The Strategist Guide to Shopping at Levi’s

The Wedgie high-rise jeans have made just about every list of Strategist-approved jeans we have, from ourmaster guide to jeans for womento our list ofthe very best high-waisted jeans. To put it simply: “It’s a cut that’s universally flattering and doesn’t go out of style,” writes Strategist denim correspondent Ambar Pardilla. Sara Zucker, director of social media atKORRES, says they have “a leg that’s slightly slimmer than your standard mom jean.” “They’re popular because they fit you like you want old 501s to fit,” explains Bird clothing founderJennifer Mankins: A “perfect straight leg, but with a bit more of a generous, modern cut.” She describes the rise as “high, but not too high,” and the jeans have a subtle stretch — never more than one percent elastane — which makes them “a bridge between too-rigid and too-stretchy denim” in Pardilla’s eyes. They’re available in multiple inseam lengths (26, 28, and 30 inches) and nearly a dozen washes, so you can choose a pair that fits your height and color preferences.

The Plus-Size Wedgie jeans are a favorite of modelFelicity Hayward, who told us that they are unbeatable when it comes to style and quality. She describes the sizing in one word — “perfect” — and adds that the jeans “can be paired with sneakers for a more casual look, or with some pointed stilettos to elongate those lovely legs.”

Compared to, say, some regular Wedgies, Levi’s shaping jeans have a higher percentage of polyester, LYCRA, and viscose, which gives the jeans more stretch. In particular, the 315 Shaping Bootcut Jeans are another favorite among plus-size women, so much so that we’ve named the pair the “best plus-size boot-cut jeans.” Its fans include modelYasmin Geurts, who calls the style her “everyday go-to for work.” She says they “come in right at my belly button and suck in everything,” adding that the flared legs “actually balance all my curves.” Geurts also loves the jeans’ wider back pockets, telling us they make her butt “look great” because of the way the pockets “fan out to the side a little.”

Thewide leg shaping jeansare a favorite of producerMbiye Kasonga. In fact, they’re the jeans that got her back into denim. And while the polyester and LYCRA make the jeans more stretchy, she notes there’s still a waist gap — “though it’s not prohibitive to wearing them.”

Levi’s Ribcage Ankle jeans— the “Goldilocks of jeans,” as we like to call them — are beloved byNew Yorkdeputy editorAlexis Swerdloffas well as by former Strategist editor MaxineBuilder, who describes the rise as “deliriously high, easily clearing my belly button,” but promises that they don’t “feel uncomfortable when I sit.” Swerdloff agrees, describing them as “stiff without being too constricting” and having “just the right amount of flare.” The jeans have appeared in just about every guide to women’s jeans on our site as our favorite super-high-waisted pair. “The jeans don’t cut into your ribcage, as their name would suggest,” clarifies Pardilla. “Instead, they simply cinch you at the waist.” Like the Wedgies, these are available in nearly a dozen colors and three different inseams, which means they are ideal for tall and short women alike. Content creator Amy Serrano, who is five feet tall, counts them as one of her favorite pairs, saying, “This pair gives me legs for days because of the ultrahigh waist. It hugs what it needs to hug, and the rest of the leg is a nice relaxed straight fit.”

This classic cut counts multiple fashionable people among its fans, includingQueer Eyestar Tan France, musicians Aly and AJ Michalka, and celebrity stylist Karla Welch (who has collaborated with Levi’s oncapsule collections). “I’ve been wearing this style of Levi’s since I was 12 years old, when I stole a pair from my brother, which I still have,” Welch told us, adding that, like many pairs on this list, these relaxed-fit jeans only get better with wear and age.Franceused to wear men’s 501s but prefers these because they have “a little bit of a higher waist — I love a high waist — and tapered fit.” AndAlycalls them “just classic: the fit, the semi-high waist, the color. I probably own six or seven pairs.” It’s worth noting that you won’t findanystretch here. In fact, Welch used to sit in a bathtub with the jeans on to get them to fit as a teen. Like any jeans that get better with time, there’s only one solution: “Wearing them and wearing them and wearing them and wearing them,” she says.

Until she realized she could simply buycropped Levi’s, Strategist senior writer Lauren Ro could never find straight leg jeans that worked with her five-foot-two-frame and curvy hips and thighs. Since adding the 501 Cropped Originals — which have a high-ish rise, a classic straight-leg cut that’s fitted through the hip and thigh, and two inseam options, 26-inch and 28-inch — they’ve become her “throw-them-on-for-whatever-situation jeans.”

A slouchier and low-slung version of the Levi’s 501s, the 501’90sarepetite-friendly, too. “They are the perfect ‘baggy’ length — so not too long they touch the floor but long enough that you get that cool ’90s vibe,” saysAndrea Ventura, petite-model coach and founder of the podcast Standing Tall. Unlike the Ribcages, which sit high above the belly button, these sit about an inch below hers, making them “incredibly comfortable” and possible to becool-teen-approved, too.

Former Strategist senior editorCasey Lewisowns the shorts version of Levi’s 501 women’s jeans, naming them a great alternative to a full-length pair when working from home. “Although I was tempted by the Ribcage and Wedgie fits, I ultimately went with the classic (and less constricting) 501s,” says Lewis, who got hers in a size up so that they’d be “extra comfy.” (She also bought the longer knee-length version so she could further cut them herself.) Strategist contributor Maria Dueñas Jacobs, the founder of kids’ jewelry brandSuper Smalls,has also recommended501 shorts (though she prefers buying them vintage rather than new): “Like jeans, I can never get enough.”

Compared to the Wedgies or Ribcages, these jeans are wider at the leg and loose through the hips and thighs. There’s no stretch in them, but writer Jo Rosenthal, who’s a fan of the style, says the jeans have “that Levi’s worn-in” feel from the beginning. Brand consultantKatie Stone, another fan, agrees: “They feel like home to me,” she says. “I don’t even consider having them on as ‘wearing jeans’; they’re in a different category of their own.” Just note, of the three pairs she owns, she says the darker washes “fit a bit tighter around the butt and hold their shape better” than the lighter ones.

We’ve billed these “low-rise jeans for low-rise skeptics” since they can fit as either low-rise or mid-rise jeans depending on which size and wash you get. (Some washes have a higher percentage of elastane that makes it possible to pull them up whenever you’d rather have a mid-rise fit. That said, if you prefer a more rigid denim, be sure to look at the fabric composition before checking out.) Its fans includecool teens,Mya Gelber, and our junior writerBella Druckman, who says they’re flattering on the behind unlike most low-rise jeans.

“Even as their merits have been contested, I still think skinny jeans are worth having in your closet,” says Pardilla. So, if you’re looking for that one pair, try these. According to writerDiana McCorry, Levi’s 720 High Rise Super Skinny jeans strike a very happy medium: They have enough stretch “to avoid that nasty tummy compression” but enough shape to “create a great silhouette when you stand up.” They’re also good for those who often have problems with waist gaps, as McCorry finds these jeans to be only “a little loose in the waist, but not quite enough to necessitate a belt.”

Given how many times we’ve featured Levi’s in our jeans guides, it’s no surprise that it makesour favorite jean jacket, too. “After just a few wears, it was obvious to me that the ’90s Trucker jacket is everything I want in a jean jacket: It’s a mix of sturdy and slouchy with a mid-weight feel that’s ideal for every season — and it’s under $100,” says Strategist junior writer Brenley Goertzen. That sturdy-yet-slouchy look comes from the jacket’s fabric composition — 79 percent cotton and 21 percent Tencel — a big difference from the more rigid 100 percent cotton pieces that you need to wear and wear and wear to stretch out. “The blended fabric makes it super-wearable and gives it a nice lived-in feel, like a jean jacket you might have thrifted,” Goertzen adds.

It turns out that Levi’s makes a number of non-denim layers, too. We learned about thisvestfromLexi Lunde, a Chicago-based content creator and personal stylist who says it’s the perfect top layer to pair with leggings, a sports bra, and a long-sleeved tee when walking along Lake Michigan in the fall. While she opted for the classic white option, the vest is also available in black and a rather springy lilac.

While it might be a tie between the Wedgies, the Ribcages, and the 501s for women, there’s no doubt that the 501s arethefavorite Levi’s jeans among the guys we’ve interviewed about jeans. They’ve garnered praise from denim experts, writers, podcasters, and Strategist columnistChris Blackalike. “If we’re going to talk about jeans that every man should have in their closet, a pair of good-old Levi’s” is a must, according to denim expert and writerAmy Leverton, who calls 501s the gold standard of men’s denim. Former Strategist writerDavid Notisis also a fan, calling out the jeans’ “strong hardware and 100 percent cotton” material, which he says is non-stretch and therefore tends to hold its shape better as the jeans age. Jeremy Kirkland, the host of men’s style podcastBlamo!, swears by 501s, too, because their high rise makes them easier to dress up. “I’ve always been a fan of higher-rise jeans versus the lower-rise pairs because I wear tailoring and sport coats, so it helps to wear something totally high,” he says.

Levi’s 501s may forever hold a spot in the jeans Hall of Fame, but Strategist senior writer Michael Zhao could never find a pair that fit “bubble butt just as well as my spindly legs.” That is until the brand released theLevi’s 501 loose jeans, which have a higher rise and a loose fit through the thigh and leg. The size 30, specifically, has a 12.5-inch rise that matches how these pants fit back in the 1980s, which “helps the waistband sit more comfortably at my natural waist and creates a more flattering, leg-extending silhouette that pairs well with a boxy tee,” he says.

Whilehunting for the “bluest blue jeans,”Strategist contributor Matthew Schnipper learned Levi’s is reviving some of its retired cuts like this ’90s-inspired pair that won his hunt — specifically in the “Beautiful Disaster” wash that he describes as “the type of earnest, easy blue that makes me think of grunge rock and busted knee.” Sure, they are not original, he says, “But is that not the point of blue jeans: to disappear?”

AsNoah Rinsky, creator ofOld Jewish Men, tells us in our “59 Tasteful People on the Best Jeans They Own” guide, “I have a big tuchus and chicken legs.” As such, he prefers loose-fitting jeans like Levi’s 550s. “They’re loose on the thighs with generous pockets for my large Temu wallet, a smooth zipper for easy access, and a deep-blue denim that hides stains,” he says. “What more can a guy who spills his coffee a lot ask for?”

“Skinny but not skintight” is how Netflix brand and editorial managerAlex Simonsdescribes the fit of these jeans. He promises that they’re “comfortable from the moment you put them on” and that they have the “perfect amount of pocket space.” Simmons adds that he was a “fancy-jeans guy for years,” opting for pricier pairs from brands like Marc by Marc Jacobs until he tried these on and, as he puts it, “never looked back.”

The Levi’s 511 is to slim-fit jeans as the 501 is to straight-leg jeans: a standard-bearer. Menswear writerTim Melideotold us that 511s are a staple in his wardrobe, and stylistBrandon Garrlikes them, too — especially their price, which he says allows him to “be a little bit more daring in them because I don’t have to worry as much about the replacement cost if they get a little roughed up.” And chefJacques Torresappreciates that these “give a little bit, so if I gain a couple of pounds, I don’t have to change my jeans.” He compares bad jeans to bad knives: “If you feel like your jeans are a prison and you don’t feel good in them, then you should change your jeans. There is no reason to wear bad jeans, just like there is no reason to put up with a bad knife,” he advises.