Thanks to a renewed interest in secondhand denim, most thrifting trips end up feeling like a scavenger hunt for the perfect pair of vintage Levis. Hey, the brand has been around for over a century—it’s safe to say it’s learned a thing or two about making good denim along the way. Whether you prefer your 501’s fresh from the store or would rather get them already lived in (or from Re/Done, which falls somewhere in between), the silhouette remains one of the most enduring jean styles in the public imagination—and certainly in the fashion sphere: Anne-Laure Mais of Adenorah (pictured), Leandra Medine of Man Repeller, and Tara Belle of Miss Tara Belle have all been photographed in the fit, whether the jean in question is new or vintage.

Unsurprisingly, these sightings result in serious inquiries from shoppers. Searchers for “Vintage Levi’s” on Lyst have gone up 48% from 2016 to 2017, and make up between 15-25% of all vintage-related queries on Lyst every month, according to the platform. On the resale site Poshmark, this specific type of denim also perform quite well: “Last month, Poshmark Seller Stylists listed thousands of vintage Levi’s on the platform; in parallel, we’re also seeing high demand for this category—[they] have a 50 percent sell-through rate… that’s one out of every two pairs,” says Kate Franco, the company’s Senior Director of Merchandising.

Given the pervasiveness of vintage Levi’s on the ‘gram, you’d think it would be easier to find that perfect pair—but the process actually requires a bit of research (and a few fit tests along the way). What if you want a looser fit without having it be too bulky, or maybe you want the lived-in look but still have your jeans hug your figure just so? To get to the bottom of finding our match made in denim heaven, we asked some experts for their vintage Levi’s shopping tips. Read on!

PHOTO: Matthew Sperzel

Start With the Classic
Even if you’re not super familiar with the history of Levi Srauss & Co., odds are you know the brand’s 501 jeans. (They even have a dedicated tab on the brand’s website.) This original silhouette, with its signature button fly and legendary durability, is a recurring favorite on the secondhand market—partly because the style hasn’t really changed that much since it was introduced in 1873, so you know what you’re getting. For shoppers just embarking on their vintage denim journey, Hideya Sagawa, the store manager at Brooklyn’s Front General Store, usually starts with the 501: “We talk [with customers] and sometimes suggest to try some vintage pairs, always starting with 501’s,” she explains.

PHOTO: Melodie Jeng

Educate Yourself on the Different Styles
Ah, but the 501 is only the beginning! Shannon Parker of What Goes Around Comes Around explains that while the 501 is perhaps the most classic and universally beloved of the silhouettes, there are plenty of others that are just as desirable: There’s the 505 zipper, which has “a tighter fit through the hips and legs,” and the 646 bell-bottoms, which date back to the 1970s and are “fitted in the hips and thighs with a wide flare at the bottom.” What’s more, it’s important to note what era the style you’re eyeing is from: According to Sagawa, Levi’s 501s from the 1960s differ from those dating back to the 1980s in terms of how they fit, as the brand shifted away from work wear and more towards a fashion piece.

PHOTO: Kirstin Sinclair

Understand What Goes Into Your Denim
Levi’s has earned its reputation as a foremost purveyor of denim partly because of the durability of its jeans. Nowadays, the brand groups its denim into three tiers: good (which is sold at retailers like Macy’s), better (styles stocked at its brick-and-mortar outposts), and best (jeans from its Vintage and Made & Crafted lines). That last category draws from the company’s archive and picks out the most beloved features of its vintage styles, according to Michael Glasmacher, a manager at Levi’s Meatpacking District store in New York—with durability and make being the most important features in the “best” category. “These jeans are constructed to withstand wear and tear,” he says. Understanding the popularity of the brand in the secondhand market, Levi’s also sells styles crafted out of its own vintage denim in its stores; these are called Lot, Stock, and Barrel jeans—and, if you want that authentic vintage feel without necessarily sifting through the infinite racks of denim at the thrift store, they’re a pretty good bet.

PHOTO: Edward Berthelot

Forget “Traditional” Sizing
If you really want to find that perfect fit, you needn’t concern yourself with traditional sizing, according to our experts. “It’s very important to realize that vintage Levis don’t have stretch like most of the modern jeans and that sizing can be misleading,” says Parker. “Know that the original tag size has most likely shrunk a size or two.” (Another thing to keep an eye out, according to Sagawa, is whether the style you’re trying on is a “student cut,” as those tend to be narrower around the hips than the traditional “adult” sizes.) Parker explains that at What Goes Around Comes Around, stylists “measure the exact actual waist size of the jean to fit you properly”—so, make sure to make note of that number when browsing.

PHOTO: Edward Berthelot

Don’t Be Afraid to Talk to Someone
Even if you’re “just browsing,” it might be worth actually talking to a salesperson to find your match. “Our expert stylists are always there to advise on the perfect fit for the client’s body type,” says Parker; they’ll help you figure out how your preferred fit and look translates to the Levi’s archive—in the case of What Goes Around Comes Around, they literally have thousands of pairs on hand, so make sure to ask!

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