• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

LVC 501s

Swing

New Member
Looking at getting a pair of vintage line 501s at Cultizm.com. Looks like the 1937s and 1955s come in sizes big enough for me. Any sizing advice that can be given? Should I go up from what I wear in modern 505s? I'd prefer that the pants fit a bit high waisted, is one model going to suit me better than the other? How much do the legs usually shrink? Three inches? I'd like to have enough length for a nice wide cuff.

Thanks,

~Swing
 

airfrogusmc

Well-Known Member
If your getting them raw there will be a couple inches (at least one) in the waist and up to 4 on the length depending on how long they are to start with. Also it takes about 10 wet to dry to get full shrinkage. Wash as little as possible.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
My 55s shrunk about 1 inch in the waist and 3 in the inseam in the initial first cold wash. They were originally 36 in the inseam.
 

Swing

New Member
Miles_Archer said:
37s all the way tho the 33s are even better if they have them in your size. Get the longest inseam available.

I'm leaning towards the 37s because of the cinch back (and they're a little cheaper!), but the 47s or 55s are kinda the classic we have in our minds from old movies and TV, right. Any fit advice? I wear a 40 waist in modern Levis and Carharts. Buy a 42 and shrink it down?

Did some reading last night.... what's up with the not washing the jeans for months? Is there a certain wear/look that this is going for? I'm sure my father didn't treat his jeans like this back in the 50s. His mother probably washed them every week or two. I'm just looking for dark, heavy, old tyme jeans. I expect them to fade and wear, but I'm not looking for any specific wear pattern.

If I soak them in hot or cold water with some vinegar when I get them, and then wash them inside out on cold delicate with Woolite or something gentle as needed (a couple times a month), and then hang to dry, what can I expect out of the jeans? I'd like them to stay as dark as possible as long as possible, but not washing them isn't an option. Wearing my current jeans for a week straight gets them dirty and stinky enough.

Thanks,

~Swing
 

airfrogusmc

Well-Known Member
I've gone 6 months before the first soak on some and on some others I've owned my wife washed almost right away :roll: :roll: by so called accident. The less you wash them the more whiskers and honeycombs you will get. In my experience the best I've gotten were my 47s and they went 6 months before the first cold soak :geek: . Also the shirk to fit thing does work better the less you wash them because you get some stretch back where they're a bit tight and the really shrink where there is no resistance. It really takes about 10 wet to dry cycles to get full shrinkage. I'd say about 90 % of the shirk is out of the way by the 4th wet to dry but there still will be a little more until about 9 or 10 cycles so do not alter until then if you are so inclined to do so. Also if you get a pair of cinch backs clip the bar that goes across the cinch.
37501buckle.jpg


Levis has to put the bar on now for safety reason but originals had the points. Your buckle will work better and is less likely to break if you clip the bar making sure the two points are sharp enough to easily puncture the fabric.

Here some shots of my 47s. They went 6 months without a rinse. When I took the photo I think they had about 4 wet to dry cycles.
IMG_3249.jpg

IMG_3250.jpg


Grant has a killer pair of 55s. I think he went long stretches between rinses.
 

airfrogusmc

Well-Known Member
Also I wanted to mention Dejan (Cultizm) is great to deal with. I bought my 1886s, 1937s, 55s, 1905 209 coveralls and have a pair of 1920s 501s on order (will be released in the fall). I order on Monday and have the product in hand by Thursday LATEST from Europe. If you have questions about sizing and fit he can also help guide you.

But remember one soak is not going to get full shrinkage. If they're baggy in the beginning they'll probably be OK after full shrinkage. I've bought were they were just a little big in the beginnig and would cut me in half after full shirnkage. Couldn't fasten them...
 

Swing

New Member
airfrogusmc said:
But remember one soak is not going to get full shrinkage. If they're baggy in the beginning they'll probably be OK after full shrinkage. I've bought were they were just a little big in the beginnig and would cut me in half after full shirnkage. Couldn't fasten them...

Reading through posts at the old forum.... the 37s are full in the seat and thigh, the 47s seem to be slimmer and the 55s (unauthenticly) are big all over? Is that the consensus? So if I get a pair of 55s one size big and shrink 'em down, they should fit and feel pretty close to a normal pair of modern jeans?

Thanks,

~Swing
 

Grant

Well-Known Member
Right, the '47s are cut quite trim in the seat and thigh, the '37s are cut full overall and the '55s are somewhere in between. I've found the waist in all my LVC jeans shrunk slightly after the first wash but eventually stretched back out after repeated wear. I now buy my waist size to fit unwashed. I found the '55s are cut fuller in the leg than most modern jeans and after repeated cold washings really remain full in the leg with the majority of the shrinkage taking place on the inseam (about 3 inches!).
Here's a couple photos of my old '55s (sorry the photos are a little on the dark side).
55501xxfrontII.jpg
55501xxback.jpg
 

airfrogusmc

Well-Known Member
Swing said:
airfrogusmc said:
But remember one soak is not going to get full shrinkage. If they're baggy in the beginning they'll probably be OK after full shrinkage. I've bought were they were just a little big in the beginnig and would cut me in half after full shirnkage. Couldn't fasten them...

Reading through posts at the old forum.... the 37s are full in the seat and thigh, the 47s seem to be slimmer and the 55s (unauthenticly) are big all over? Is that the consensus? So if I get a pair of 55s one size big and shrink 'em down, they should fit and feel pretty close to a normal pair of modern jeans?

Thanks,

~Swing
No the 55s are almost dead on in denim weight and cut to origianls. 47s are to trim, have to low a rise and the back pockets are to small compared to originals from the period. The 37s are cut fuller than the 55s as are the 33s.
 

Happy Hooligan

Well-Known Member
Funny as a I just bought a pair of 37's and 55's last month from Cultizm.
I wear a 35-36 x 34 but like to roll my cuffs.

The 55's were tagged 36x36 but were special as they had 3 inches longer in the leg.
They are about twice the thickness in weight as the 37's.
The 37's were 38x38 and I was hoping they'd be smaller... they were not.

Here's how they measured...

1955’S tagged 36x36
Waist: 37
At crotch: 23 1/2
Leg opening: 9 1/4
Inseam: 39 3/4
Rise: 15
Total length: 52

1937’s tagged 38x38
Waist: 38
At crotch: 24 1/2
Leg opening:10
Inseam: 37 1/4
Rise:16 ½
Total length: 51

ONE HOT SOAK 4 HOURS

1955’S tagged 36x36
Waist: 34 1/2
At crotch: 24 ½
Leg opening: 9
Inseam: 37 1/2
Rise: 15 1/2
Total length: 50

1937’s tagged 38x38
Waist: 37
At crotch: 24
Leg opening: 9 3/4
Inseam: 35
Rise: 16
Total length: 48 1/2

I've since given the 37's one more hot wash and dry and they did shrink a little more but not enough yet.

Then 55's fit pretty good but you have to watch out as you'll have a huge butt if you don't smoth the "full cut" down on the backside and thighs.
 

Swing

New Member
Happy Hooligan said:
Funny as a I just bought a pair of 37's and 55's last month from Cultizm.
I wear a 35-36 x 34 but like to roll my cuffs.

The 55's were tagged 36x36 but were special as they had 3 inches longer in the leg.

Here's how they measured...

1955’S tagged 36x36
Waist: 37
At crotch: 23 1/2
Leg opening: 9 1/4
Inseam: 39 3/4
Rise: 15
Total length: 52

ONE HOT SOAK 4 HOURS

1955’S tagged 36x36
Waist: 34 1/2
At crotch: 24 ½
Leg opening: 9
Inseam: 37 1/2
Rise: 15 1/2
Total length: 50

My LVC 1955 501s came today. Very cool. I ordered a 42x36 so I'd have plenty of room for shrinkage at the waist, and so I can roll my cuffs.

Wearing before washing isn't an option. I need at least 2 to 3 inches of shrinkage at the waist to wear them comfortably. I plan on going to the laundry mat and running them through the wash on delicate, inside out, with no degerent, then hanging them up to dry. What temp should I use? I was planning on cold, but I'm begining to think warm or hot is the way to go.

I want these jeans to stay as dark as possible as long as possibe, but I will need to get rid of a little bit of the indigo so they aren't bleeding on stuff. And remember, I'm not going for any specific wear patterns or style.

Thanks for all the help and advice.

~Swing
 
For quick initial max shrinkage soak/wash hot. After that, cold soaks/washings inside out and hang-drying are best for indigo and texture retention.
 

Swing

New Member
Miles_Archer said:
For quick initial max shrinkage soak/wash hot. After that, cold soaks/washings inside out and hang-drying are best for indigo and texture retention.

Washed them on warm last night with some Woolite meant for dark colors, and they shrunk down nicely. Amazing how much they changed. Another 1/2" to 1" more at the waist and they should be good to go.

Thanks,

~Swing
 

anj4de

New Member
Hello

I have a pair of 1937s...in 42/36. I normally wear a size 40/32. Now the 37s shrunk quite a bit in length but in the waist they stretch back to almost 42 after every time I wash them. They have been washed 5 or 6 times now but do not shrink any further in the waist. Next time I think I will stay with a size 40. I think my next pair is going to be a 1933 one, I like the open rivets and the suspender buttons...

cheers
Uwe
 

Grant

Well-Known Member
In unsanforized selvage denim the twist occurs naturally as the fibers contract when they are washed and eventually dry. You see the leg twist in vintage denim as well as narrow loom selvage denim. Hope that helps!

Grant
 

HHjackets

New Member
the worst case ive seen was a woman walking up the stairs wearing a pair of tight 501 jeans and she kept bending over
(not that im complaining ! :twisted:) and untwisting the leg every few steps!
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
I've seen selvage denim described as left twist or right twist. Does this relate to the rotation of the leg after washing?
 
Top