Levi's 550s are more durable than Gap jeans
Written: Jun 09 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Much more durable than Gap jeans; look good enough
Cons: No longer hip, cool, fresh or tight?
The Bottom Line: Levi's 550 jeans are durable and look good. If Levi's offers me six figures, I'll figure out a way to sell them to the younger demographic.
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| Horswispr's Full Review: Levi's® 550 Relaxed-Fit Jeans |
Back when I was a teenager, Levi's 501s were the jeans to own. Preferably, they would be faded. Better still if they had holes in the knees and bottom. It took some time to achieve this effect, because 501s were well made. I had pairs that survived years of abuse. They were really comfortable and looked spiff with torn t-shirts or Viet Nam-era camoflage jackets.
Since jeans are often worn by young people, and young people are conformists (in spite of what they think), marketing drives sales of jeans, and it seems that Levi-Strauss lost touch with the youth market somewhere along the way. I gather that Levi-Strauss is going through hard times, and that Levi's aren't as hip as they used to be.
But I think they're still among the best jeans out there. For some reason 550s are the Levi's that suit me best these days. In the early '90s, 550s seemed to be cut with a taper that made them work well with sneakers, but not so well with boots. But contemporary 550s fit more or less like 501s did back in the day. Maybe it's my blossoming lard-azz, but contemporary 501s feel too tight in the butt and too baggy in the legs. 550s are just right.
What really matters about jeans is how they wear, and that's where Levi's excel, in my opinion. I leave it up to you to find the cut that suits you.
A few years ago, I bought two pair of 550s and two pair of Gap easy fit jeans (the Gap store was jammed with teenagers and early 20-somethings; the Levi's section of Sears was not). Both looked fine, and because I bought them at the same time, I was able to conduct something of a controlled experiment in how well they wear. I ride horses in my jeans, and riding horses provides all sorts of stress and wear on jeans.
It was no contest. The Gap jeans gave out way more quickly than Levis 550s. They started developing holes in the rear pockets or problems along the seams after about a year of use; the Levi's were still going strong.
Both the Gap jeans and the Levi's were comfortable. The Gap jeans (32/32 is my size) had a touch more room in the rear, but reports from my fashion consultants were that each looked good. Both have a little watch pocket (I use it for storing guitar picks). The cut of the legs was fairly comparable, with the taper in the legs of the 550s being more pronounced during the late '90s, but less noticeable now.
I think 550s come in an assortment of colors (including black and various levels of pre-fadedness), but I just stick with the slightly faded ones. No-one has ever laughed and pointed, to my knowledge, so that's what I wear. 550s have zippers, as compared to the buttons of the old 501s.
If you're looking for jeans that look like jeans and wear well, I recommend you check out Levi's 550s. If you are a member of the white-teenager-trying-to-affect-solidarity-with-disenfranchised-urban-youth set, or are a bona fide urban teen, or if you're just morbidly obese, I think Levi's makes some ultra-baggy jeans that will sag in a fashion-appropriate way. I'd imagine they'll wear well as well.
But Levi's 550s get my vote for being among the best jeans out there.
Recommended:
Yes
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