Levi’s are denim jeans and apparel made by Levi Strauss & Co., the American clothing company founded in San Francisco, California in 1853. The short answer on where to buy them: go to levi.com or a Levi’s store for the full fit range and the Tailor Shop, to Kohl’s, Macy’s, or JCPenney for mainline pairs on promotion, and to eBay or Levi’s SecondHand for older cuts. The catch is that the same name also appears on cheaper sub-lines, so check which tier is in your hands before you pay.
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Some history explains why fit numbers matter so much. The riveted work-pant patent went to Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis, a Reno tailor, in 1873, and the 501 lot number followed in 1890. Miners and the cowboy trade wore the first pairs. Today tradespeople buying workwear and collectors chasing archive reproductions shop one catalog, and the lot number is the language that connects them. The company also owns Dockers and sells the Trucker jean jacket and western shirts, competing with Wrangler and Lee on price and with Japan’s denim mills at the premium end.
Levi’s Fit Numbers Decoded: 501, 505, 511, 514, 550 and More
A fit number is the three-digit lot code that tells you the cut of a mainline pair, and it is the only shorthand that travels between stores. The wash name on the tag decides almost nothing. These are the core men’s fits as Levi’s own fit guide describes them.
| Fit | Leg shape | Room | Good with |
|---|---|---|---|
| 501 Original | Straight, button fly | Sits at the waist | Classic look, raw denim |
| 505 Regular | Straight, zip fly | Extra thigh and knee room | Everyday wear, boots |
| 511 Slim | Slim, consistent to ankle | Close in seat and thigh | Tailored look |
| 512 Slim Taper | Narrower leg opening | Slim through the leg | Sneakers, cropped looks |
| 514 Straight | Straight | Slimmer through the leg than the 505 | Office casual |
| 541 Athletic Taper | Tapered | Built for muscular thighs | Lifters, cyclists |
| 550 Relaxed | Relaxed | Much looser in seat and thigh | Comfort, layering |
| 559 Relaxed Straight | Straight | Roomy seat, slightly lower rise | Bigger builds who want a clean line |
| 569 Loose Straight | Straight | One of the roomiest cuts | Wearing over boots |
Two fits with the same waist size can feel nothing alike, because the rise and seat differ before the leg does. A 32 in the 501 is not a 32 in the 511. Over a standard work boot, a 569 or 505 clears the shaft cleanly; a 511 stacks awkwardly on anything tall. Women’s fits run on their own size chart and names (the 501 Original for women, the high-rise Ribcage, the ’94 Baggy), so do not convert from men’s sizes.
- Measure your waist and inseam with a tape and write both down.
- Pick the fit number that matches your leg shape and footwear.
- Check the back-pocket tab to confirm the tier before you pay.
Red Tab, Signature, or Denizen: Which Tier Is on the Rack
Red Tab is the mainline: the small red tab stitched into the back pocket seam with the brand name in white, the lot numbers above, and the heaviest fabric. Signature by Levi Strauss & Co. is a value clothing line the company built for mass retailers, long sold at Walmart. Denizen from Levi’s launched in the U.S. in 2011 as a Target exclusive. Both value lines use their own tags and fit names instead of lot numbers, lighter denim, and simpler construction.
One complication: Target started carrying a curated Red Tab selection in 2019 alongside Denizen, and Walmart’s site lists mainline 505s from sellers as well as Signature. So the store name no longer tells you the tier. The tab does. We tell readers to flip the jeans over and look at the back pocket before reading a single price tag, because that one glance settles the question faster than any product description.
Fabric weight and stretch. Rigid denim feels stiff for a few weeks, then molds to you. Elastane blends are comfortable on day one and lose their shape sooner. Read the fabric content, not the marketing name.
Buying Direct: Brand Stores, Outlets, and Levi.com
Buying from the brand gets you the widest waist and inseam combinations and services no department store offers, though stores, outlets, and the website do not carry identical stock.
Levi.com
The full catalog lives here, including Vintage Clothing reproductions and premium collections that most department stores skip, plus the fit finder. Check the shipping threshold and return window before ordering, and join the email list for sale events. Visit the official store.
Red Tab Membership and Returns
Red Tab membership is the brand’s free loyalty program. When we checked the Levi’s help center in October 2026, members got free ground shipping on orders of 75 USD or more after discounts (non-members qualify at 150 USD), free returns when signed in at checkout, 1 point per dollar spent with the first reward at 125 points, and birthday rewards. Points expire a year after they are earned.
The U.S. return policy gives 30 days from delivery for online orders and 30 days from purchase in a store. Items must be unworn with tags attached, final sale items cannot come back, and exchanges are limited to one size adjustment per item. Online orders can be returned at a brand store in the same country. If you shop around a lot, compare this with the stores with the best return policies before choosing where to buy a fit you have never worn.
The Tailor Shop
Select brand stores run a Tailor Shop for hemming, tapering, patches, and tab replacement. The hem options include an original-hem shortening that keeps the factory edge, which matters on a faded pair. Services and fees vary by store, so call ahead.
Outlet Stores
Outlet stores sell core fits and past-season washes. Treat them as a bargain bin for the basics, not a place to find premium lines. Ask about the return rules at the register, since outlet policies can differ from the main stores and the SecondHand trade-in is not offered there.
Department Stores and Mass Retailers
Most large U.S. clothing chains stock this brand, but the tier and the range change with the store.
Macy’s and JCPenney
Both carry a broad mainline range for men, women, and kids. Macy’s leans newer collections, JCPenney leans classic fits. Look in the branded denim section, not the general pants wall. Browse the selection at Macy’s or shop JCPenney’s collection.
Kohl’s
The denim wall here usually holds 501, 505, 511, and 550. Kohl’s Cash is earned on one trip and spent on a later one, so a coupon plus Kohl’s Cash only pays out fully if you shop twice. Read the brand exclusions first. See what is available at Kohl’s.
Target and Walmart
Target is the home of Denizen, Walmart the home of Signature. Both are genuine products from the company, made with lighter fabric for a lower price point. Fine for everyday use, but neither value line carries a Red Tab, so check the pocket if you want mainline. Check Target’s options or see Walmart’s selection.
Tractor Supply
Some Tractor Supply locations stock the brand beside workwear names like Carhartt. Worth a stop if you are buying work clothes and boots on one trip. Shop on Tractor Supply’s site.
Marketplaces, Resale, and Thrift
Marketplaces hold the discontinued cuts and the deepest markdowns, and resale is where older fabrics live. Seller vetting is the price of admission.
Amazon
Amazon lists mainline and Signature side by side, which is convenient and a little confusing. The size range on popular fits is wide. Buy from the brand’s storefront or Amazon itself, not an unfamiliar third-party seller. Shop the collection on Amazon #ad
eBay
eBay holds the deepest pool of discontinued cuts, Big E pairs, and SilverTab styles from a given decade. Many sellers spell it Levis without the apostrophe, so run both spellings. The seller-history checks that protect you buying Jordans apply here too. Browse eBay listings.
Etsy
Etsy sellers list customized, distressed, and hand-altered pairs plus genuine vintage clothing. Most listings are one-offs, so trust the measurements in the description over the tag size. See options on Etsy.
Levi’s SecondHand Resale and Trade-In
Levi’s SecondHand is the brand’s own resale site, where pre-owned pairs are graded by condition and priced between thrift finds and full retail. Stock rotates constantly, so check back. Browse the resale site.
It also works in reverse. Select U.S. brand stores (not outlets, not by mail) take washed denim bottoms, shorts, and jackets for a digital gift card, up to 5 items per visit and one trade-in a month. Credit runs from 5 to 30 USD per piece, with the top amounts reserved for vintage pairs over 20 years old and premium collections. Run the vintage checks below first: a Big E pair can be worth far more on eBay than the credit.
Thrift, TJ Maxx, and Ross
Goodwill, Salvation Army, TJ Maxx, and Ross all turn up authentic pairs well under retail. The cost is time: you dig, and your size may not be on the rack. Thrift racks are also where vintage clothing surfaces, since donors rarely know what a Big E tab is worth.
How to Check a Vintage Pair Before You Pay
Vintage value rests on a handful of construction details, and no single one proves age. Collectors read them together.
- The tab. The red tab read LEVI’S in capitals (the Big E) until 1971, then switched to a lowercase e. A Big E tab is the first sign of a pre-1971 pair.
- Selvedge. Turn up the cuff. A clean finished edge along the outseam, often with a red line, points to denim woven on older shuttle looms, which the brand used on 501s until the 1980s.
- Care tag. Printed care labels arrived in the early 1970s. Big E styling with a modern multi-language care tag usually means a reproduction, not a mistake.
- Mismatches. Details from different decades on one pair (a Big E tab beside a small-e care label, for example) are the classic red flag. Ask the seller for close-up photos of the tab, the inside of the cuff, the care label, and the back of the top button.
Vintage Clothing reproductions copy these details on purpose, so a Big E on a new pair is not fake. The problem is a reissue sold as an original.
Mistakes That Cost Money
The expensive mistake is assuming every store sells the same garment. They don’t.
Treating the sub-brands as mainline. Signature and Denizen use lighter fabric and simpler construction. Expect mainline durability from them and you will be disappointed inside a season.
Ignoring Shrink-to-Fit shrinkage. Raw 501 STF pairs are cut oversized on purpose and shrink on the first hot wash. The product page for that model carries the sizing advice, so read it rather than guessing.
Ordering without the fit guide. Use the fit finder on levi.com, favor free-return retailers, and remember that a guest return through the mail is not the same deal as a member return. A 511 ordered by someone who normally wears a 505 is the classic swap: the waist matches and the thigh does not.
Top Picks
These five cover the fits buyers ask about most, chosen on cut and fabric. Prices change weekly, so check the current listing.
Best overall: Levi’s 501 Original Fit. Straight leg, button fly, the pattern the whole category copied. Rigid versions break in over a couple of months. Check price on Amazon
Best slim: Levi’s 511 Slim Fit. A slim leg with slight stretch, the easiest cut to wear straight off the shelf. Check price on Amazon
Best budget: Signature by Levi Strauss & Co. Athletic Fit. Roomier in the thigh, tapered below the knee, and the cheapest route to the brand. Thinner fabric, fine for daily wear. Check price on Amazon
Best for women: Levi’s Ribcage Straight Ankle. A high-rise straight leg that anchors the women’s line, cut to hit at the ankle on most heights. Check price on Amazon
Best vintage style: Levi’s 501 Shrink-to-Fit. Raw, unwashed denim you shrink to your own shape. More effort than a pre-distressed pair, better result. Check price on Amazon
Start with a tape measure and a lot number, then decide which tier you need. Want mainline quality for less? Join Red Tab before you order online, and watch the Kohl’s coupon cycle in store. Want a cut that no longer ships? Try eBay or the resale site, and check any old pair you own before trading it in. Buying Levi’s on markdown rather than at list is where nearly all the savings live. If you are filling out a work rotation, the same stores stock flannel shirts and boots, and L.L.Bean covers the outdoor layers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, Levi’s 501 or 505?
Neither, and the choice comes down to fly and thigh room. The 501 is a straight leg with a button fly that sits at the waist. The brand dates the 505 lot number to 1967, offered with a zipper, and today’s 505 gives extra room in the thigh and knee, the easier pick for boots or a heavier build.
Is Levi’s American or German?
American. Levi Strauss was born in Buttenheim, Bavaria, and emigrated to the United States in 1847, founding his dry goods business in San Francisco in 1853. The company has been headquartered there ever since, which is why the founder’s German birthplace still confuses people. Nearly all production is offshore today, and the label inside the waistband names the country for your pair.
Do the jeans shrink in the wash?
Pre-washed pairs barely move. Shrink-to-Fit raw denim is the exception: cut large on purpose, it shrinks noticeably on the first hot wash, mostly in length. Wash cold and hang dry to keep the size you bought. Rigid denim stretches back out through the waist by an inch or so, so a snug first fitting is normal.
What is the difference between Signature by Levi Strauss and Red Tab jeans?
Signature by Levi Strauss & Co. is a separate value clothing line built for mass retailers such as Walmart, using lighter denim and no Red Tab. Denizen at Target works the same way. Their fit names do not map to the three-digit lot numbers, so a Signature athletic fit is not a 541.
Reviewed by the wheretobuyguides.com editorial team. Retailer availability, membership terms, and return policies checked October 2026.