Holy Grail Denim
Here’s what I know.
I have an inspiration board in my closet and there are two images that I’ve been on there for over a decade moving with me from home to home. And they are the simplest things. They’re women wearing unremarkable tops and jeans that are… perfect. The images never date. These jeans are not skinny. They’re not wide leg. They’re not overly long. But they are certainly not short. They make a perfect, not forced cuff.
Here’s a denim memory I have. Back when I went to Penn there was a section of the West Philadelphia Urban Outfitters that had used Levi’s jeans. Aerin Lauder, who lived in my apartment building at the time (the super had the 3rd apartment) took me there to pick out a perfect pair. Which, she of course found in an instant. And which I promptly ruined by getting the dry cleaner to taper them slightly. I think subconsciously I’ve been searching for those perfect Levis ever since.
I am not one of these Levi’s collectors looking for a certain tab or serial number of whatever. I don’t personally even care what style the pair I end up is. I just want “that jean.” I actually don’t so much care if they’re Levi’s. Or even reworked Levi’s (I’ve tried my fair share of Re/Dones). I would have gone for these Givenchy ones I saw a bit back if I could stomach the price. Actually the appearance of some “special” Levis on the runway at Valentino kinda re-sparked me to go back to the Levis hunt.
And I finally made some progress. Ok the first find was not Levis. It was actually Raey, the house brand of British store Matches Fashion. (Oh, Matches, you do everything right except forcing people to shop by WOMEN or MEN.) I went there to get the Dad ripped boyfriend jeans, which had been restocked, and were what I thought I wanted. But for some reason I also added a pair of the Track high-rise straight-leg jeans — and that’s what I ended up keeping. These are pretty much like a perfect Levis of my imagination. For some reason, though darker is always more flattering to me, the Levis in my mind are a light wash (I’d rather it have some minimal tearing, actually). This jean in the sizing said fits small to size. So I took a 30. (I am generally a 29/6 sometimes a 30/8). It’s perfect. Straight, cuffable, high rise, slightly vintage looking or at least unidentifiable in era. And completely devoid of branding. (The Dad jean, in case you’re wondering, runs large, I could take a 26! or 28 to be extra “dad”, probably needs a heel as a contrast, and sits low on hips.)
And thennnnnnn, I found the new (I think?) Levis secondhand shop, for which they created a whole separate site. Not only did I find multiple holy grail denim options, but I got that added feel good of Sarah Pajii-like caring about the environment. So, here’s how to shop it.
- Try a 505: If your goal is a classic straight leg, I found I really liked the 505. Glamour.com says “Levi’s jeans come in several signature cuts, but the 501 and 505 are by far the most iconic. The 501, which dates back to 1873, tends to be better for curvier frames. It has more coverage in the seat and room in the thighs with a smaller waist. The 505, on the other hand, which launched around 1967 and was beloved by Debbie Harry, is great for straight-up-and-down types.” I didn’t find that. I am curvier, smaller waist, and it turned out with trial and error that I prefer this style.
- Size up. The site says jean sizes have changed over the years and to go 2 sizes up. So where I’m usually a 29, I ended up with a 32. Get a longer length than usual too if you prefer to cuff.
- Be patient: It’s hard and weird to shop when every pair is different. You’re going to land on something where the exact color you see won’t be available when you click on your size. You then have to select your size to see that one.
- Plan to return. It’s an emotional item, and you have to kind of know when you know. I bought 7 pairs total to keep one. Returns are easy enough but there’s no label you just slap on. Need to initiate online + print one.
