First thing's first: How do I find my measurements?
Your measurements are the most important, because they'll be the basis for all your jeans shopping. There are three main measurements you need to look out for: your waist, hips and inseam. Men mostly just need to worry about their hips and inseam. Women, though, should know their waist measurements, too.
What's the difference between secondhand and vintage jeans?
Secondhand clothes have been owned before. Vintage has a lot of different meanings, depending on who you ask. But we try to be authentic here at Levi’s®. So we generally say clothes are vintage if they were made before the year 2000. This matters, because jeans fit differently and have different measurements depending on the decade or era they were made. If you’re buying modern secondhand jeans, fits are easier and more familiar to navigate. For vintage jeans, be sure to check measurements on the product page.
How do I find my waist and hip measurements?
Your waist is the narrowest part of your abdomen. Your hip is the widest part of your legs, around your butt. You can pull a soft tape measure around your butt. You can pull a soft tape measure or string around you at your waist to find your measurement. (Be sure not to pull too tight.)
How do I measure my inseam?
First, tape a soft tape measure to the inside of your ankle where you’d like your jeans to hit. Next, run the tape measure up the inside of your leg to the crotch of your jeans. That’s your inseam measurement. Alternatively, you can lay old jeans flat down on a table and measure from the jeans’ crotch point down the inseam to the hem.
Should I size vintage jeans up or down?
This is where the age of the jeans you’re shopping for matters. The sizes of modern jeans and fits are going to be similar to the sizes of jeans you already wear. But vintage jeans are different. Vintage jeans shrink over time, and are often sized differently. So try them on! If you’re shopping online, a general rule of thumb is to try two to three sizes up from the size on tag, depending on how tight or loose you’d like them to be.
Pay attention to whether the jeans stretch at all, too. Many modern and skinnier fits made with stretch are more forgiving. If you’re buying jeans that don’t have any stretch, you may want to size larger.
Last, it’s always better to go too long in the inseam than too short. You can always make jeans shorter, but you can’t make them longer.
How do I size jeans on Levi's SecondHand's site?
Here’s the bottom line: it’s not an exact science. The accuracy of jean sizes vary wildly based on the jeans’ cut, lot number, era they were made, weight, quality and type of the fabric, and other factors. Shopping secondhand is a challenge — which is why it’s so rewarding when you do find that perfect pair. But at Levi’s®, we took a lot of the work out for you. On our SecondHand site, we measured the actual waist and inseam, so to give you an accurate reading of the size, regardless of what’s on the tag. That way, you can navigate Levi’s® SecondHand just like levi.com.
Step 1
Find your size - Use your measurements and compare to the sizing chart below for your perfect size across modern Women’s & Men’s and vintage.
Step 2
Find the perfect pair - Go to our jeans shop and filter for the recommended sizing based on the type of jeans you want to shop for.
Step 3
Double check the actual product measurements for a perfect fit. On our SecondHand site, we measured the actual waist and inseam to give you an accurate reading of the size, regardless of what's on the tag.
Ensure the Right Fit
On our product page double check the actual product measurements.
Inseam: Compare to your inseam measurement
Waist: This one is tricky. The waist measurement is the waistband which may differ from your natural waist. Measure the part of your body where you want the jeans to sit and compare to the waist measurement listed on the product page.
Hip: For vintage, compare hip measurements to your measurements.
VINTAGE 101
Denim sizing can vary by decade. Jeans labeled as size 29 today might’ve been a 32 back in the ’90s. So we created a guide to help you find your size across the eras.
