Levi's 501 Cropped Jeans
£95.00
We get it. You’ve found your dream jeans (Levi’s 501, naturally) and nothing will tear you apart. Unless you catch them on something, and *RIP*. You have two options. Cry, call them distressed, and own it. Or get customising – more sustainable, yes, and also undeniably cool.
What’s more likely is that you’re looking to personalise your perfect pair (501s are built to endure anything) for nothing feels – or looks – as good as customised denim.
Wash and wet jeans (to avoid fraying), then draw and cut along a line one inch above your knee, adding as many tears as you please. Feeling dramatic? Cut a hole on the knee (it’ll expand with wear). For a more subtle finish, use scissors to create a frayed and/or uneven hem.
Feeling inspired? The best acrylic paints are tough enough to withstand your washing machine, so why not get creative – and personalise your OG blues. Try lettering, monogramming or motifs – or even big and bold pattern repeats, à la Damien Hirst (below).
Need to repair your ripped and torn jeans? Add an iron-on repair patch, browse Etsy for embroidery patches that will showcase your love of cats, plants, cars, whatever, or lean into fashion’s love of varsity inspo by spelling out your name, letterman style, down a seam or across your (denim) derrière.
Jacob Davis adds copper rivets to canvas trousers for workwear
John Wayne wore a pair of cuffed 501 Originals in the movie Stagecoach
Adopted by returning WWII GIs, motorcycle clubs, artists, musicians and teens
Worn by Bob Dylan on The Freewheelin’ album cover
Seen at Woodstock and worn by UK Mods and Rockers
Worn ripped by Kate Bush
Run-D.M.C. and Steve Jobs wore their 501s crisp and dark
Named ‘the fashion item of the 20th century’ by Time magazine
Levi’s 150th anniversary – and 501s remain intergenerational, timeless and one of the most recognisable garments of clothing in the world
“Jeans are the purest wearable form of authentic self-expression – bearing the markings of life, the shapes of our bodies, the memories of our adventures”