually visit a few times a year but am always looking for good shops.
I bought a pair of 501 STF around December and for kicks and in an attempt to be trendy I have been doing that whole no wash thing with them for 6 months, but looking at those jeans I think I’m going to scrap it. Those look like every pair of jeans I’ve ever owned.