Levi’s 501s have a long and storied history. This old-school fit has these jeans sitting at your waist, roomy in the thigh, and with a straight leg. Levi’s 501 Original Leg opening refers to the circumference of the bottom of the pant leg. This measurement helps you determine how wide they will appear at the bottom. For example, a pair of women's skinny jeans typically have a leg opening of 10" to 12", while a pair of flared jeans measures 21" to 27". Fit They feel much roomier through the hips and thigh (hence “athletic”), and are pretty similar to 513 but with more room in the hips and seat. They are actually really comfy; comfier than 513. Levi’s 531 Athletic Slim Jeans Similar to 513, the waist is a little looser; and I could probably size down to 28 in this cut, though if I were going for a looser fit, I’d consider these.

Next, we have Levi’s 531s. These are designed to sit below your waist and be slim from hip to ankle. This metric refers to how the jeans sit around your waist and/or hips. Unlike the metrics above, this one can be categorize in one of just two ways (though there is slight variation from style to style): low and regular – though Levi’s does not specifically use these terms. Instead, they opt for more complicated descriptors. For instance, low is equivalent to “hangs on the hips,” whereas regular is “worn below the waist,”“sits low on the waist,” or has no qualifying description at all. This will also determine room in the crotch area, as low rise jeans tend to have less room than regular, as they can’t be hiked up as high – though some have compensated for this with a larger seat area. This metric is certainly the most difficult to define. Leg Opening These items are in Grade A USED condition, but they may have minor wear and tear, such as small marks, slight fraying to hems and seams, and slight fading.The leg looks better cuffed in my opinion, but are still too loose for my skinny legs. Levi’s 505 Regular

Compared to the 501s, I actually slightly prefer the 505s as they feel just a tab bit more tapered through the leg, despite Levi’s description of 505s being roomier than 501s. My Recommendations Let’s see how each pair looks, starting with the slimmest fit and working our way up: Levi’s 510 Skinny

While not ideal for me, these jeans would be my top recommendation for bigger guys looking for fitted but comfy Levi’s. Levi’s 501 Original

I don’t hate the look, though, especially if they were hemmed up an inch or two and they are much more comfy than the 510s. Ryan has also spent more time in a suit and tie than most guys, so he's well qualified to write about classic menswear, business casual and formalwear. If you want to be on trend, of course, the 501 originals are a good choice right now, in 2023. But don’t sleep on the 505s, which actually fit a little better as far as I can tell. Common Questions About Levi’s Jeans It’s kind of funny how 505s are considered “old man jeans” while teens love 501s because they’re basically the same. This is basically the type of jeans I wore in high school and college.However, it wasn’t until the end of high school that Ryan began to care about how he looked. Gradually, over the next few years, he started to dress better and learn about style. “Finding clothes that fit helped me to become more confident. I find that when I try to dress well, I feel better.” Fit is the most important to look at because—as the name suggests— it gives you a feel for the overall fit of the jeans. Levi's typically uses three different fits: slim, regular, and relaxed.