Although only an occasional contributor, I am a diligent reader of The Jeans Blog. One article that caught my eye was Lorna’s post (rant?) on “Men Wearing Women’s Jeans – Unisex Denim“. Lorna even went as far as to say that Levi’s are unisex jeans. My first reaction was wow, that’s a strong broad statement. However, upon further pondering of the subject along with channeling the spirit of Arthur Guinness, Lorna’s article left me with open ended questions and few answers for the multiple issues that were raised.
With respect to breaching societal norms, that will vary from culture to culture and have historically been resolved when trend setters develop mass acceptance. This only happens when individuals overcome their fears and stake out a position of leadership. In this case (men wearing women’s jeans) typical fears are:
1) Will the public recognize them as women’s jeans and how may they react.
2) Will they fit and do I like how I look when wearing them?
3) Can I openly shop for them without fear of harassment?
When it comes to jeans, my own opinion is that if it fits and you are comfortable with how you look – go for it. Fit is predominately an objective statement whereas “look” is largely subjective dependent on style and personal preferences.
Other questions that arise are:
1) Are women’s jeans unisex in that men can wear them?
2) Are men’s jeans unisex in that women can wear them?
3) Are jeans in general unisex in that anyone can wear them?
Question three infers the jeans are designed for a merged male/female anatomy & figure. This has been tried most recently in fall 2016 and spring 2017 by Mother, Hudson, and Levi’s. At this time, the offerings have been dropped due to lack of market acceptance (which leaves yet another open question – exactly what are Nudie brand jeans?). I did try a pair of Levi’s Line-8’s unisex slim straight style. It was an okay fit but nothing to write home about.
To answer some of the questions, I focused on do women’s jeans fit men and can you openly shop for them. Skinny/ultra-skinny jeans have set a precedent for men wearing women’s jeans. As an early adopter of skinny jeans, I’ve worn women’s styles. However, this may have been a unique time in fashion as the brands had yet to introduce similar offerings for men. With the stretchy material used in women’s jeans it was easy to get a good fit once you figured out your size. This situation doesn’t necessarily hold for slim, straight, or tapered styles which are the styles I’ve explored for the remainder of this article.
To test Lorna’s claim that Levi’s are unisex, I took advantage of that hide in plane sight jeans shopping paradise – Levi’s Large Retail Stores where virtually all of their styles are available. The staff is focused on moving product and couldn’t care less about who’s wearing what style. Their fitting rooms are also unisex to further ease your concerns. If you don’t see the style you are interested in, just ask and someone will find it and show you to a fitting room along with timely followup to check on whether additional sizes are needed. Amazing customer service without a hint of judgement.
To answer the question do women’s straight, slim, or tapered jeans fit, I stayed away from jeans with a high level of stretch and biased my selections to heavier weight denim and/or 100% cotton. I also restricted my search to what Levi’s refers to as their premium/iconic styles. The styles I tried were straight-slim leg (Levi’s 501 original fit, Levi’s 501 skinny fit, Levi’s 505C slim fit) and tapered leg (Levi’s 505 Tapered, Levi’s Wedgie, Levi’s Made & Crafted Slouchy Taper). With the exception of the Wedgie style, they were all 100% cotton. The Wedgie style had 1% elastane. They were all button fly jeans with the exception of the 505C style.
I’ll start with some general comments. All of the styles had reasonably deep front pockets which was a pleasant surprise. Once you found your size, all of the styles slouched a bit leaving room for your junk which I attribute to use of a different waist to hip ratio in jeans designed for women. And to top it all off, the same waist size (30) fit across all of the jeans that I tried.
Levi’s 501 Original Fit Jeans in “Lonesome Road” (available at Levi’s-US & Levi’s-UK)
Levi’s original fit 501 jeans have a mid-rise fit, straight leg, with an inseam of 30″ or 32″. Comparatively speaking, the leg is slimmer than the corresponding men’s style and is more like that of a men’s 513 leg. The 100% cotton weave made for a comfortable relaxed fit.
Levi’s 501 Skinny Fit Jeans in “Pop Rock” (available Levi’s-US, Levi’s-UK, Nordstrom, Spring)
These are mid to high rise jeans with a 30″ inseam. As everyone knows, it is virtually impossible for a 100% cotton jean to be a true skinny jean. As such, these are more like a slim fit cross between the men’s 510 and 511 styles. Truthfully, I preferred these over either the 510 or 511 men’s styles.
Levi’s 505C Slim Fit Jeans in “Heart of Indigo” (available at Levi’s-US, Levi’s-UK, Zappos)
The 505C is a higher rise slim leg jean. Occasionally Levi’s has a men’s 505C offering. The primary differences are that the women’s leg is slightly slimmer and has a larger variety of washes whereas the men’s version has longer inseams. I can see this becoming a jean which is worn on a regular basis for casual occasions.
Levi’s 501 Taper Fit Jeans in “Make Some Noise” (available at Levi’s-US, Zappos, Levi’s-UK)
The 501 Taper jean is a mid rise jean with a tailored fit about the waist and hips with a relaxed thigh tapered down to your ankle. It is similar to the men’s 501 taper fit jean but is only available in a 28″ inseam. I found this fit to be fairly comfortable and relaxed although a longer inseam would be nice.
Wedgie Jeans in “Something Cheeky” (available at Shopbop and Urban Outfitters)
The Wedgie is a somewhat unique fit. It is a tapered high rise jean that is very much tailored around the waist and the hips. It is the only jean with stretch in this evaluation. It also, only comes in a 28″ inseam. Because of the high rise, it has a bit more slouch than the 501s and 505C that I’ve tried. Although this fit is very popular among women, there have been concerns expressed about its comfort. Because of the higher level of slouch that I’ve experienced, it is possible that this fit may be more comfortable for men than women. For men however, longer inseams would be desirable.
Levi’s Made & Crafted Slouchy Taper Jeans in “Horizon Blue” (available at Levi’s)
The Slouchy Taper jeans come from Levi’s top of the line Made & Crafted collection. For a 100% cotton jean, it is fairly remarkable. Is is relaxed about the waist and hips yet tapers down to an ankle opening size usually seen only on very skinny stretch jeans. Even so, it is very comfortable to wear with no constraint in movement. Of the tapered jeans, this fit had the longest inseam at 29″.
Parting words:
Beyond the unisex evaluation, I may have rekindled a long dormant affection for 100% cotton jeans which I view as a refreshing change from the stretchy tight wrap of the extreme skinny / spray on jeans that are currently popular. In addition, my tendency to avoid button fly jeans was unwarranted now that I’ve spent some time in them.
In summary, I think it is safe to say that somewhat slim men of moderate height can find good fitting iconic Levi’s women’s jeans. Shopping for them at a Levi’s Retail Store should be free of any harassment. However the motivation to do so is a bit questionable as there isn’t the driving function of a style such as skinny jeans not being available at the time for men. Nevertheless, the slight deviations from corresponding men’s styles can provide some unique fits as well as provide a broader range of washes for your selection. Are Levi’s jeans unisex? It is hard to say without similar feedback from women who wear or have tried the men’s styles. Men’s styles of interests for women could be the iconic 501 series, the 502, 511, 512, and 513 fits.
Almost forgot – can the public recognize that a man is wearing women’s jeans? That, I leave for you to decide. What do you think?
I can tell on the two short pairs, but that’s because the inseams aren’t long enough. I think if you were a shorter guy, you probably couldn’t tell at all. I loved this article Tim! Actually going to the Levi’s store and trying them on was fantastic!
Lorna,
I agree, the 501-Taper and the Wedgie because of their shorter inseam come across as women’s jeans. My personal preference for a women’s taper jean would be Levi’s Made & Crafted Slouchy Taper fit but I am struggling with how to style them for the winter.
Tim
Maybe they might do some in longer inseams too! You never know! Styling is always an issue for winter, I have trouble with it too so boots is the only option for me. Have you thought about boots?
Had thought about boots but there is only so much you can do with work/hiking boots, chelsea boots, and wellies. A bit discouraging 🙁
Hi Lorna,
If men can wear extreme skinny women’s jeans, which are specifically made for women, then there is no reason why Levis or any jeans for that matter, cannot be unisex.
Henry
Hi Henry! This post was written by Tim, but I fully agree!
Henry,
One of the reasons women’s extreme skinny jeans fit for men is the highly flexible fabric that they are made with. I needed to verify that other fabrics and styles also fit. I’m now of the opinion that regardless of style and material, men can find a pair of women’s jeans that will fit provided their height and weight is within the range of sizes offered in women’s jeans. As an example, I’m too tall for the limited inseams that Levi’s offers in some of their women’s styles. Of course, other men may fit like the look of having lower calf length pant legs.
Tim
Thanks Tim.
It is amazing how imparting a little stretch into the denim fabric has given jeans a huge new resurgence and scope. Skinny non stretch jeans can be uncomfortable for some if they are not just the right shape for the jeans. In particular it has enabled both men and women to show off any good shape their legs might have (and or course bad shapes!!!).
Yeah I’m one of those people that just can’t do 100% cotton and tight, my crotch and big butt don’t thank me for it, ha ha.
Let me start by saying I hate baggy ass jeans and jeans with little or no stretch are uncomfortable
and restricktive if you get a tight fit.There are so many better brands that cost less and fit better. I will probably never buy levis again.
Ricky,
Let me say that whether the jeans are baggy ass or extreme skinny, that is a style choice made by the wearer. One size/style doesn’t necessarily work for everyone. With respect to Levi’s, of course there are other brands that fit the needs of other customers. I chose Levi’s for this article because there was a large easily accessible local store with multiple styles and a wide variety of size that I could try on. Where I live, the only similar alternatives were “The Gap” and “Express Jeans” stores that in my experience don’t carry the same breadth of styles and sizes as Levi’s.
Tim
Tim, I hear you and you are right. My problem with Levi is that they have changed the cut on their
jeans over the past few years.Years ago levi 501 jeans were cut about the same as 510’s. The 510’s used to be very slim but now are slim. Their 535 super skinny’s are not carried in and stores neer me
even though they show them on their signage.
I wear Levi’s 535 leggings, and 711 slim, and especially the 711 series, they look closer to the men’s Levi’s styles except for the slimmer fit and shorter rise, other than that, it’s safe to say men can wear women’s Levi’s without suspect. They actually fit and look nicer compared to traditional Levi’s for men.
Wear whatever suits your body. Who cares? I used to always wear levis 501 men’s jeans before women’s versions were available. As a young girl anything looked great on my tall slim figure, but then we were not too fussy about slightly baggy asses or tying in the big waists with a thick belt. That was just what was so cool about them. But nowadays we want a proper fit for our feminine curves, a well defined butt and no gaps at waist. Jeans or any clothes are never unisex. Our bodies are different and need different fits. I have small waist and larger hips whereas men don’t. I tried on a man’s 501 the other day and they gaped on waist and were tight on hips.. They were frankly terrible! Thank god levis have realized that women want our own clothes and are no longer going to put up with being fobbed off with so called unisex!
I have started to wear woman’s levi 711 recently, I really like the way they fit. I wear them very tight, people don’t seem to mind and I actually get comments on how good they look on me. So it’s totally ok to wear woman’s jeans if you like them.
I was lucky in purchasing the Levi’s wedgie jeans at my local Ross dress for less. The fit actually makes the backside look good and does have a cropped style. They basically look like men’s Levi’s, nice fitted look, cropped and they make the back look good. It has a nice classic style and what a shame men’s Levi’s doesn’t have a similar offering. I also purchased the womens 501 cropped, that one does seem to fit somewhat a bit baggy so I will give it a few more trys to see if I actually want it for keeps or to do a return. Honestly the more traditional women’s edition of Levi’s don’t look too different from men’s and I dare say depending on your body type those Levi’s jeans can be unisex. They won’t be marketed that way though.
Anonimatovato,
It does seem that Levi’s recognizes their jeans are unisex. If you search for “UNISEX” on their US web site:
https://www.levi.com/US/en_US/search/unisex/facets/productitemtype/jeans
Just about all of their jeans (men’s and women’s) show up in the results. Who they fit or don’t fit of course depends on an individual’s body shape.
Regards,
Tim
I am a femboy & have a girly figure I love Levis 710 super skinny size 25 jeans Am tall & they fit really well Like light to dark blue & black & at my age can still rock the look So go for it guys & girls if uni sex works for you I love my Levis 710 s in light blue & go swimming in them look & feel great when they are wet & dry quick too Cheers Ross
Someone tell the large retail stores that Levis are now genderless. I usually find a huge selection in the Men’s department and almost nothing in Women’s.
Have had a hard time time finding mens jeans that fit great. The waist area is usually the problem. The denim is usually to stiff, especially in mens Levi’s. Mens jeans don’t form fit the waist, butt and hips like womens jeans do so you dont need a belt. Trying on a pair of womens stretch skinny jeans felt like heaven. The butt, waist and hips felt like your mid section was being cradled and hugged, no belt needed. This is how denim jeans should fit and feel, awesome feeling.
I agree, Dave
I have been wearing womens levis for years. No one ever seems to notice them as Women’s jeans , I am an average build guy. Married straight male. The feel of most womens jeans is better they have more stretch and give then guys jeans. I dont wear skinny jeans , I wear the boot cut or straight cut. Levis are probably the best brand for going un-noticed . I have worn other brand like sweetheart and flirt from old navy. These were so popular with women a few years back that they will recognize them. I like them because they are more comfortable and have a better fit.
The only downfall to women’s jeans are the small pockets
Actual mens jeans that have any kind of stretch to them have a weird fit often start falling down after an hour of wear them cause they seem to grow as you wear them.
I actually prefer my husband wear Women’s Levis and some others. They look so much better on him! I myself have a love for good feeling jeans and have many pair. My husband often wears ladies jeans out and to be honest you cant really tell. He loves wearing them and it kinda turns him on especially if he is wearing a satin thong or bikini panties underneath. he often wears BKE gabby or peyton and has many levis .
It all really depends on the fit of the jeans. I like them to hug his bottom and parts but be semi loose on the legs for a nice fitted look
I’m a skinny guy and I’m wearing washed black Levi 710 today: they are so stretchy so I can wear them really tight: the waist stretches about 4 inches so I’m in W25 (my “normal” size would W28-W30)
POCKETS. I don’t understand why Levis can’t put real pockets on women’s jeans. I have found a company that does and they are the best fitting women’s jeans I have ever tried. For me I was unisex long before it was cool. Do we not all have two arms? Two legs? Etc. We should be able to wear anything within reason. It still has to look ok. Women look better in certain things because well they’re women. That’s what makes them so beautiful, but jeans? Anyone can wear jeans!
I think it depends on the style! I have a lot of functioning pockets on the front of my jeans, however they are short and not deep at all, due to women’s jeans being tighter and the pocket bags not sitting right at the hips.
I’m a curvy adjacent tall woman and I love 505 from the men’s section. They’re like the perfect mom Jean.