A Guide to Shrinking Levi’s 501 Shrink-to-Fit Jeans

I would not call myself a denim head, but I appreciate a good pair of jeans.

Raw denim jeans are a type of jeans I have experimented with before.

What is raw denim?

The majority of denim jeans that you purchase today have undergone a pre-washing and treatment process known as "sanforization". This is done to soften the fabric, prevent shrinkage and stop indigo from rubbing off. Raw denim jeans (also called "dry" denim jeans) are jeans that haven't been pre-washed and treated.

Raw denim jeans are a great choice because they begin as a blank slate that can be customized to your liking. Raw denim jeans are different from mass-produced jeans, which have faux distressing and fading that is identical for each pair. The distressing and fading of raw denim is determined by the body type you wear and the way you wear it. Raw denim is also tailored to fit your body. Each pair is unique, and has a custom-made look.

Levi's 501 STF jeans are the best way to get raw denim jeans at a reasonable price. This is not a sponsored or affiliated post. It's an American classic. Your grandpa likely owned a pair. They only cost $50 and will last a lifetime.

501 Shrink to Fit jeans are not pre-washed so you will need to undergo a special shrinking and sizing process to get the perfect fit.

Levi's offers some guidelines to help you with this. They were mixed in results.

Here are the results and tips that I learned from my experiment to shrink Levi's jeans 501 STF.

Levi's 501 Jeans Shrink to Fit: How to size them

Understanding the Levi's 501 Shrink to Fit jeans sizing process is key to getting a perfect fit. Your choice of size will be determined by the shrinking method you intend to use. Levi's offers the following options-dependent guidelines.

Wear them in the tub and keep them on to dry. For those who wish to wash and dry their jeans in a machine, we recommend ordering a size up. Increase your waist by 1" for sizes 27"-36", 2" for 38'’-48'’, and 3” for sizes 50". For your inseam you can increase it by 3'" for sizes 27'’-34’', and 4’' for 36’'. They should be bought true to size.

To determine which method of sizing/shrinking produced the best results, i tried all three. Here are the results.

The old-school shrink-to-fit method

The traditional shrink-to fit method calls for you to purchase 501s in your true size at the waist, but two sizes larger in the length. Then, you wear them in the bath and let them dry.

This method requires me to buy 501s in 33x34. I normally wear 33x32 jeans.

I chose a more complex process I saw on other menswear websites that claimed to produce the same results without the need to wear wet jeans or drip indigo around the house. Here's the step-by-step:

Step 1: Soak Jeans

Fill up your bath with hot water. To minimize the loss of indigo during soaking, turn the jeans inside-out. Place the jeans into the tub and make sure the water is hot enough to cover them. Allow the jeans to soak in hot water for 45 to 60 minutes.

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