Med Blue Slim Fit Jeans

[benchmade]

Well, I struck out this weekend on my hunt for a pair of slim fit, medium blue jeans. I love the fit of my dark 514s, but sometimes I like a more medium blue. The blue that is available on 501's and 505's is what I had in mine. Regrettable neither of those cuts fits me correctly. The lighter 514's are too light. I had a pair, but they wore out quickly, like they were distressed and beat up from the factory. Does any one know if such a beasts exists from any jeans manufacturer? I tried the department stores, BR and Old Navy (last ditch effort).


As a side note- Why does Levis have to distress their jeans so much? I would prefer new jeans look new.

[Bulldoggery]

Levi's makes 501s, 505s, and 514s (among others) in literally dozens of different colors and washes. Those washes range from raw/"rigid" (i.e., totally unwashed/non-distressed) to various levels of tearing and fraying.


And among just their blue and indigo color options, there's a whole palette available in each of those styles, ranging from lighter-than-sky-blue to deep, unwashed indigo.


If you need specific guidance to some online retailers that carry more than a few colors in each of those styles, I'd be glad to point you in the right direction. Levi.com is a good place to start.

[benchmade]

I checked Levis.com in between stores the other day. I saw they had several dark ones, and then jump to the very light. And then have some other off colors. I didn't see anything that was in the middle. I guess Indigo is what I am after, but I didn't see where the 514's were available in that color.

[Bulldoggery]

I'm not sure my definition of "medium blue" is the same as yours. By traditional standards, jeans described as "indigo" generally refer to raw, unwashed jeans dyed with indigo. At least when they're new, these are the darkest jeans out there (outside of black jeans, indigo jeans with unusually dark wefts, overdyed jeans, etc.).


Among pre-washed Levi's 514s, "Raw Headbanger" ( http://us.levi.com/product/index.jsp...146854.3691994 ) and "Tumbled Rigid" ( http://us.levi.com/product/index.jsp...146854.3691994 ) are representative examples of jeans with something close to a traditional indigo color. For a truly traditional indigo, check out anything labeled "Raw" in the Made in the U.S.A. collection ( http://us.levi.com/family/index.jsp?...inusa:11326985 ). Those are indigo jeans.


If you can find some online examples of the sort of "medium blue" (but non-distressed) jeans you're looking for from other brands/stores, I might be able to get a better sense of what you have in mind.

[benchmade]

Yes, pardon me, you are correct about what color indigo is.


What I think of as 'medium blue', Levi's calls "Dark Stonewash," and offers on their 501's. Unfortunately, 501's don't fit me comfortably. http://us.levi.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2116236&&cp=3146842.3146854.31 94290


Do you know of anyone that makes a jean similar in cut to the 514 in a similar color that that?

[benchmade]

BTW-I'm going to give the "Raw Headbanger" a shot, as well. Thanks for the link.

[Bulldoggery]

Ah, that does clear things up somewhat. I suspect you'll hear from others here regarding that color in general, but I can give you some basic ideas using that "Dark Stonewash" as a point of reference.


This may sound ridiculous, but it's worth mentioning: Levi's Dark Stonewash jeans actually did start out as a dark, uniform indigo, very much like the raw indigo jeans featured in their Made in the U.S.A. collection and elsewhere in their lineup. Then Levi's used one of their many proprietary processes to wash and beat a lot of that indigo out of them.


The indigo dye used for jeans that will be sold as "stonewashed" is specifically formulated to wash out quickly under the right conditions -- a type of dye known as "fugitive" dye -- but they did start out dark before washing.


I say all that by way of telling you that if you got a pair of raw indigo 514s and simply washed them in hot water repeatedly (but not in a washing machine, for reasons explained in this link [which applies to all jeans with any retained indigo, not just raw ones]: http://www.rawrdenim.com/2011/03/how...uctions-video/ ), you could approximate something close to the uniform shade of blue you're looking for. Admittedly, that is a lot of work for something that we all got used to buying ready-to-wear in the 90s, but that may be the price you pay for the right fit in a jeans color that's fallen somewhat out of fashion in recent years.


If you don't want to put in that kind of effort up front (and I wouldn't blame you if you didn't), you have a couple of other options at the moment. I know Levi's released a "limited edition" line of stonewashed 514s at some point, maybe two or three years ago. Try searching for "stonewashed 514" on eBay or similar sites and you might turn up something of interest.


Alternatively -- and this is probably your best bet -- you could look around online (or in person) at "Western wear" stores. I know, I know, but bear with me. In recent years, stonewashed jeans have become largely the province of dads, ironic hipsters...and cowboys (both genuine ranch-hand types and otherwise). Perhaps more to the point, those guys were wearing jeans before anybody else was; the "Western wear" population is probably the most authentic bunch of jeans-wearers around.


Shepler's is a good online source for Levi's and other brands. Here's a link to the "prewashed 514s" they've got listed right now:


http://www.sheplers.com/Levis-Jeans-514-Slim-Straight-Prewashed/584.pro?&relationType=searchResults


It may be worth e-mailing or calling them, though, to tell them what you're really looking for -- their website is often not representative of everything they've got.


Beyond that, Lee makes several stonewashed styles comparable to the 514, which may warrant a visit to a couple of department stores to compare fits. I know Ralph Lauren Denim makes several stonewashed jeans, but their prices are shockingly high. Polo Ralph Lauren also markets some stonewashed stuff at a somewhat more reasonable price point.

[MichaelD]

Check out Marshall's, I was there last night and they had several pairs similar to what you're looking for. Some by Lee and Calvin Klein, others by something called paper denim company? Not sure how they fit, as I just grabbed a couple pairs of 505's.