The size on a vintage jean's tag tells you what it was meant to be when it left the factory. It doesn't tell you what it is now. Decades of washing shrink denim, wear stretches it back out in different places, and some pairs were altered. Sizing itself has drifted too. Heddels' vintage buying guide tells readers to ask for measurements every time, because a washed or shrunk pair won't match its tag. This guide covers which measurements to ask for, how they should be taken, and how to compare them with a pair you already wear.
Why the tag is off
- Shrinkage. Unsanforized denim, the kind sold as shrink-to-fit, shrinks a lot the first time it's washed. Denimhunters puts it at up to 10 percent, and Heddels at about 7–10 percent, which can mean 1.5 to 3 inches or more. Levi's own care tags said the 501 shrank about 8 percent, then about 10 percent from around 1980.
- Sanforized pairs shrink far less. Sanforizing, patented in 1930, pre-shrinks the cloth at the mill. Heddels says Lee and Wrangler western jeans were sanforized, and Levi's sold pre-shrunk zip-fly jeans from the 1960s, so those have moved less. Decades of washing still add up.
- Stretch. Worn denim stretches back, especially at the waist. Denimhunters says even shrink-to-fit pairs give back a few percent after the first wash.
- Vanity sizing. US makers stopped using the government's standard clothing sizes in 1983, and labels drifted. In 2010 Esquire measured men's trousers marked 36 inches at the waist and found real waists from 37 to 41 inches. A modern 34 and a 1970s 34 aren't the same jean.
The seven jean measurements
Heddels' beginner guide uses seven measurements, all taken with the jeans lying flat. Ask the seller for these, and check that they took them the same way.
- Waist. Lay the jeans flat and pull the front waistband up level with the back. Measure straight across the top of the waistband and double it.
- Inseam. From the centre of the crotch seam down the inside leg seam to the hem.
- Front rise. From the crotch seam up to the top of the waistband, with the front facing up.
- Back rise. The same, with the back facing up.
- Thigh. Straight across from the crotch to the outside of the leg.
- Knee. Measure 13 inches down the inseam from the crotch, then straight across the leg.
- Leg opening. Line up the front and back of the hem and measure across it.
Waist, inseam and front rise decide whether a pair goes on at all. Thigh, knee and leg opening decide what it looks like, and they're how you tell a straight leg from a taper or a boot cut. On a jean like the 550 the thigh is the number that sets it apart.
When a measurement looks wrong
Sellers don't all measure the same way, and Heddels' guide to buying secondhand denim covers the usual problems. If a waist looks too small, ask whether the waistband was laid flat across or just pulled taut at the sides. The best listings have a tape measure lying on the jeans in the photo, which takes the guessing out. If the measurements don't fit the tag at all, ask how many times the pair has been washed.
The inseam needs a look at the hem too. Many vintage jeans were cut down or re-hemmed by their owners, so a short inseam might be a hemmed pair rather than a short one. Heddels says Levi's 501s have had chain-stitched hems since the mid-1930s, so a 501 with a plain single-stitched hem has probably been taken up.
Watch for other alterations too. Heddels lists the signs. An unnaturally sharp taper below the knee, a waistband that looks taken in, or a patch that's been moved or removed all point to a pair that won't fit like the original.
Compare with a pair you own
The easiest way to use these numbers is to measure a pair of jeans you already like the fit of, the same way. Heddels suggests measuring one or two similar items you own so you know what to look for.
- Lay your own jeans flat and take all seven measurements. Write them down.
- Compare the listing's waist, inseam and front rise first. Those decide whether the pair goes on.
- Then compare thigh and leg opening to see whether the shape matches what you like.
- If you're between sizes, the denim decides. Washed sanforized denim won't shrink much more, and an unwashed shrink-to-fit pair will.
Deadstock and shrink-to-fit pairs
Unworn deadstock needs extra care. Heddels says to expect roughly a full size of shrink from most unsanforized denim, and even some sanforized denim shrinks over time. Denimhunters says the same and adds that the waist stretches back a little after the first soak. A rigid shrink-to-fit 501 should be bought by its expected shrunk size, not its tag. Levi's Vintage Clothing sizes its rigid jeans with a little over an inch extra in the waist so they shrink to the tag, according to Denimhunters, so check which kind you're buying.
A washed pair tells you more. If the denim looks lighter, softer and slightly crinkled, Heddels says it's probably been soaked or washed and has done its main shrinking. Bagging at the knees and seat and a crease at the waist button mean it has stretched to its last owner. Our small e 501 page covers a pair you'll often find in this state.
Jackets
For a denim jacket, ask for four measurements.
- Pit to pit. Across the chest from one armpit seam to the other, with the jacket buttoned and flat.
- Shoulder. Across the back between the widest points of the shoulders.
- Sleeve. Along the outside of the arm, not the inside.
- Length. Down the back from the seam under the collar to the hem.
Western jackets like Lee's Rider were cut fitted and waist length, so on those the back length matters as much as pit to pit. Compare with a jacket you own, just as with jeans, whether it's a Lee or a Type III.
Once a pair fits on paper, check how old it is. Our 501 dating guide covers Levi's, and the 13MWZ guide covers the Wrangler fits.
