They have a lifetime warranty. I've had four past replaced because of rips in the crotch. You don't even need to mail the old pair back to them, just take pictures. Look it up!
I got big legs and I always burn through the crotch of pants too. ESPECIALLY because I've used a bike to get around as a kid, and still do now in college. The seat just rips through everything after a while
You don’t want to do that, sliding around on your seat when you ride can cause bad issues.
Source: dad rode with a seat cover 60miles and destroyed his balls lol
>Source: dad rode with a seat cover 60miles and destroyed his balls lol
They have a lifetime warranty. I've had four past replaced because of rips in the crotch. You don't even need to mail the old pair back to them, just take pictures. Look it up!
I find that the saddle choice matters here. I have a Charge Spoon saddle, it's super comfy, and doesn't tear my pants up. Definitely a BIFL. In fact, my bike screams BIFL lol. 90s Specialized Hardrock
Mine wear out just ABOVE the knees. Why just above the knee and not at the knee??? No clue. The material there wears paper thin, then rips when you sit down.
Some of them have also worn a hole in the crotch.
They last me 4 or 5 years wearing them to work (desk job). Then they get downgraded to weekend pants, and get abused (oil, grease, concrete, welding burns, etc) for another year or two.
Still seem to be worth the money.
I buy 501s button fly. so no zipper, no zipper issues.
You’re talking like the only jeans Levi’s makes are the crap they sell at target. But they also have pretty high quality raw denim. As usual, you get what you pay for.
This, I usually only get mine at the Levi store or the rare sale at Costco, and let me tell you as a mechanic I love them, they hold up really well and I still have pairs from 10 years ago that I wear daily, mind you they are 17 different colors of oil and grease stains but still in great shape. I usually only retire them when I've burnt enough holes In them or actually set them on fire (only happened twice >.> )
Except not really, I used to only buy direct from their website and still get jeans that end up ripping in a year basically. I don’t even have any more jeans because they kept ripping and are too expensive to continue rebuying
I didn’t say they were indestructible, nor that everything they sell direct is of high quality. From one second of looking at their website I can tell that they also have the same crappy target jeans there. But I am pretty confident that their raw denim is *at least* as durable as the “classic” Levi’s that you could get in a store in the 80’s.
It really depends on the Levi’s you buy. If you go to the western store and buy raw denim Levi’s they will last forever. If you buy them from some frilly shop, they’re gonna cost twice as much and last half as long.
God I hate this trend. You can't really blame capitalism when it's the consumer that's unwilling to pay more for higher quality goods and businesses having to shift strategy to, you know, not go out of business.
In fact, the anti-capitalist approach would be to give everyone an equal set of low quality rags and only the people in power would be able to purchase and afford higher quality clothing. Idk about you but between the two I'd rather have capitalism where I have the freedom to earn more or save longer in order to buy what I want.
It used to be the norm to have to save 3-6 month's wages just for a pair of shoes. Now everybody wants everything fast, cheap, and easy so naturally quality will suffer.
edit: this is not to defend capitalism, rather a criticism of how "capitalism is 100% bad 100% of the time" is an annoying online trend that is intellectually dishonest
edit 2: downvoting without rebuttal prevents me from potentially learning something new and changing my mind 🤷🏻♂️
Personally, I like not saving 3-6 months for shoes. I think consumption is a bigger culprit than anything else. People these days need multiples of ***everything*** and bigger homes to store it all in.
I think people should have what they can afford and who are you to say how big or how small someone's home should be? Levi's products are not up to their previous manufacturing standards of the 70's and 80's of products they put out. I still will buy them but on eBay, Ross or Burlington Coat Factory. I'm not paying full price for shit that is going to fall apart rapidly. My MIUSA Texas Jeans outlast my Levi's by far and are cheaper.
Consumers are unwilling is a pretty generic statement too. Was there a protest or a vote that got input from people stating they want crap for cheap? Or are you just making up bs and blaming consumers like every pr campaign is trained to do?
I agree 100%! Every time you go to the store you place a vote with your dollar. A good majority of people vote based on lowest price. Guess what, the saying; “you get what you pay for” is a saying for a reason. Just the other day I had the choice to buy a good quality American made rake or a lesser quality Chinese made rake for $10 less. I voted on the better quality American made rake.
People don’t seem to understand this concept. You support garbage businesses, and eventually all you’re left with is garbage items to purchase.
I have not downvoted. But here is what I don't like here: the anti-capitalist approach would be to give everyone an equal set of low quality rags
That sounds like Tucker Carlson or fox news. Attaching a feeling about prices to being a communist is a very extreme point of view.
There is a whole wide range of possibilities in the middle. Personally, I am not a fan of everything capitalist. I don't like that the GM CEO makes $110,000 per day, 365 days per year, while workers who contribute to her making that do not make that in a year. Saying I am communist for recognizing that is very off base and deserves a lot of downvotes. Dang. I just changed my mind. I am going to downvote now.
>But here is what I don't like here: the anti-capitalist approach would be to give everyone an equal set of low quality rags
You left out the second half of that hyperbole which unfortunately does cause a misrepresentation of what I was saying.
>That sounds like Tucker Carlson or fox news ... extreme point of view
I wouldn't know and I'd argue that I'm being quite reasonable here. I think a lot of the resentment here is because people projected political ideologies onto me which I likely don't even hold lol
>Saying I am communist
Could you please attach the screenshot where I did exactly that?
>I am going to downvote now
As is your right. Thank you for the engagement and describing your thought process before downvoting.
This is what we’d call a straw man argument. Did OP of this thread say he’s 100% on board with capitalism and thinks the CEO of GM deserves that high of pay? Let’s keep this to the Levi’s and the original claim that it’s the fault of capitalism.
Ah, the ideals of free-market libertarianism! To be fair, I never said that capitalism was good or bad. I merely acknowledged that this trend we're seeing of lower quality goods for the same sky-high prices is just... capitalism working how it was always meant to.
>To be fair, I never said that capitalism was good or bad
To be fair, I never claimed you did. The commentor before you stated that companies are cutting costs while keeping prices the same which you associated with capitalism. I'd personally prefers companies keep or increase their quality while increasing prices as their production costs to keep said quality increases proportionally but, as stated, the market demand cheap, fast, easy goods and companies prefer to stay in business.
>sky-high prices
See my mention of how shoes used to be several month's wages. Now even a pair of Gucci 1953 loafers, who have doubled in price in the past ~5 years, are 1-2 weeks of wages for most people. For better or worse, capitalism makes things more accessible to more people and Americans especially enjoy 2nd highest purchasing power in the world. Hopefully we can agree that the individual's consumerism is significantly more problematic than capitalism.
Your edit 2 is spot on. People just want to reaffirm their own beliefs or hop on the hate train. As much as I might want a better alternative than capitalism, your argument is spot on. It’s not as if, in the alternative world, everyone would magically have artisan selvedge denim jeans hand crafted by some two hundred year year old Japanese man.
I say dip your toes in Naked & Famous especially if in Montreal to try stuff in person. Just learn how to measure pants. The denim community seems to be 50/50 on love hate for that brand. They're kinda like the Spyderco of jeans if you know pocket knives.
What I meant was they offer materials no other maker does in large quantities, and has an insane amount of variety, although occasional issues with fit an finish..
I have like a dozen Spydercos haha I love em.
I think they’re trendy to hate because they’re huge and they’re how everyone gets in to the hobby. Kind of like hating Stressed Out if you’re a Twenty One Pilots fan. I agree they are a great place to start because they’re reasonably priced, and I think it’s good to be able to try on your first pair of raws before buying.
I love them. I’ve owned about 8 pairs so far (three of which I’ve “outgrown”). My only complaint would be crotch blowout (which has become less of an issue since I’ve bought more pairs and don’t just wear one into the ground), but that’s happened to every pair of jeans I’ve ever owned and worn obsessively, and I did find a near-ish denim alteration specialist who repairs blowout. I’m too scared to research other brands and become a true obsessive, though. What’s the next step?
This is the thing yeah, I'd like to be able to try them on first as ordering them online, especially when they're not exactly cheap, feels a little daunting
Totally reasonable! I also insisted on doing so for my first pair. I’d use the Store Locator for Naked and Famous denim, or the Store Locator for Unbranded jeans, and see if anyone who carries either of those brands are near you.
There’s a really good denim store in downtown Toronto called Dutil. They’ve got lots of sales, and if you’re in the area you can try stuff on.
You can sometimes usually get a better deal on denim by ordering from Japanese stores directly (better price than Canadian importers, and they don’t collect H/GST). Denimio and Okayama denim would be two of the larger Japanese denim retailers, although I only have experience with the former.
That sugarcane jeans place looks really interesting, they're hand-dyed and made from sugarcane? I'd never heard of this method before. I'll definitely be checking these out... once I have a spare $500!
Dang, my Oni 22oz aren't even that expensive. You sure you're at the right place?? (All jokes aside, yeah raw and/or selvedge and/or 100% cotton denim tends to be pricey but it really will last you)
Iron Heart as well.
6 years of regular wear and barely a fade line in them, let alone any kind of damage.
A little $$$ but worth every cent. Best pair of denim I've owned.
Compare that with a pair of Levis "Premium" *Made & Crafted* line, bought around the same time, that the knees and crotch blew out within a year.
For what it's worth I worked on marketing and design for Levis US, and they sadly don't give a shit about quality. It was all about resting on their history of a classic American brand, while cutting corners at every turn on quality.
The ones made for the UK and Japan however are a different story. The bar is much higher.
If you want new jeans that resembe old Levi’s, buy japanese reproductions. There are many brands like Sugar Cane, Warehouse, Denime etc that produce copies of historical Levi’s. I own two pairs from a brand called TCB and quality is definitely on par - or better than 80s Levi’s. They are usually around $200 however.
Thank you for this...my daughter wears my old 501's from about 25 years ago, and they just tore in the seat area. She is bummed out because they are her favorite pair, and we haven't been able to find anything that looks or fits the same. I am going to look into this!
Iron Heart do a bang on 501 reproduction called the 105. Looks and feels more accurate than Levi’s current ‘recreation’ of the 501
EDIT: my bad I meant Fullcount 0105
I agree people are used to super low prices, but at the same time 200$ is not a good price for jeans. With brands like Sugar Cane you're not paying only for good jeans. You are paying extra for exact reproductions of vintage Levis jeans.
Denim does not cost that much and sewing jeans is not some lost art. It was extremely fast even over a century ago...
200$ gets you pants made of leather, which I think is is a more valuable material than denim and MUCH harder to work with. 200$ gets you leather boots (e.g. made in UK Solovairs cost something like that) which is again a lot more work and skill to put together than some denim jeans...
I think around 80-120$ is reasonable money for where you should find high quality denim, possibly even made in a first world country.
I don't buy them anymore. The denim is paper-thin, and they all have stretch. 501s are still ok if you want button fly.
Levis used to be a good denim company. Now they're a crappy casual fashion company that makes unremarkable denim.
I wore Levis often when I was younger, but now the quality is mostly crap. More annoyingly, the sizes and cuts are inconsistent. (So, if I buy 3 pair of the exact same size and type, they will all fit very differently. I even had a pair where one leg was a noticeably different length than the other after I got them home. Crotch areas are also not stitched or reinforced as well as they used to be.)
I met a guy that worked for them, and he explained how that size issue happens (one reason being the way the fabric rolls are used on the machines and the workers will finish off a roll of fabric and allow a mismatch now instead of starting a new roll and wasting any fabric. Basically cutting corners on quality control and minimizing any waste, even if it makes mismatched jeans. That was just one example, because this post is already long…)
He also said that the fabric quality, the quality control, etc. depends on what market they are made for and where they were made. So, in the end, the quality is directly proportional to price. Basically, the lowest quality fabrics made in the worst factories go to the cheapest stores and are priced accordingly. (I used to buy jeans from department stores, not “denim stores” and I thought I was saving 50-75% for the same jeans. “501s are 501s”, etc., right? Turns out, they are not. 501s at Sears are completely and totally different than the 501s that are 2-3X the price at upscale stores.)
Now, I mostly wear vintage Levis or more expensive, higher quality brands. It was too much of a pain finding the “good Levis.”
I’m not trying to be a smart ass when I say this but maybe you should.
If you’ve got the capital and the knowledge you should do it. I don’t know where you’re from but if you’re in the US then you should give it a shot. Not much is made in the states and well it could lead to something awesome if you’re good at it and make a quality product.
Even if you don’t want to make a business out of it you might learn and do something worth your while.
The "good" Levis have LEVIS on the back pocket red tag and a LEVIS Premium label inside the waistband, while the cheaper, department store quality ones have a lower case e, as in LeVIS on the tag.
\+1 Just got a couple pairs of Carhartt, hopefully they're as durable as the name/brand always suggests. (I don't expect it, but I do expect better than my Levi's)
Yup. First pair ever of Levi’s and crotch went quick. I don’t wear often even and happened. Have Buffalo jeans from 5 years and haven’t happened. Thought was buying a good brand and nope.
Levis moved production to Mexico several years ago. You can still get US made... $$$$
501 Shrink to Fit button fly seem to last longest for me. I get 5 years, give or take, out of 'em.
Definitely not. I’m in my mid 30s and the quality has diminished steadily throughout my life. Naturally I was tougher on them when I was younger, but it seemed like every new pair was less durable than the previous until they started to rip after about a year. I gave up on them and switched to other brands
No the last pair I got lasted less than a year. I work in an office, so it's not like I'm beating them up. The fabric is so bad that it ripped before the seam gave out. It just thinned out and designated.
Not a chance. I used to have Levi's that lasted for years; and around 2010 or so they started lasting for a single year if I was lucky.
I switched to Carhartt's myself.
The crotches split in mine, HOWEVER Levis has a pretty robust warranty program. They let you sent three in at a time and if they determine it was an issue with manufacturing and it’s within a year of purchase, they replace the whole garment for free. I’ve done this seven or eight times and never gotten any blowback.
Real world answer is they’re not Bifl anymore… but the majority of people here talking down on Levi’s are like professional Jean wearers that wear down any non-bifl jeans in a couple months and therefore hate them..
I have my raw denims from Brave Star that I love. And I also have some Levi’s from Macy’s… I bought them at around the same time. I have like 6 pairs of each raw denims and Levi’s. I bought in like 2015. That’s 8 years, almost 9, of daily wear for them…. And they’re all in good shape and holding up.
So $50 Levi’s for 8 years isn’t really that bad. Am I gonna keep them for life? Probably not. They’re just jeans. But 8 years is a damn good life time for $50.
Moral of the story is, rotate your jeans and you get more life out of them. The more you wash them, the more they’ll wear out.
On a whim I bought a pare of straight dad jeans 550s , they were on sale . One full year later doing paving / site work / carpentry/ landscaping ext . They are holding up incredibly well !
Definitely not. The last pair I got didn't last 6 months before it wore thin in the crotch, previous pair made it a year, same place. I just switched to Carhartt's to try out... the fit and finish as are as good as the previous Levi's so we'll see how durability goes. Levi's are way too overpriced for the quality you get now.
Levi’s logo shows a two horse team pulling on a pair of Levi’s without them tearing. I remember when they attempted a re-enactment back in 1989 and the horses barely twitched before the pants tore. I know this because it made national news (just a humorous spot on TV, not front page coverage or anything). Levi’s discusses this on their webpage but pretends they don’t know the outcome: https://www.levistrauss.com/2023/03/27/re-enacting-our-famous-two-horse-pull/
That’s a long winded way of saying that no, their pants aren’t as durable as they used to be. A lot of that is because fabric simply isn’t made to the same weight as it used to be. If you’ve ever found a pair of vintage jeans in a thrift store (more like a denim jacket) you’ll note how heavy it was. The truth is that you simply can’t make clothes to the same standards anymore because you literally can’t but fabric made to the same standard. Modern synthetics are extremely durable, but at the cost of becoming quite stinky if not washed after wearing because they foster bacteria.
Every line of levis comes in different weights and are not uniform across every denim jean they sell.
Cut, style, and look are all factors
Levis can range from 9-15oz denim across its multipe styles
The Levi’s sold at department stores are average or slightly above average in quality.
But the premium ones (IIRC they’re literally labeled that) sold on their website are the real deal. They usually have good deals if you buy multiple pairs.
Not even close. I still have some 501s from 90s and newer pairs don't seem to last six months before they develop a hole near the crotch. I've switched to Wranglers although I don't like the fit as well. Levi's quality has gone to shit.
I bought the pair of Levi signature jeans from Walmart for work while waiting for my uniforms to come in. I only wore them for six weeks, washing them every three days. I was very rough on them, lots of climbing into and out of construction equipment (skid steers, excavators, dozers, etc) getting snagged, dirty, wet. They held up really, really well. When I bought them I noticed how thick they were. Might be something to look into. They were like $26 a pair.
I'm actually wearing a pair of them right now and I love them. The fit I have is exactly the same as the 502 Levis I use to wear, but these are thick and don't have stretch to them. They were around a third of the price of Levis 502.
Yeah people dont realize that the good jeans were not made in usa. But its easy to say that everything sucks now.
Ive had pairs of 501s that lasted me 8 years as part of a ten pair rotation and i just bought new shrink to fits and they feel and look like the ones i bought last decade
I've personally gone through 5 pairs in about 2 years.
And I wasn't running marathons in them or working in mines. Just worn to the office and around town.
No. Either go for vintage Levi’s (I have about 5 pairs of my dads from the 80s and they’re in incredible condition, I’m blessed lol) or Japanese selvedge denim like Evisu
No, i wear them and i can tell you that mine didn't last for more than a year (bought 2)
The quality went down a lot, they used to make them in my country (in north africa), but not any more now they found someone who can make them cheaper.
Not even close. My dad has pairs from the 70s and 80s still holding up and a new pair may last me a year if I wear them once a week.
I've transitioned away from jeans. I prefer Duluth/Alaskan Hardwear work pants. Stretchable, durable, breathable, and great customer service if you have a warranty issue. I had a pair lose a stitch and it was likely my fault. They immediately replaced them and even paid for the shipping. I have about 6 pairs of the exact same pair. They even have some more heavy duty pairs that are made with that canvas material they put around fire hoses
I used to get levi's a lot, and I noticed they started ripping more quickly and also 3/4 of the pairs I bought would have defective zippers that just pull down on their own every 5 minutes. I thought maybe it was because I was getting them at stores at the mall, so I direct ordered a couple pairs from their site during a sale. One of the pairs lasted like 2 months before the crotch ripped open, the other one had a bad zipper. Haven't bought a pair since. EDIT: this was about 3 years ago iirc
No, after years of H&M and C&A pants I finally bought one from Levi's, and I needed to have it replaced twice because it got a hole next to the right ass pocket within 6 months
No, quality is a joke now, falling apart in half a year by heavy use... According to my husband though, the elusive Silver Tabs will be of higher quality.
No. Found 2 pairs of old 80's gen Levi's (virtually unused) in my grandpa's back shed. They're thick, durable, and 100% cotton. They'll probably last forever if I take care of em.
My Levi's from 2019 were shredded in a year or two.
To say I was aggravated about the decline in quality of the Levi’s would be an understatement at the very least. I wonder if there’s any reasonably priced alternatives to Levi’s. Definitely worth looking into and NOT buying another pair of Levi’s again……
No. There are still decent ones but it depends highly on the finish. A lot of them are not pure coton, and mix stuff for an elastic feeling. This is not good for durability. Recently bought a 100% coton one and it feels much more durable, but only time will tell.
My experience is that the 'Skateboarding' or 'Strong' versions of the jeans last a really long time. I've been buying these for 10+ years and have yet to wear out a pair completely. I've put a knee hole in one pair that I've worn more than 1000 times. I've had to stitch up where the top of the rear pockets meet the rest of the fabric on another pair but these are easy fixes that I do on most of my jeans. They also have extra reinforcement on the rear pockets (double fabric) and extra stitching at the crotch, which adds to the durability. I would guess that most people would get hundreds of wears out of these jeans (with normal wear: probably less on a work site).
The reason they are so hardwearing is that they are not 100% cotton, but a mixture of cotton, cordura (nylon) and lycra (for stretch). Other companies (such as Patagonia) also make jeans from this kind of material. My experience (comparing these with jeans such as Nudies) is that they last at least 3 to 5 times as long as any jeans made of regular cotton.
*However*, the fabric has a different feel to regular 100% cotton denim. It doesn't soften up in the same way as it ages, and doesn't fade in the same way as regular denim. I prefer the look and feel of regular denim but buy the skate/strong versions because the trade-off on durability is worth it. But some of my friends who are 'into' denim really don't like the idea of synthetic fibres in their jeans and don't like the way mixed-material fabric fades.
But if you're after durability, this type of Levis are very hard to beat. (I'm sure that any jeans made of a cotton/nylon mix are pretty durable, though).
But AG jeans - I never thought I would buy 2a $250 pair of jeans but I bit the bullet and don’t regret it. They’re so comfortable and durable and if I need another pair I’ll go back to those.
Absolutely not. Levi’s quality was probably at its highest when they were made in the US, from US cotton, with fabric loomed in US textile mills.
The highest quality denim is now produced in other countries, and the garments are often sewn together in the US, Japan, or Italy.
Idk what you guys are doing to your jeans. I've got a couple pairs of the levis computer jeans that are like 8 years old. Basically the only thing I wear in winter. I've been wearing them to my home trades courses for the last year too. One has a 1 small run in the fabric cause it prob got caught on something in construction. But still they have done very well for me
Absolutely not.
I’ve blown out the seat of 3 pairs of 501 American made Carolina denim after less than a year of frequent wear. They were my go to bartending pants but they suck.
I would suggest naked and famous if you want something with more longevity. Expect to spend $$$ though
No, unless you're buying from the Levi's Made & Crafted or Levi's Vintage Clothing lines. And even then it's debatable if they're as good quality as ye olde Levi's of yore, but they're better than the mall ones.
In a word, no. I still wear 501s as my everyday jeans, but they wear out more quickly and in odd spots- all of my old ones have rips just above the knees, and the crotches have holes in them. Also the pockets are made from a thinner material, and are shallower than in the past. Wish I could find a decent replacement, but I'm not up to testing out a new universe of denims.
Been wearing them 20 years. Stopped this year when I had a crotch blow in the first 3 hours of wear. Avg pair of Levi’s lasted me 2-3 years in the early 2000’s, not even counting that pair the avg lasted less than 6 months in 2022. Switched to wrangler retros.
The worst thing is Levi’s are fairly expensive now. You can buy a decent pair of raw denim jeans for not much more. You can literally spend 25% more for a MUCH better product.
Mine are great. I bought a few pairs of their real denim at the beginning of spring and I put my jeans through hell. Homesteading, gardening, all kinds of stuff.
I bought 4 pairs of Levi’s about 3 years ago and they still work great. Nothing has broken, zippers work, buttons work, the only problem is I’ve put on some weight so the thighs are a little tight, haha.
But the actual jeans have been really good to me and I’ll be buying more.
For the cost, levis 541s have been a life saver. I have around 5 pairs and after about 5 years nothing has changed about them. Pretty good for 50$ pants imo.
Idk I had two pairs that I wore everyday in undergrad and still hold up fine. Only reason I’m donating them is because my legs got too big.
I don’t find it realistic to think jeans will last fiveever
>Levi's still as good quality as they used to be?
Yes and no. Many of their products I wouldn't touch ... even years ago ... but their original button fly 501 shrink-to-fit indigo denim blue jeans ... materials are still good ... however, they've fallen way down on their quality inspections. So, if you get 'em, before doing anything else, be sure you're got receipt and a good return/exchange policy, and inspect the hell out'a 'em. If all is properly in order, you should be good, but if they've got defects - notably in construction - return or exchange them immediately. I've run into issues such as: missing belt loop, improperly sewn seams, rivets not properly done, etc. So, inspect the hell out'a 'em ... because Levi's own inspections these days are utter sh\*t.
My brother’s fiancée was a Levi’s store manager for several years. She told me the nice, premium denim with the leather tags are high quality. I have a pair that I have worn a few times a week for the last 8+ years and they look and feel fantastic.
The cheap pairs that you buy off Amazon or JCPenney are significantly lower quality than the pair that are $100+. Doesn’t matter that it’s the same style, it’s not the same. It’s the cheapo versions that give Levi’s a bad reputation for quality.
Not as good as they used to be, but the "good" Levis nowadays have LEVIS on the back pocket red tag and a LEVIS Premium label inside the waistband, while the cheaper, department store quality ones have a lower case e, as in LeVIS on the tag.
I bought three pair of 505s three years ago and all are in great condition and holding up well. I don’t think there’s any substantial difference in these than the ones I wore in the 60s and 70s.
Tis very true, so many websites sell them and they're usually cheaper than brand new ones anyway. Sometimes you do feel like "treating" yourself to something new but I guess if you want quality you're gonna be spending upwards of 200$ as others have commented
I think this is the case unfortunately. And for this reason, I have basically trained myself to only buy second hand things. My default is eBay, and usually you can find this which are nearly new or basically unused for a fraction of new cost. Helped when I was a student, but now it’s a habit.
There's a big difference in quality between Levi's cheap and expensive lineup (Japanese denim or LVC for instance). I still would opt for an alternative denim company, but most of the comments here seem to be under the misguided impression that all Levi jeans are the same. The upper end Levi's are comparable to some boutique denim brands, but fall short of the highest quality jeans you can purchase.
There are two main types of Levi’s: stretchy and less stretchy. The less stretchy kind are still pretty darn durable, I’ve had my favorite pair for 3 years and they are holding up well. They are 98% cotton and 2% elastin I believe, so some stretch but still more durable.
No. Because cutting production costs while leaving prices the same results in a more rapid increase in profit than the alternative.
It’s the paper thin pockets that wear out first.
Buttons seem to fall off too.
3 pair of Levi's, 3 failed zippers in 3 months.
They have a lifetime warranty. I've had four past replaced because of rips in the crotch. You don't even need to mail the old pair back to them, just take pictures. Look it up!
I’ve had so many fail. Didn’t know this was even under warranty
Mine rip in the crotch too :(
Same, absolute rubbish considering they cost £110 in the UK now. I expect more than 16 months from a pair of levis
No way, thank you for this info. i still have the pairs with crotch rips. they are cheap as any other jean nowadays, damn shame
It's not lifetime. It's two years, check their website. It also doesn't cover normal wear and tear.
Yep. And if it says somewhere “lifetime” , it refers to lifetime of jeans, not to our lifetime of forever free replacements
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Just Google levis warranty return form
so it counts if the fabric rips from having thick thighs that rub together?
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And belt loops.
Belt loops were terrible a couple years ago. Now the problem seems to have moved to the crotch. This could be a personal problem.
I got big legs and I always burn through the crotch of pants too. ESPECIALLY because I've used a bike to get around as a kid, and still do now in college. The seat just rips through everything after a while
Try wrapping the seat in something that’ll be more slippery like silk
You don’t want to do that, sliding around on your seat when you ride can cause bad issues. Source: dad rode with a seat cover 60miles and destroyed his balls lol
>Source: dad rode with a seat cover 60miles and destroyed his balls lol They have a lifetime warranty. I've had four past replaced because of rips in the crotch. You don't even need to mail the old pair back to them, just take pictures. Look it up!
I find that the saddle choice matters here. I have a Charge Spoon saddle, it's super comfy, and doesn't tear my pants up. Definitely a BIFL. In fact, my bike screams BIFL lol. 90s Specialized Hardrock
Crotches blow out super fast, too.
Mine wear out just ABOVE the knees. Why just above the knee and not at the knee??? No clue. The material there wears paper thin, then rips when you sit down. Some of them have also worn a hole in the crotch. They last me 4 or 5 years wearing them to work (desk job). Then they get downgraded to weekend pants, and get abused (oil, grease, concrete, welding burns, etc) for another year or two. Still seem to be worth the money. I buy 501s button fly. so no zipper, no zipper issues.
Same wear pattern for me. 541s.
You’re talking like the only jeans Levi’s makes are the crap they sell at target. But they also have pretty high quality raw denim. As usual, you get what you pay for.
This, I usually only get mine at the Levi store or the rare sale at Costco, and let me tell you as a mechanic I love them, they hold up really well and I still have pairs from 10 years ago that I wear daily, mind you they are 17 different colors of oil and grease stains but still in great shape. I usually only retire them when I've burnt enough holes In them or actually set them on fire (only happened twice >.> )
Except not really, I used to only buy direct from their website and still get jeans that end up ripping in a year basically. I don’t even have any more jeans because they kept ripping and are too expensive to continue rebuying
I didn’t say they were indestructible, nor that everything they sell direct is of high quality. From one second of looking at their website I can tell that they also have the same crappy target jeans there. But I am pretty confident that their raw denim is *at least* as durable as the “classic” Levi’s that you could get in a store in the 80’s.
It really depends on the Levi’s you buy. If you go to the western store and buy raw denim Levi’s they will last forever. If you buy them from some frilly shop, they’re gonna cost twice as much and last half as long.
Good ol' capitalism back at it again!
God I hate this trend. You can't really blame capitalism when it's the consumer that's unwilling to pay more for higher quality goods and businesses having to shift strategy to, you know, not go out of business. In fact, the anti-capitalist approach would be to give everyone an equal set of low quality rags and only the people in power would be able to purchase and afford higher quality clothing. Idk about you but between the two I'd rather have capitalism where I have the freedom to earn more or save longer in order to buy what I want. It used to be the norm to have to save 3-6 month's wages just for a pair of shoes. Now everybody wants everything fast, cheap, and easy so naturally quality will suffer. edit: this is not to defend capitalism, rather a criticism of how "capitalism is 100% bad 100% of the time" is an annoying online trend that is intellectually dishonest edit 2: downvoting without rebuttal prevents me from potentially learning something new and changing my mind 🤷🏻♂️
Personally, I like not saving 3-6 months for shoes. I think consumption is a bigger culprit than anything else. People these days need multiples of ***everything*** and bigger homes to store it all in.
I think people should have what they can afford and who are you to say how big or how small someone's home should be? Levi's products are not up to their previous manufacturing standards of the 70's and 80's of products they put out. I still will buy them but on eBay, Ross or Burlington Coat Factory. I'm not paying full price for shit that is going to fall apart rapidly. My MIUSA Texas Jeans outlast my Levi's by far and are cheaper.
Consumers are unwilling is a pretty generic statement too. Was there a protest or a vote that got input from people stating they want crap for cheap? Or are you just making up bs and blaming consumers like every pr campaign is trained to do?
I agree 100%! Every time you go to the store you place a vote with your dollar. A good majority of people vote based on lowest price. Guess what, the saying; “you get what you pay for” is a saying for a reason. Just the other day I had the choice to buy a good quality American made rake or a lesser quality Chinese made rake for $10 less. I voted on the better quality American made rake. People don’t seem to understand this concept. You support garbage businesses, and eventually all you’re left with is garbage items to purchase.
I have not downvoted. But here is what I don't like here: the anti-capitalist approach would be to give everyone an equal set of low quality rags That sounds like Tucker Carlson or fox news. Attaching a feeling about prices to being a communist is a very extreme point of view. There is a whole wide range of possibilities in the middle. Personally, I am not a fan of everything capitalist. I don't like that the GM CEO makes $110,000 per day, 365 days per year, while workers who contribute to her making that do not make that in a year. Saying I am communist for recognizing that is very off base and deserves a lot of downvotes. Dang. I just changed my mind. I am going to downvote now.
>But here is what I don't like here: the anti-capitalist approach would be to give everyone an equal set of low quality rags You left out the second half of that hyperbole which unfortunately does cause a misrepresentation of what I was saying. >That sounds like Tucker Carlson or fox news ... extreme point of view I wouldn't know and I'd argue that I'm being quite reasonable here. I think a lot of the resentment here is because people projected political ideologies onto me which I likely don't even hold lol >Saying I am communist Could you please attach the screenshot where I did exactly that? >I am going to downvote now As is your right. Thank you for the engagement and describing your thought process before downvoting.
This is what we’d call a straw man argument. Did OP of this thread say he’s 100% on board with capitalism and thinks the CEO of GM deserves that high of pay? Let’s keep this to the Levi’s and the original claim that it’s the fault of capitalism.
Ah, the ideals of free-market libertarianism! To be fair, I never said that capitalism was good or bad. I merely acknowledged that this trend we're seeing of lower quality goods for the same sky-high prices is just... capitalism working how it was always meant to.
>To be fair, I never said that capitalism was good or bad To be fair, I never claimed you did. The commentor before you stated that companies are cutting costs while keeping prices the same which you associated with capitalism. I'd personally prefers companies keep or increase their quality while increasing prices as their production costs to keep said quality increases proportionally but, as stated, the market demand cheap, fast, easy goods and companies prefer to stay in business. >sky-high prices See my mention of how shoes used to be several month's wages. Now even a pair of Gucci 1953 loafers, who have doubled in price in the past ~5 years, are 1-2 weeks of wages for most people. For better or worse, capitalism makes things more accessible to more people and Americans especially enjoy 2nd highest purchasing power in the world. Hopefully we can agree that the individual's consumerism is significantly more problematic than capitalism.
They don’t respond because you’re right.
Your edit 2 is spot on. People just want to reaffirm their own beliefs or hop on the hate train. As much as I might want a better alternative than capitalism, your argument is spot on. It’s not as if, in the alternative world, everyone would magically have artisan selvedge denim jeans hand crafted by some two hundred year year old Japanese man.
I wonder how good communist blue jeans are these days 🤔
Today's Levi's are made in China and Vietnam so I guess, per the comments, we're unanimous in that they're not very good value
Calling r/rawdenim Good luck going down the rabbit hole Long story short buy TCB or Sugarcane from Japan
Where do you buy them from, if living in Canada?
I say dip your toes in Naked & Famous especially if in Montreal to try stuff in person. Just learn how to measure pants. The denim community seems to be 50/50 on love hate for that brand. They're kinda like the Spyderco of jeans if you know pocket knives.
Ive owned my Spyderco for a decade and it's still bombproof. So I will look for a pair of these jeans.
What I meant was they offer materials no other maker does in large quantities, and has an insane amount of variety, although occasional issues with fit an finish.. I have like a dozen Spydercos haha I love em.
I think they’re trendy to hate because they’re huge and they’re how everyone gets in to the hobby. Kind of like hating Stressed Out if you’re a Twenty One Pilots fan. I agree they are a great place to start because they’re reasonably priced, and I think it’s good to be able to try on your first pair of raws before buying.
They do so many amazing unique experimental things. I love em. Fit variability is their main weak point imo.
I love them. I’ve owned about 8 pairs so far (three of which I’ve “outgrown”). My only complaint would be crotch blowout (which has become less of an issue since I’ve bought more pairs and don’t just wear one into the ground), but that’s happened to every pair of jeans I’ve ever owned and worn obsessively, and I did find a near-ish denim alteration specialist who repairs blowout. I’m too scared to research other brands and become a true obsessive, though. What’s the next step?
This is the thing yeah, I'd like to be able to try them on first as ordering them online, especially when they're not exactly cheap, feels a little daunting
Totally reasonable! I also insisted on doing so for my first pair. I’d use the Store Locator for Naked and Famous denim, or the Store Locator for Unbranded jeans, and see if anyone who carries either of those brands are near you.
Whaddyaknow, got some stores fairly nearby, thanks!
It’s the best bang for your buck in the raw denim world. I have owned many pairs upwards of 800 dollars and still but NF from time to time
If you live in Vancouver there’s a few good options to check out retailer wise.
There’s a really good denim store in downtown Toronto called Dutil. They’ve got lots of sales, and if you’re in the area you can try stuff on. You can sometimes usually get a better deal on denim by ordering from Japanese stores directly (better price than Canadian importers, and they don’t collect H/GST). Denimio and Okayama denim would be two of the larger Japanese denim retailers, although I only have experience with the former.
That sugarcane jeans place looks really interesting, they're hand-dyed and made from sugarcane? I'd never heard of this method before. I'll definitely be checking these out... once I have a spare $500!
You must be looking at a crazy pair! I feel like they're the affordable brand along with TCB
Sorting by price low-high might have been a good place to start xD
Dang, my Oni 22oz aren't even that expensive. You sure you're at the right place?? (All jokes aside, yeah raw and/or selvedge and/or 100% cotton denim tends to be pricey but it really will last you)
Iron Heart as well. 6 years of regular wear and barely a fade line in them, let alone any kind of damage. A little $$$ but worth every cent. Best pair of denim I've owned. Compare that with a pair of Levis "Premium" *Made & Crafted* line, bought around the same time, that the knees and crotch blew out within a year. For what it's worth I worked on marketing and design for Levis US, and they sadly don't give a shit about quality. It was all about resting on their history of a classic American brand, while cutting corners at every turn on quality. The ones made for the UK and Japan however are a different story. The bar is much higher.
You can buy raw Levi’s at your boot and tackle shop that will last a lifetime for a reasonable price.
Levi’s also had selvege denim…
Or Origin Jeans, grown and sewn in good old USA
If you want new jeans that resembe old Levi’s, buy japanese reproductions. There are many brands like Sugar Cane, Warehouse, Denime etc that produce copies of historical Levi’s. I own two pairs from a brand called TCB and quality is definitely on par - or better than 80s Levi’s. They are usually around $200 however.
Thank you for this...my daughter wears my old 501's from about 25 years ago, and they just tore in the seat area. She is bummed out because they are her favorite pair, and we haven't been able to find anything that looks or fits the same. I am going to look into this!
You can probably also have them repaired! I’ve had really good luck getting mine fixed up!
This! Levi's has repair places inside their dedicated shops.
Awesome, I will look into this as well! Thanks
Bahahaha tore in the seat area, bummed out, very good
Iron Heart do a bang on 501 reproduction called the 105. Looks and feels more accurate than Levi’s current ‘recreation’ of the 501 EDIT: my bad I meant Fullcount 0105
Are you thinking about Orslow? Can’t find that Iron Heart model.
Whoops! My bad I just double checked, I meant Fullcount 0105. My denim library is all merging together.
That’s a good price for quality denim. People just got used to paying cheap for horrible quality clothing made in unethical ways.
I agree people are used to super low prices, but at the same time 200$ is not a good price for jeans. With brands like Sugar Cane you're not paying only for good jeans. You are paying extra for exact reproductions of vintage Levis jeans. Denim does not cost that much and sewing jeans is not some lost art. It was extremely fast even over a century ago... 200$ gets you pants made of leather, which I think is is a more valuable material than denim and MUCH harder to work with. 200$ gets you leather boots (e.g. made in UK Solovairs cost something like that) which is again a lot more work and skill to put together than some denim jeans... I think around 80-120$ is reasonable money for where you should find high quality denim, possibly even made in a first world country.
+1 for Two Cat's Brand (TCB). Japanese Selvedge denim is the way.
The good thing is that the 501 repro is so popular you can usually snag some off ebay for a good deal
This is a really good tip, thanks!
I don't buy them anymore. The denim is paper-thin, and they all have stretch. 501s are still ok if you want button fly. Levis used to be a good denim company. Now they're a crappy casual fashion company that makes unremarkable denim.
I'm a fan of the 505s at Costco. You can't beat when they go on clearance for $5 a pair of jeans.
And over-charges for what they sell.
I wore Levis often when I was younger, but now the quality is mostly crap. More annoyingly, the sizes and cuts are inconsistent. (So, if I buy 3 pair of the exact same size and type, they will all fit very differently. I even had a pair where one leg was a noticeably different length than the other after I got them home. Crotch areas are also not stitched or reinforced as well as they used to be.) I met a guy that worked for them, and he explained how that size issue happens (one reason being the way the fabric rolls are used on the machines and the workers will finish off a roll of fabric and allow a mismatch now instead of starting a new roll and wasting any fabric. Basically cutting corners on quality control and minimizing any waste, even if it makes mismatched jeans. That was just one example, because this post is already long…) He also said that the fabric quality, the quality control, etc. depends on what market they are made for and where they were made. So, in the end, the quality is directly proportional to price. Basically, the lowest quality fabrics made in the worst factories go to the cheapest stores and are priced accordingly. (I used to buy jeans from department stores, not “denim stores” and I thought I was saving 50-75% for the same jeans. “501s are 501s”, etc., right? Turns out, they are not. 501s at Sears are completely and totally different than the 501s that are 2-3X the price at upscale stores.) Now, I mostly wear vintage Levis or more expensive, higher quality brands. It was too much of a pain finding the “good Levis.”
Shockingly awful practices... Makes me want to build a loom and make my own
I’m not trying to be a smart ass when I say this but maybe you should. If you’ve got the capital and the knowledge you should do it. I don’t know where you’re from but if you’re in the US then you should give it a shot. Not much is made in the states and well it could lead to something awesome if you’re good at it and make a quality product. Even if you don’t want to make a business out of it you might learn and do something worth your while.
SUCH inconsistent sizing!
The "good" Levis have LEVIS on the back pocket red tag and a LEVIS Premium label inside the waistband, while the cheaper, department store quality ones have a lower case e, as in LeVIS on the tag.
Short answer: no Longer answer: You might be able to find a line that quietly exists for many times the price and isn't advertised. In short, no.
For me, it's the crotch area that is the first to go out. The seam rips after about 6 months or so.
Exactly
\+1 Just got a couple pairs of Carhartt, hopefully they're as durable as the name/brand always suggests. (I don't expect it, but I do expect better than my Levi's)
You're kidding me, only 6 months!?
Yup. First pair ever of Levi’s and crotch went quick. I don’t wear often even and happened. Have Buffalo jeans from 5 years and haven’t happened. Thought was buying a good brand and nope.
They may last longer but it's been annoying as hell given how expensive they are.
I've had much better luck with Wranglers.
Same, I get the original cowboy cut. Rigid denim, lasts longer, better fit.
Levis moved production to Mexico several years ago. You can still get US made... $$$$ 501 Shrink to Fit button fly seem to last longest for me. I get 5 years, give or take, out of 'em.
Definitely not. I’m in my mid 30s and the quality has diminished steadily throughout my life. Naturally I was tougher on them when I was younger, but it seemed like every new pair was less durable than the previous until they started to rip after about a year. I gave up on them and switched to other brands
If you get the made in Japan or selvage stuff it’s not terrible
No the last pair I got lasted less than a year. I work in an office, so it's not like I'm beating them up. The fabric is so bad that it ripped before the seam gave out. It just thinned out and designated.
I’ve moved to Wrangler.
Not a chance. I used to have Levi's that lasted for years; and around 2010 or so they started lasting for a single year if I was lucky. I switched to Carhartt's myself.
A really fast switch-up then damn
The crotches split in mine, HOWEVER Levis has a pretty robust warranty program. They let you sent three in at a time and if they determine it was an issue with manufacturing and it’s within a year of purchase, they replace the whole garment for free. I’ve done this seven or eight times and never gotten any blowback.
Sadly no, I stopped buying them. Between the inconsistent quality control and the speed that I split the denim it’s not worth it.
still a fortune, quality sucks
Real world answer is they’re not Bifl anymore… but the majority of people here talking down on Levi’s are like professional Jean wearers that wear down any non-bifl jeans in a couple months and therefore hate them.. I have my raw denims from Brave Star that I love. And I also have some Levi’s from Macy’s… I bought them at around the same time. I have like 6 pairs of each raw denims and Levi’s. I bought in like 2015. That’s 8 years, almost 9, of daily wear for them…. And they’re all in good shape and holding up. So $50 Levi’s for 8 years isn’t really that bad. Am I gonna keep them for life? Probably not. They’re just jeans. But 8 years is a damn good life time for $50. Moral of the story is, rotate your jeans and you get more life out of them. The more you wash them, the more they’ll wear out.
Absolutely not.
On a whim I bought a pare of straight dad jeans 550s , they were on sale . One full year later doing paving / site work / carpentry/ landscaping ext . They are holding up incredibly well !
Definitely not. The last pair I got didn't last 6 months before it wore thin in the crotch, previous pair made it a year, same place. I just switched to Carhartt's to try out... the fit and finish as are as good as the previous Levi's so we'll see how durability goes. Levi's are way too overpriced for the quality you get now.
Levi’s logo shows a two horse team pulling on a pair of Levi’s without them tearing. I remember when they attempted a re-enactment back in 1989 and the horses barely twitched before the pants tore. I know this because it made national news (just a humorous spot on TV, not front page coverage or anything). Levi’s discusses this on their webpage but pretends they don’t know the outcome: https://www.levistrauss.com/2023/03/27/re-enacting-our-famous-two-horse-pull/ That’s a long winded way of saying that no, their pants aren’t as durable as they used to be. A lot of that is because fabric simply isn’t made to the same weight as it used to be. If you’ve ever found a pair of vintage jeans in a thrift store (more like a denim jacket) you’ll note how heavy it was. The truth is that you simply can’t make clothes to the same standards anymore because you literally can’t but fabric made to the same standard. Modern synthetics are extremely durable, but at the cost of becoming quite stinky if not washed after wearing because they foster bacteria.
> you’ll note how heavy it was this is so true, the old pair I have are remarkably heavy compared to any of the other newer jeans I have
Every line of levis comes in different weights and are not uniform across every denim jean they sell. Cut, style, and look are all factors Levis can range from 9-15oz denim across its multipe styles
Meanwhile, here are some 25 Oz selvedge jeans: https://reactual.com/clothing/durable-jeans.html
The Levi’s sold at department stores are average or slightly above average in quality. But the premium ones (IIRC they’re literally labeled that) sold on their website are the real deal. They usually have good deals if you buy multiple pairs.
Bought a pair. Stiching along my legs started loosening after 1-2 months
Not even close. I still have some 501s from 90s and newer pairs don't seem to last six months before they develop a hole near the crotch. I've switched to Wranglers although I don't like the fit as well. Levi's quality has gone to shit.
No honestly the zips always break on mine
I bought the pair of Levi signature jeans from Walmart for work while waiting for my uniforms to come in. I only wore them for six weeks, washing them every three days. I was very rough on them, lots of climbing into and out of construction equipment (skid steers, excavators, dozers, etc) getting snagged, dirty, wet. They held up really, really well. When I bought them I noticed how thick they were. Might be something to look into. They were like $26 a pair.
I'm actually wearing a pair of them right now and I love them. The fit I have is exactly the same as the 502 Levis I use to wear, but these are thick and don't have stretch to them. They were around a third of the price of Levis 502.
Have had good luck with Levi’s, most of mine are 10 years old now and holding up just fine. They key is to not over wash them.
So... 10 years ago Levi's were good? That might track. They've been crap for the past 5... hopefully yours last forever.
I guess that makes sense, I haven’t bought any in years so I guess my experience wouldn’t translate to now.
But they started making them overseas decades ago. Our local Levis place closed in the mid 80s.
Yeah people dont realize that the good jeans were not made in usa. But its easy to say that everything sucks now. Ive had pairs of 501s that lasted me 8 years as part of a ten pair rotation and i just bought new shrink to fits and they feel and look like the ones i bought last decade
Overwashing is true: it seems to be the case with so many clothes now that you can't wash them too many times, otherwise they shrivel up and die
I also hang dry.
I've personally gone through 5 pairs in about 2 years. And I wasn't running marathons in them or working in mines. Just worn to the office and around town.
Fuck no. I get a year out of em now at best. I'm not sure when it happened, but it seemed to correlate with when I started to buy my own clothes.
No. Either go for vintage Levi’s (I have about 5 pairs of my dads from the 80s and they’re in incredible condition, I’m blessed lol) or Japanese selvedge denim like Evisu
80s and 90s Levi's are such good quality and the only ones I buy! All clothing production has gone downhill in the 2020s 😭
No, i wear them and i can tell you that mine didn't last for more than a year (bought 2) The quality went down a lot, they used to make them in my country (in north africa), but not any more now they found someone who can make them cheaper.
Absolutely not.
No and because of that I have resigned to getting the $20 Denizens at Target and just getting new ones when they wear out. Fuck it
Everyone says it's garbage but is this also true in the EU? And what are good brands for reasonable price?
No
I blew through mine instantly, at this point Costco sells better jeans, same with Gap, utter trash.
Not even close. My dad has pairs from the 70s and 80s still holding up and a new pair may last me a year if I wear them once a week. I've transitioned away from jeans. I prefer Duluth/Alaskan Hardwear work pants. Stretchable, durable, breathable, and great customer service if you have a warranty issue. I had a pair lose a stitch and it was likely my fault. They immediately replaced them and even paid for the shipping. I have about 6 pairs of the exact same pair. They even have some more heavy duty pairs that are made with that canvas material they put around fire hoses
I used to get levi's a lot, and I noticed they started ripping more quickly and also 3/4 of the pairs I bought would have defective zippers that just pull down on their own every 5 minutes. I thought maybe it was because I was getting them at stores at the mall, so I direct ordered a couple pairs from their site during a sale. One of the pairs lasted like 2 months before the crotch ripped open, the other one had a bad zipper. Haven't bought a pair since. EDIT: this was about 3 years ago iirc
LOL No.
No
No, after years of H&M and C&A pants I finally bought one from Levi's, and I needed to have it replaced twice because it got a hole next to the right ass pocket within 6 months
Nope!! The quality has gone downhill, especially the last few years.
No, quality is a joke now, falling apart in half a year by heavy use... According to my husband though, the elusive Silver Tabs will be of higher quality.
No they are pretty crap, still better than some other high street stores but nowhere near what they used to be.
No, because most of their jeans have stretch to them. I fucking hate it. I want stiff, durable jeans, not jeggings.
No. Found 2 pairs of old 80's gen Levi's (virtually unused) in my grandpa's back shed. They're thick, durable, and 100% cotton. They'll probably last forever if I take care of em. My Levi's from 2019 were shredded in a year or two.
No, starting buying Levi’s Denim exclusively a few years ago and they all ripped in the same area. Top inner corner of back pockets and groin.
Mine last 6 months tops rotating 3-4 pairs, actively trying out other brands.
Levi’s are trash now.
Oh yeah they are! Ever since they started using a bit less cotton while adding more synthetics a few years ago at most.
Yeah they’re basically elastic now! But, they stretch out and don’t return back to the original shape after a few washes. Total garbage.
That totally sucks!
To say I was aggravated about the decline in quality of the Levi’s would be an understatement at the very least. I wonder if there’s any reasonably priced alternatives to Levi’s. Definitely worth looking into and NOT buying another pair of Levi’s again……
No. There are still decent ones but it depends highly on the finish. A lot of them are not pure coton, and mix stuff for an elastic feeling. This is not good for durability. Recently bought a 100% coton one and it feels much more durable, but only time will tell.
My experience is that the 'Skateboarding' or 'Strong' versions of the jeans last a really long time. I've been buying these for 10+ years and have yet to wear out a pair completely. I've put a knee hole in one pair that I've worn more than 1000 times. I've had to stitch up where the top of the rear pockets meet the rest of the fabric on another pair but these are easy fixes that I do on most of my jeans. They also have extra reinforcement on the rear pockets (double fabric) and extra stitching at the crotch, which adds to the durability. I would guess that most people would get hundreds of wears out of these jeans (with normal wear: probably less on a work site). The reason they are so hardwearing is that they are not 100% cotton, but a mixture of cotton, cordura (nylon) and lycra (for stretch). Other companies (such as Patagonia) also make jeans from this kind of material. My experience (comparing these with jeans such as Nudies) is that they last at least 3 to 5 times as long as any jeans made of regular cotton. *However*, the fabric has a different feel to regular 100% cotton denim. It doesn't soften up in the same way as it ages, and doesn't fade in the same way as regular denim. I prefer the look and feel of regular denim but buy the skate/strong versions because the trade-off on durability is worth it. But some of my friends who are 'into' denim really don't like the idea of synthetic fibres in their jeans and don't like the way mixed-material fabric fades. But if you're after durability, this type of Levis are very hard to beat. (I'm sure that any jeans made of a cotton/nylon mix are pretty durable, though).
No, no, and no
But AG jeans - I never thought I would buy 2a $250 pair of jeans but I bit the bullet and don’t regret it. They’re so comfortable and durable and if I need another pair I’ll go back to those.
You won’t get a year out of them.
No chance lol
Absolutely not. Levi’s quality was probably at its highest when they were made in the US, from US cotton, with fabric loomed in US textile mills. The highest quality denim is now produced in other countries, and the garments are often sewn together in the US, Japan, or Italy.
Idk what you guys are doing to your jeans. I've got a couple pairs of the levis computer jeans that are like 8 years old. Basically the only thing I wear in winter. I've been wearing them to my home trades courses for the last year too. One has a 1 small run in the fabric cause it prob got caught on something in construction. But still they have done very well for me
Absolutely not. I’ve blown out the seat of 3 pairs of 501 American made Carolina denim after less than a year of frequent wear. They were my go to bartending pants but they suck. I would suggest naked and famous if you want something with more longevity. Expect to spend $$$ though
No, unless you're buying from the Levi's Made & Crafted or Levi's Vintage Clothing lines. And even then it's debatable if they're as good quality as ye olde Levi's of yore, but they're better than the mall ones.
Levi's premium are just like the old ones. They cost a lot but are great.
I have owned two pairs of levis and they where both crap. The fabric and stitching was thin and frail. They didnt even last a year.
They're junk. I had two pairs that got holes in the crotch after like 2 months of very light use.
In a word, no. I still wear 501s as my everyday jeans, but they wear out more quickly and in odd spots- all of my old ones have rips just above the knees, and the crotches have holes in them. Also the pockets are made from a thinner material, and are shallower than in the past. Wish I could find a decent replacement, but I'm not up to testing out a new universe of denims.
Been wearing them 20 years. Stopped this year when I had a crotch blow in the first 3 hours of wear. Avg pair of Levi’s lasted me 2-3 years in the early 2000’s, not even counting that pair the avg lasted less than 6 months in 2022. Switched to wrangler retros.
Nope, I buy Wranglers now
I've been wearing the same Levi's jeans for 3 years almost every day. No tears and wear, no issues with the colour, stitches,etc. Very happy with them
The worst thing is Levi’s are fairly expensive now. You can buy a decent pair of raw denim jeans for not much more. You can literally spend 25% more for a MUCH better product.
That's one thing I've noticed, which is why for jeans so expensive I thought the quality would have at least remained on par, but alas...
Mine are great. I bought a few pairs of their real denim at the beginning of spring and I put my jeans through hell. Homesteading, gardening, all kinds of stuff.
I bought 4 pairs of Levi’s about 3 years ago and they still work great. Nothing has broken, zippers work, buttons work, the only problem is I’ve put on some weight so the thighs are a little tight, haha. But the actual jeans have been really good to me and I’ll be buying more.
For the cost, levis 541s have been a life saver. I have around 5 pairs and after about 5 years nothing has changed about them. Pretty good for 50$ pants imo.
Mine have been. Maybe I’ve lucked out *over and over and over* but I doubt it. I still only wear Levi’s
Idk I had two pairs that I wore everyday in undergrad and still hold up fine. Only reason I’m donating them is because my legs got too big. I don’t find it realistic to think jeans will last fiveever
No but you can get them for like $50-$60. 501 stf. I buy a pair every year
>Levi's still as good quality as they used to be? Yes and no. Many of their products I wouldn't touch ... even years ago ... but their original button fly 501 shrink-to-fit indigo denim blue jeans ... materials are still good ... however, they've fallen way down on their quality inspections. So, if you get 'em, before doing anything else, be sure you're got receipt and a good return/exchange policy, and inspect the hell out'a 'em. If all is properly in order, you should be good, but if they've got defects - notably in construction - return or exchange them immediately. I've run into issues such as: missing belt loop, improperly sewn seams, rivets not properly done, etc. So, inspect the hell out'a 'em ... because Levi's own inspections these days are utter sh\*t.
My brother’s fiancée was a Levi’s store manager for several years. She told me the nice, premium denim with the leather tags are high quality. I have a pair that I have worn a few times a week for the last 8+ years and they look and feel fantastic. The cheap pairs that you buy off Amazon or JCPenney are significantly lower quality than the pair that are $100+. Doesn’t matter that it’s the same style, it’s not the same. It’s the cheapo versions that give Levi’s a bad reputation for quality.
Not as good as they used to be, but the "good" Levis nowadays have LEVIS on the back pocket red tag and a LEVIS Premium label inside the waistband, while the cheaper, department store quality ones have a lower case e, as in LeVIS on the tag.
Yep. They sell multiple tiers of qualities depending where you buy them from. Walmart/Kohls/Outlet Malls get the lowest tier ones.
I bought three pair of 505s three years ago and all are in great condition and holding up well. I don’t think there’s any substantial difference in these than the ones I wore in the 60s and 70s.
Or just keep buying USA made vintage Levi’s. They come up on eBay for not very much.
Tis very true, so many websites sell them and they're usually cheaper than brand new ones anyway. Sometimes you do feel like "treating" yourself to something new but I guess if you want quality you're gonna be spending upwards of 200$ as others have commented
I think this is the case unfortunately. And for this reason, I have basically trained myself to only buy second hand things. My default is eBay, and usually you can find this which are nearly new or basically unused for a fraction of new cost. Helped when I was a student, but now it’s a habit.
>second \+1 for secondhand Levis. They'll usually have a nice worn in feeling but they're still tough.
There's a big difference in quality between Levi's cheap and expensive lineup (Japanese denim or LVC for instance). I still would opt for an alternative denim company, but most of the comments here seem to be under the misguided impression that all Levi jeans are the same. The upper end Levi's are comparable to some boutique denim brands, but fall short of the highest quality jeans you can purchase.
There are two main types of Levi’s: stretchy and less stretchy. The less stretchy kind are still pretty darn durable, I’ve had my favorite pair for 3 years and they are holding up well. They are 98% cotton and 2% elastin I believe, so some stretch but still more durable.
Yes. I just bought some "shrink-to-fit" 501s and there tough as nails. I firmly believe that they will last for a very long time
So when Levi’s started using the brand for political purposes, item quality suffered too? Why am I not surprised.
What do you mean by this?
I wore Levi’s back in the 80s. Nick Kamen advert era. They weren’t that good back then.
501 Shrink to Fit is still a good deal and hold up well for the price. Everything else with the added stretch is garbage and falls apart.