Did you know there are different types of Levi’s 501s? Well there are, and we thought we’d give you a quick run down as to what to expect if you see any of these 501s with a couple of extra letters on the back patch! We’ll be looking at 501XXs, 501 CTs and 501 Ss, so keep reading to find out more!
The 501XXs are actually no different to the 501s. It does give us the chance to speak a bit about Levi’s 501’s history though! The Levi’s 501s were originally called the “XX”s, the “x”s meant to signify that they were “extra extra strong”. They were renamed to 501 in 1890 in order to refer to a specific lot number. Levi’s reintroduced the XX to some 501s in 2009, which is why we sometimes see it on Levi’s today.
Levi’s 501XX Features
Material: Cotton
Closure: Button
Style: Straight Leg
Fit: Regular
Rise: Mid
The 501 CTs are a version of 501s, but are “customised tapered” (that’s what the CT stands for). The inspiration for coming out with this new version of the OGs in 2015, came from so many people buying the classic 501s and DIYing them to have a tapered leg themselves! The Levi’s 501 CTs sit just a little lower on the waist than the originals and of course become more narrow towards the ankle.
Levi’s 501 CT Features
Material: Cotton
Closure: Button
Style: Tapered Leg
Fit: Regular
Rise: Mid
The 501 S, as you may have already guessed, stands for 501 Skinny. Levi’s came out with this fit in 2016, when wearing skinny jeans was very high in fashion. However, the 501 Skinny was not made to be skin-tight like a lot of other skinny jeans, it is just a very slimmed down version of the 501. As they are a skinny fit they are usually made of a cotton blend containing elastane, though there are some Levi’s 501 Skinny’s that are made of 100%.
501 S Features
Material: Cotton Blend (containing elastane)
Closure: Button
Style: Straight Leg
Fit: Skinny
Rise: Mid
