I found myself in need of some new Levi’s 505 jeans. “Stretch” jeans are new to me, and I decided to try out the Sam’s Club offerings, along with some from the department stores. All four of the options shown from Sam’s are stretch jeans.
There are some big differences between the stretch and the 100% cotton.
The stretch fabric is about 15% thinner. The 100% cotton fabric is about .035 inches thick, while the stretch is about .030 inches thick.
The sizing of the stretch jeans is different. They are about an inch larger in waist size. I wear a 34 inch waist in 100% cotton, and get the same fit in the waist, I have to go with a 33 inch waist size in the stretch jeans. A 34 inch waist in the stretch jeans just falls off of me.
The direction of the stretch in the stretch fabric is all horizontal. It’s not a huge amount of stretch, but it’s very different from the solid canvas feel of 100% cotton denim. The fit of 100% cotton jeans was always more tailored and they could be worn without a belt, without fear of them falling down, like slacks. The stretch jeans lose some of that. But with the stretch fabric, you can pick your knee up to waist height without feeling like your leg is in a canvas tourniquet. They are more comfortable, but take a little getting used to.
The amount of stretch is different between the different “fades”, because they use different weaves of fabric. Watch the percentage of elastane (usually 1% or 2%), which gives a hint about how much stretch the fabric has.
Sam’s does not stock the odd number waist sizes in the stores, but I managed to find a pair of the Mint Sin City (dark blue) and Black Wash (black) on the shelf at an area store. I later ordered in a pair of the Light Wash (medium blue) to be shipped to me.
The Black Wash are 2% elastane, and stretch a lot. The Mint Sin City are 1% elastane, but stretch almost as much as the Black Wash. The Light Wash is 1% elastane, but has almost no stretch at all. They have a lot less give. The only hint that they are stretch fabric is the knee lift test.
The “fades” (fabric color and fade pattern of the jeans) sold at Sam’s are not shared with the department stores. These are made specifically for Sam’s. Some of the cost difference appears to be in the choice of fabric weave and the fading pattern applied to the jeans.
The denim fabric in the 505 jeans that Sam’s carries has a little less noticeable weft (white vertical threads, grain, referred to as water fall). Vintage denim had lots of the vertical white grain, but modern weaving machinery did away with that by the 80’s and 90’s, when denim had just a speckled pattern and stonewash was popular. In the past couple decades, the vertical white grain has become more popular. The Mint Sin City has some water fall appearance. But the Light Wash looks a lot more like 80’s and 90’s denim. There is some vertical grain, but it almost looks like the vertical thread is light blue, instead of white. It’s very subdued and almost milky in color.
The fade pattern itself, which is applied to the jeans by abrasion (sanding) or chemical, is a lot more subtle on the Sam’s fades. The photo on the Sam’s website shows a lot of whiskers, and white sanded peaks of wrinkles, on the Light Wash jeans, which is not on the jeans being sold. The Light Wash has a very light whisker pattern below the pockets, but none on the front of the legs. The fade on the knees and fronts of the thighs have no whiskering or sanded peaks of wrinkles. Just a large lightened oval area.
Some things about the change in cut over the years:
The 505s from the 80’s and 90’s are noticeably less roomy between the knee and waist, than the current 505s. 505 used to be “original fit with a zipper fly”, but that has changed to “Extra Room In The Thigh”. They are not as tight across the hips, and you can put your hands into the front pockets without feeling like your circulation has been cut off at the wrists.
I’m happy with my Levi’s 505 stretch jeans from Sam’s. The quality appears the same. They aren’t the fancy looking weave or fade. But the price difference is very noticeable.
Customer reviews for Levi's Men's 505 Regular Fit Jeans for
