Where to buy jeans
January 31, 2025 8:46 AM Subscribe
Where do long-legged folks buy slim-ish fit selvedge jeans?
Due to getting so swole in the gym, suddenly most of my jeans don't fit very well and I need at least one or two new pairs. I favor a slim cut, and I also prefer that raw selvedge feeling where the first month I'm wearing them they feel like shit and then all of a sudden you round a corner and it's the most comfortable thing ever. Stretch is an absolute deal-breaker; even a tiny bit of spandex in it and I'm not interested.
The best pair of jeans I've ever owned was a pair of super high end Levi's (I think 511s?) that were originally some insane price, like north of $200, that I found heavily discounted at the local outlet mall maybe 15 years ago. A quick jaunt through Levi's online store this morning reveals that the only slim "selvedge" 511s they currently sell have stretch in them.
Recently I've been buying jeans from Gustin, which has been decently competitive on price/materials/cut but I guess what I'm asking is, is there anywhere else I should be looking? Are you a long-legged freak like me who likes slim fit selvedge jeans with absolutely NO stretch and knows of a great place to buy them? Do tell!!
Due to getting so swole in the gym, suddenly most of my jeans don't fit very well and I need at least one or two new pairs. I favor a slim cut, and I also prefer that raw selvedge feeling where the first month I'm wearing them they feel like shit and then all of a sudden you round a corner and it's the most comfortable thing ever. Stretch is an absolute deal-breaker; even a tiny bit of spandex in it and I'm not interested.
The best pair of jeans I've ever owned was a pair of super high end Levi's (I think 511s?) that were originally some insane price, like north of $200, that I found heavily discounted at the local outlet mall maybe 15 years ago. A quick jaunt through Levi's online store this morning reveals that the only slim "selvedge" 511s they currently sell have stretch in them.
Recently I've been buying jeans from Gustin, which has been decently competitive on price/materials/cut but I guess what I'm asking is, is there anywhere else I should be looking? Are you a long-legged freak like me who likes slim fit selvedge jeans with absolutely NO stretch and knows of a great place to buy them? Do tell!!
“Slim” may be hurting you here. “Slim” isn’t “skinny” but it overlaps enough with it that you’re unlikely to find anything “slim” that doesn’t have Lycra or polyurethane. You should be able to find more classic raw selvedge denim if you search for “straight” fit instead. FWIW the Levi’s web site’s search function is terrible and its filters seem to be “or” and not “and,” so your best bet there seems to be to search by “selvedge” (13 results) and then just scan the results for dark washes in the right fit. They have a whole series of 501s matching the features of different release years, and they all seem to come in untreated washes, plus there are a few others I saw that might not be too loose.
posted by fedward at 10:01 AM on January 31
posted by fedward at 10:01 AM on January 31
Levi’s sells slim selvedge 501’s without stretch, if you don’t mind the button fly.
(I also find that at near the end of a season, like it is now, the availability and selection of higher-end Levi’s tends to become thin. You might have more choice at the beginning of the next season, around March-ish).
posted by 1970s Antihero at 10:02 AM on January 31
(I also find that at near the end of a season, like it is now, the availability and selection of higher-end Levi’s tends to become thin. You might have more choice at the beginning of the next season, around March-ish).
posted by 1970s Antihero at 10:02 AM on January 31
Nudie has nice skinny/slim selvage jeans. The styles have funny/unhelpful names and there are some fabrics with stretch, but the selvage/dry denim is top stuff (and priced to match).
posted by niicholas at 10:51 AM on January 31
posted by niicholas at 10:51 AM on January 31
I'd recommend checking out Naked & Famous. Entry level selvedge in a good variety of fits and fabrics. It sounds like you're probably looking for the "Weird Guy" — pretty much their version of the 511. The "Left hand twill" is a good middle-of-the-road fabric. You can shop a lot more variety at www.tateandyoko.com.
posted by TurnKey at 12:56 PM on January 31
posted by TurnKey at 12:56 PM on January 31
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In any case, true denim heads will sneer at this, but if you just want a bunch of annotated links to click, Wirecutter has a list (ctrl-f "selvedge").
posted by caek at 9:04 AM on January 31