LS&Co. Unzipped

Bob (not verified) - May 10 2012
Another mistake by a bunch of self important empty suits sitting in a board room and patting each other on the back. As mentioned before, the New Coke was a huge marketing mistake and doing away with the original regular fit 505 jeans is on par with that bonehead play. They just fit me correctly and to have you change them so they don't is just criminal. When a classic has worked for so many years for so many people you just don't do stuff like this. Please come to your senses.

Mike (not verified) - May 04 2012

I am the typical 49 year old male who has been buying 505's for better than 30 years... That is until a few months ago. Years ago my parents owned a textile mill in south west Va. and my grandparents were engineers for West Point Pepperell designing the looms and weaving some of the early denim for Levi Strauss, Lee and others. Over the years my family has seen and lived plenty of the stupid things that clothing companies do. I must say that changing the style of the 505's ranks right up there with New Coke and moving everything off shore. Over the years I had noticed that the quality had gone down hill, the denim was lighter and the stitching was not as clean but I kept on purchasing them as I knew what I was getting. They wore faster but hey they were my style and I could walk into any store pick up a pair and put them on. Never to worry if they fit or not. So marketing guys I hope you are proud of what you have done. You have lost another very loyal customer to your competition. If the 505 line was starting to loose volume and you thought you would freshen it you were very wrong. Just read what people are writing here. I suspect there are a hundred customers to every one who has written on this blog that feel the same way but they just don't take the time to post a message. By my estimate that is about 250+ dozen since October. I predict in the next 6 months or so the 505 orders will totally tank when everyone finally figures out you have changed and subsequently like myself switches to other brands. 501's and 550's do not fit my body like a 505 does nor do I like the looser fit of the 550s. At some point in the future someone in upper management will ask what has happened and it will be to late. That loyal customer business is gone just like the old classic 505s and will never to return at a price point you can live with. Marketing guys should learn that brand loyalty is what drives a lot of sales in this country and it appears that Levi Strauss will learn the hard way.

Editor's note: Thanks for your comment, Mike. We will share it with the Levi's® brand product developers. We value your loyalty and can only suggest that you see if there's another style that fits your needs. Perhaps the 501® would work for you? Thank you again for taking the time to write and share your strongly felt thoughts.

Disappointed (not verified) - May 04 2012
The most popular pants the world has ever seen and some genius decides to change the fit. I want the regular fit back and I won't be buying levi's again until I get it.

Stu (not verified) - Apr 20 2012
I can only echo the sentiments expressed here! Levis products have been the "uniform" of my generation for decades and I think you are making a grave mistake by alienating those of us who have supported you for so long. For years I've taken for granted, when pulling on a trusty pair of 505 regulars, that the fit would be right, the "feel" would be right, they'd wear like iron and only look better with age. Thus far with these new "straight" fit jeans - I find I spend my day tugging and tucking and dreading the inevitable moment when they slip off my butt completely. My first complaint was met with a prompt and cordial "Thanks but stuff changes, so get over it" E-mail and frankly, I don't expect much more this time but at least after seeing all of the above comments, I know it's not just me! Please Levis, don't make me start wearing suspenders!

Curt (not verified) - Apr 20 2012
Please go back to the 505 regular fit jeans. I hate the below the waist fit. It is uncomfortable and a belt doesn't help. I am 54 and have been buying Levi's for years and I really don't want to change brands but I will have to if you stay with the current style. I am not a young kid who wants his pants riding down his back side.

Scott (not verified) - Apr 19 2012

What happened to the 505 regular fit? The fit is way too low for any normal man and if you try to hike them up you run the risk of suddenly being able to sing three octaves higher. The worst part is the time I'm now going to have to spend trying to find a new company to buy jeans. Very disappointing.

Editor's note: Thanks for your comment. I'll share it with the product developers in the Levi's® brand. In the meantime, I'd encourage you to try a pair of 501® or 550™ jeans -- the closest we have to the previous 505® fit. While we don't want you singing even one octave higher, we'd hate to lose you as a Levi's® customer! Thank you again for taking the time to share your thoughts.

Wes (not verified) - Apr 18 2012

From the other comments and responses that I have seen on this board, Levi Strauss does not really care that they are losing loyal, older customers by discontinuing the 505 regular fit. They say buy the 501 or 505 now and "see if that works". But will they change that next year as well? I for one will be looking for another brand and leave the baggy butt low rise straight leg 505 for the new customers that Levi Strauss is seeking Thanks for the memories

greg mier (not verified) - Apr 16 2012

Bring back the 505 regular fit, I agree with everyone here, I can not wear 505's anymore and no other levi product will fit the same as the 505 regular fit, I will be looking for another company, trying to find the the fit that the 505 regular jeans gave me. Any suggestions of what other brand/cut/size to go with?

Editor's note: Thanks for the feedback. I will share it with our right folks in the Levi's® brand. Of course, I won't send you to another brand! I would recommend you try our Levi's® 501® and 550™ jeans as alternatives to the updated 505®. Good luck -- and thank you for sharing your thoughts. 

theresa (not verified) - Apr 15 2012

I loved (yes loved) the 550 relaxed jeans, especially the light stonewash. I'm short enough I can buy the boys sizes, except now I wear the husky sizes! But, after 35 years I have to find a new jean company. I can't stand the crosshatch style! They remind me of the Will & Grace episode when Will bought a pair of jeans that everyone thought were girl jeans! No, I'm not a guy, but seeing these on guys is just wrong! I don't like them and I can't see this style lasting long. Levi's, get back to the basics!

Editor's note: Thanks very much for your feedback. Hearing from consumers helps shape our decisions. I will share your comments with the Levi's® brand product development team. Thanks again!

Tony (not verified) - Apr 10 2012
Have to agree with many of the comments here. I too am disappointed that Levi's has discontinued its' 505 Regular Fit jeans. After 25 years I now have to find a new brand of jeans. Don't understand the marketing behind changing a known style i.e., 505 Regular and re-designing them as straight. Shame on you.

Jim (not verified) - Apr 10 2012
I agree with all the comments about the 505 regular fit jean. I'm in my 60's and have been wearing jeans for over 55 years and do not like the fit of the straight jeans. They are not comfortable and I would think that we older boomers are still a very large part of your market. Whoever the marketing person was that made the decision--fire them. Bring back our 505 regulars--we are loyal customers too!

James (not verified) - Apr 09 2012
I am another customer that is so very dissapointed in the change from regular fit 505's to the straight fit 505's I too have been buying the regular fit 505 jeans for over 25 years and I got to say it is shameful that levis has decided that the consumer does not matter. I do not want to hear so sorry, try another style or size, how about admitting that you made a terrible mistake by by bringing back the jeans that hundreds -- if not thousands of loyal customers have been buying for years. DO the right thing, bring them back!!!

Daniel (not verified) - Apr 09 2012
The main reason I had bought Levi's in the last 15 years was the 505 REGULAR fit jeans. If they are discontinued, I may as well switch to another brand. Fire the marketing guy who killed the 505 and bring the product back, since I am far from alone on this issue.

Rod (not verified) - Mar 31 2012
I have searched every store that carries Levi's and can't find a single pair of 505 REGULAR fit jeans. Now I know why, I have gone to another brand of jeans. Bring back the 505 regular fit jeans

LeviGirl (not verified) - Mar 28 2012
I can't believe you did away with the 505 regular fit jeans. I've been wearing 501s then 505s since 1970. I live in them. The 501 buttons are too hard on my hands now and the 550s don't fit. I don't like the new 505 straight fit - half way down my you know what. I am UTTERLY DISAPOINTED. PLEASE, PLEASE bring back the 505 Regular Fit. I don't want to switch to another brand and I'm running out of time. I wish I'd bought 20 pairs - if I'd only known.

W Smith (not verified) - Mar 28 2012
I have been a long-time wearer of Levis apparel, including shirts, jackets and jeans. I have worn nothing but 501s and 505s ever since my mother stopped dressing me. Levis clothing was something that I could always rely on in terms of quality, longevity, and in being able to get the right fit without even a need to try the jeans on. I am very disappointed with the changes to the 505s. If the company felt the need to 'update' the styling, why not give the updated style a new model number? Having lost a lot of weight I now need to replace all of the jeans in my wardrobe, it looks like they won't be Levis though.

andy (not verified) - Mar 28 2012
Wow, I am so glad to find out I am not the only one dissatisfied with the men's levis 505. I too have been wearing the exact same size 505 for over 25 years. Its actually about the only thing I wear, every day, all day long. I probably buy 2-3 pairs per year, so that is on the order of 50-75 pairs during my lifetime (so far, and I hope to have another 25 in me). The last 2 pairs I have bought, I did not realize that the fit had changed, but thought rather that it was me, getting older and that possibly my shape had changed. But when I put on my pairs from 2-3 years ago (I keep about 6-8 pairs in my rotation), they still fit perfectly. Comfortable. These new pairs, I thought maybe I needed to break them in or something, but wow, to find out now that they have actually changed the fit. Mind blowing. Who does that? What a mistake. Why on earth would you monkey with a proven winner? At least keep the original design or something. Call it 505 classic. I don't care. JUST BRING MY JEANS BACK!!!! PLEASE!!!! 25 years. Total brand loyalty. I have not worn, nor even tried on a different pair of jeans. But this new cut, its almost unwearable. I can't wear jeans to work that have my butt hanging out. Plus, they feel like they are constantly sliding off. And worst, they are just not comfortable. So unless this gets fixed, I'm off to find a new brand that actually fits right. Such a shame. Someone else is going to get my next 25 years worth of jean buying.

Jerry Patterson (not verified) - Mar 17 2012

Just Bought a pair of prewashed 501s How much will they shrink in the waist And Length. Thank you. They fit fine in the waist now but worried about The Length.

Editor's note: Generally, the prewashed 501s® will shrink 1" in the waist and 3" in length. Hope they work for you! Thanks for buying Levi's®.

Danny (not verified) - Mar 17 2012
BRING BACK THE 505 REGULAR FIT JEANS. I have been wearing Levi's 505 regular fit jeans for 40 years. I have tried the straight fit jeans twice and they are awful. They do not represent what I have known and loved about Levi's. I took them back both times. I tried the 501's but they are not any better. I am disappointed in Levi's. Unfortunately I will be switching to another brand.

Lee (not verified) - Mar 08 2012

Went to buy my reg 505's I've been wearing for thirty years and poof! they're gone. This is a travesty. And no I will not wear pants that I have to button.. 'worst Idea ever'!... and no the 550's won't work either.. You just lost a lifelong customer....... For life!.........

Editor's note: Hi Lee, and thanks for your comment. We definitely don't want to lose you and hope we can give you a reason to come back. I will share your feedback with our Levi's® brand team, so they're aware of your strong feelings about the 505® jeans. Again, thanks for taking the time to share your feedback. We learn from our consumers.

Gary (not verified) - Feb 24 2012

I first stated wearing Levi 501s in 1963. That was the only pant I wore, other than fatigues for 2 years, until the late 80s when I switched to a more "relaxed"fit. I found the 505 to be a little more comfortable and happily switched. Then in the mid 90s I refused to pay $40 for a pair of jeans and started wearing Lee. I want to give Levi a try again but am very disappointed in what I'm reading about a lesser quality pant that is being manufactured now. Some things, like Levis, we're supposed to be able to count on and not change for some temporary fad. My Docker size is 40x32, what size of 501 do I buy. By the way I still remember my first pair of Levis I bought were $3.89 and made in the USA.

Editor's ntoe: Thanks for your comment. Despite what you may have read, our lifetime guarantee against manufacturer's defects is alive and well, so please keep that in mind as you consider our product. As to your question, if you're purchasing prewashed 501s®, you may purchase the same size of Dockers®. If you're purchasing shrink-to-fit, you should choose 42W x36L. Thank you again!

Luke Randall (not verified) - Feb 22 2012
I have had many of the same problems and frustrations as These other (former) Levis customers...until recently I thought they were isolated incidents. I too have been wearing Levis 505 reg since the early 70's. With all the apparent dissatisfaction I don't understand why Levis "doesn't get it"...If it ain't broke don't fix it!

C. Black (not verified) - Feb 06 2012

505 Regular Fit Jean - Where to buy? 505 Straight Fit no good. No buy.

Editor's note: Hi C. Black. Thanks for your comment. You're right that the Levi's® 505® fit has been updated. May I suggest you that you try the 501® for 550® for a more traditional fit, much like the older 505®? Thank you for reaching out.

Rick (not verified) - Jan 14 2012

Apparently, Levi's doesn't care about the 30 million baby boomers that have worn their jeans for 40 years and now can not find the REGULAR CUT 505 any longer. I also don't want to wear my jeans half way down my butt. I took the advise of a Levis customer service person and bought a pair a size smaller (34 waist instead of 36....they don't make 35). Now, I can't get my butt to fit in the pants...now they are too small in the butt. Now I feel like they are falling off. I give up...I am going to try Lee's

Editor's note: Thanks for your comment, and I'm sorry you're not happy with your 505s®. We do occasionally update our products based on consumer feedback and demand. Clearly, the recent update hasn't worked for you. I'll share your thoughts with our product managers, as they pay close attention to consumer insights. Rather than trying a different size of 505s®, you may want to try our 501s® or 550s® instead. We'd love to keep you in Levi's®!

Michael (not verified) - Dec 08 2011

Please, bring back that heavy rough 501's denim I remember from 80's.. The 501's denim these days is not the same.. 12.5 oz compare to 14.5 oz in 80's? .. And the sizing is pretty weird too.. Why shrink-to-fit is 2 inches bigger than the label statement? I bought 40inch waist and thought it will get to 37, but I received 42 inch waist jeans that no way will shrink that much.. At least you have to mention that in your description.

Editor's note: Thanks, Michael. I'll pass along your comments to the Levi's® brand team. We welcome consumer feedback. It can only help us get better.

JS (not verified) - Nov 27 2011

PLEASE BRING BACK THE 505 REGULAR FIT. I HAVE BEEN BUYING THE REGULAR FIT FOR 30 YEARS AND HAVE BEEN A LOYAL LEVI CUSTOMER FOR MOST OF MY LIFE. THE 505 STRAIGHT FIT FALL HALF WAY DOWN MY BUTT AND ARE HORRIBLE. I AM 50 YRS OLD AND NOT A TEENAGER. I KNOW TEENAGERS LIKE JEANS HANGING HALF WAY DOWN THEIR BUTT. WE ARE ALL NOT TEENAGERS. PLEASE BRING BACK THE 505 REGULAR FIT.

Editor's note: Thanks, JS. Sorry the new 505® doesn't work for you. A couple of options for you, as recommended by my Consumer Relations colleague: You could try a smaller waist size on the 505® to see if that works. (Email my colleague here to see about returning your current 505s®.) Also, you may want to try the 515® or the 501® jeans to see if one of them works. I'm 50-plus, myself, and am getting used to the new 505®.

Greg (not verified) - Nov 16 2011
I have the exact comment as Cortni & Dale above, only I've probably been a loyal Levi's 505/501customer longer than them. I noticed that the yoke below the belt line is about an inch shorter on the "straight" 505's so the waist is MUCH lower and uncomfortable. When I asked two different clerks in two different stores about this they said they've gotten many of the same complaints. Please quit jerking around loyal customers who like the Regular 505's. Bring them back. Until then, I'm buying another brand.

Steve (not verified) - Nov 16 2011
I agree with some of the previous posts - I used to buy unwashed, rigid 505s for years and I do not find the current 505s to be the same fit or quality. The last (prewashed) pair I purchased developed a large tear across the thigh area within a year of purchase and moderate wearing. Also the rinses are too light on the 505s that I'm currently running across compared with what I used to buy and compared to many other denim brands. Overall I 'm very wary of purchasing a product, especially online, that I used to take for granted.

Cortni (not verified) - Nov 04 2011
I have purchased and worn Levi's 505 Regular Fit Jeans since 1974. I have become so very accustomed to the cut of these pants. What a pleasure to know I can go to a store, select my size and color and make the purchase, confident that the product will be the same high quality and the styling and cut will fit as they always have. I recently purchased some jeans in this way, not trying them on because I 'knew" they'd be "the same." What a huge disappointment to get them washed and put them on - and to find something wrong. At first I thought it was my imagination, but finally saw the Regular Fit is changed to a Straight Fit. This was nowhere on the labeling that would have let me know before my purchase. Now my pants fall down and I'm unhappy with the company. Please bring back the product I've been buying for 35 years!

Cortni (not verified) - Nov 04 2011

I have purchased and worn Levi's 505 Regular Fit Jeans since 1974. I have become so very accustomed to the cut of these pants. What a pleasure to know I can go to a store, select my size and color and make the purchase, confident that the product will be the same high quality and the styling and cut will fit as they always have. I recently purchased some jeans in this way, not trying them on because I 'knew" they'd be "the same." What a huge disappointment to get them washed and put them on - and to find something wrong. At first I thought it was my imagination, but finally saw the Regular Fit is changed to a Straight Fit. This was nowhere on the labeling that would have let me know before my purchase. Now my pants fall down and I'm unhappy with the company. Please bring back the product I've been buying for 35 years!

Editor's note: Thanks for your comment. I'm sorry the 505® jeans no longer work for you. I'll pass along your feedback to our Levi's® brand team. I checked in with the Consumer Relations team. They suggest that you try the 501® or 550® jeans, or going one size smaller in the 505®. Another consumer also tried the 517®. Thank you again. I hope one of the other styles works and that we can keep you as a loyal Levi's® brand consumer.

Ken (not verified) - Nov 02 2011

It's sad, that you no longer make your jeans in San Francisco or that you don't use American made Denim anymore. I guess it's all about the god almighty dollar! You still charge premium prices, but your quality has gone down hill!

Editor's note: Hi Ken. Thanks for your comment. You're correct that we no longer produce our products in San Franciso. Our headquarters, however, remains in the city. We do use some U.S. denim in our products and, also, manufacture some of our premium product in the United States. Regardless of where it's made, our product is guaranteed against manufacturing defects. If you have Levi's® product you believe to be defective, please contact us at 1-800-USA-LEVI.

Noreen (not verified) - Oct 28 2011

Levi has messed up jeans. Especially womens, impossible to find 100% cotton jeans. I can't believe they can't stay true to the brand that made them so famous. No Levis in my wardrobe and very said.

Editor's note: So sorry you feel this way. Have you searched 100% cotton women's jeans on levi.com? Might be worth checking to see if you can find a style you like that may not be in stores. Thanks for your comment. We always need to hear from consumers about what they want.

Marius (not verified) - Oct 27 2011
I also prefer jeans that sits on the natural waist of the body. Not "below". And I have a hard time believing 501 sat that low on the waist back in the day. It´s not natural.

dale (not verified) - Oct 26 2011
Please bring back the 505 Regular Fit jean. The 505 Straight jean is a terrible fit for us older guys. The jean rides too far down on the butt and is uncomfortable. Levi's really messed up and needs to correct it before they lose business.