Denim lover or not, Levi’s jeans are the end all, be all of classic denim across the world, and no one can argue otherwise. Whether you're thrifting an old pair or are purchasing your third version of 501s, you are guaranteed to be buying into a denim brand that will always be relevant. Levi Strauss Co. was founded in 1853, and the first pair of Levi's 501s were born 20 years later. Fast-forward 150 years, and the 501 style is still wildly popular today, which is why I, along with a spectacular grouping of editors, influencers, celebrities, and more, flew out to San Francisco to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the denim style we all know and love.
San Francisco is Levi’s birth city, so it was only fitting to honor the anniversary of the 501 jeans in its home. This celebration included an immersive activation where you could experience the history of the jeans, shop and customize your own pair, and so much more. I even got to spend time with Jill Guenza, VP of women’s design at Levi’s, who gave me a very educational styling session and chatted with me about everything from her favorite way to style classic 501s and advice on what to look for when shopping for a new pair of Levi’s.
In terms of getting your hands on your own pair, it feels like Levi’s products are sold everywhere, but my personal favorite place to shop for the brand is at Free People. Free People currently has the best selection of Levi’s 501 styles as well as all the counterparts necessary to put together a chic outfit. From the ’90s style you’ll hear Guenza speak about below to the tank tops I love wearing with all my denim, keep scrolling to read my interview with the VP of women’s design and shop the best Levi’s pieces available at Free People now.
What does celebrating 150 years of the Levi’s 501 jeans mean to you?
Levi’s 501 jeans are an important icon in our collective history because they have been interpreted in so many different ways and are at the center of culture and many important points in history. So it is important for us to recognize the course of that history. And it is just a humble pair of jeans, but they’ve played such an important role, and we want it to continue playing an important role. So our vision for how this can evolve is just to keep allowing it to be the blank canvas for self-expression. Some of the ways we do that are just to make sure that it stays relevant for every moment in time that we’re in.
This is such a big weekend for Levi’s. What’s one thing you’ve been looking forward to the most?
I’ve been really looking forward to this whole experience here at the Armory because it’s been sort of under wraps, even internally, for so long that it’s so exciting to walk in and be able to see all—the history, all of the little installations, vignettes where you can do customization, a place where you can try on jeans, and where you have a very personalized experience with someone to fit and someone to help you customize.
There are so many versions of the 501s. Do you have a favorite wash or fit?
I love the ’90s because they give that perfect amount of just a little bit of fit around the waist, the perfect 501 butt, and then a nice and easy feel through the legs. And what I love about that style is you can upsize it and wear it really slouchy and baggy and have tons of attitude or size down and get that perfect fit. You can even wear them with a shorter inseam so that they sit right above the shoe for that sort of nerdy-cool look. They are so versatile and fit so many different body types. It’s definitely my favorite pair.
I’m also really excited about the 81 501s because they remind me of watching 90210. Even though it was the early ’90s, it felt like still a part of the ’80s. And looking back at some classic ’80s films, ’81 was the first year that we introduced the 501s for women. So that was an important point for us to reference, creating a new fit in the 501 family. It just seems so important right now. We’re starting to cycle through trends faster and faster. We’ve been through so much of the ’90s, we've been through a lot of the early 2000s, and now, we’re starting to dip into the ’80s. We see that trend coming forward, so it’s a great opportunity for us to dig into the archives and pull this style back out again.
What’s your favorite way to style a classic pair of 501s?
You really can’t go wrong with a white tank top or a slightly relaxed tee tucked into your 501s. It’s my all-time favorite look. It’s a classic, and it’s been worn by icons throughout our history. I also love them with a loose trucker or button-down top. That’s my favorite way—it is just a very casual high-low look.
What advice would you give a first-time 501 buyer?
You need to take a range of sizes into the dressing room to see what’s going to fit. As we’re going from this very-stretchy-jeans era to a now less stretchy, looser, more structured era, sizing becomes just a number. It is a reference point that you use as a starting point, but it should by no means define how you feel about yourself or how you feel about yourself in your jeans.
So that’s why I always encourage people to take a range of sizes when they go into the dressing room because you never know what’s going to give you the fit that you like. And there’s a range of ways to wear jeans, looser jeans, whereas there’s only really one way to wear skinny jeans.
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