Customer Reviews

Levi's Men's 512 Slim Fit Jean

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

In my late twenties, when I finally grew out of thinking baggy pants were cool, I set out to buy jeans to fit my 6'6" 160 lb body. I quickly came to dread shopping for jeans. The vast majority of stores don't carry anything above a 34" inseam, and the few that do have nothing below a 34" waist. Apparently there just aren't enough of us tall skinny guys out there to have a market for jeans to fit.

After checking dozens of stores I did find one place that sold such a size: Lucky Brand Jeans. Their extra long sizes worked out to approximately a 37 inseam. For a number of years I would hit up a Lucky maybe once a year or so and ask what they had in extra long. It usually amounted to a selection of one or two options. I even tried a pair of women's pants once. Things were good in extra-long Lucky land, and I resigned myself to the extra-large price tag: $100+ a pop.

On a tip I got some Levis 501 shrink-to-fits. The trick with these is you buy larger than your size and wash them until they come down to the fit you want. I went through a few pairs of 501s, but I didn't like having to go at least a few weeks between washings. The dark color quickly faded to what my wife called "highlighter blue". That wasn't a compliment.

Then I tried these 31x36 clean rinse 512s from Amazon, and my first reaction was, "Where have you been all my life 512s?" They are dark enough to dress up or down. They've kept their color much more than the 501 STFs ever did. And I don't have to do any complicated wash/dry processes to get to the right size. They fit right away. Machine washing on cold and hanging to dry has kept them from shrinking up and left the inky clean rinse color. On top of that, for less than $40 a pair I could buy 2-3 for the cost of one pair of Lucky jeans.

Some people have commented on the lower quality of denim in these pants. From what I understand Levis made a switch in recent years from US manufacturing to foreign locations such as Mexico and China. Supposedly ever since then the denim has run lighter and less durable. I haven't been wearing Levis for long enough to be able to compare, but it's honestly not an issue for me. I don't work outside but maybe once or twice a year. For those times I'll wear some beat up pants. The rest of the year, I'll be sporting my 512s. These are some great jeans.

Levi's 512s are the only jeans I wear; all the others are too baggy, too skinny, too low-rise, etc. 512s appear on a leaner frame the way 505s look on a medium build. I'm glad to see the choice of colors available, as previously I could only find the Medium Stonewash. This time around I got the Dark Stonewash and the Clean Rinse, and my only quibble is that the Clean Rinse seems made of a lighter weight denim.

These jeans have a very nice cut for tall lanky types, though the denim is NOT the same weight as regular Levis. The denim is so thin I wouldn't dare work outside in them, fearing a tear/rip. These are more like dress pants, something to wear with a suit.

My husband has worn Levi's 512 for years. We can not find them locally anymore and heard a rumor that they discontinued the style. Very happy when I ran across these on Amazon. Not so happy after receiving them. The material is not nearly as durable as some of the same brand same style that he still has in his closet. The fit is not right. The length is much longer than previous. He decided to keep them although Amazon says you can ship back free. Will start looking for something new. We are huge Levi's fans. Levi's are my favorite jeans as well so this is a huge disappointment!

Although the Levi's 505 jean is usually referred to as the zipper version of the classic button fly 501, the Levi's 512 model seems closer to me. If you are looking for the 501 fit without the hassle of buttons, this may be the way to go. The 505 is rather full in the seat and crotch (technically "the rise") and can look pretty baggy. Though described as a "slim fit", the 512 is more of a moderate fit, snug but not formfitting, much like the handsome 501. Rather than slim fit, it really should be described as the 512 "tapered leg", because it has a noticeable taper to the ankle, which means it will not fit over boots, unlike the 505 and the 501. The denim is thick and of good quality, and breaks in nicely over time. However, if you really do want a true slim cut -- the 514 is better choice as it is trimmer in the seat and sits a little lower on the waist.

i returned this product because of poor quality fabric,(not the standard levi's fabric for these type of jeans) and sizes. i would like to buy more of this jeans, but when i learn that good standards are back.
thank

Buying jeans is the classic YMMV situation, involving lugging stacks of jeans into dusty dressing rooms. Even jeans labelled with the same size can vary noticeably. Amazon has made the process simpler by offering a wide variety, free shipping (at least for Prime) AND free returns. So I suggest you order some of these in a few sizes AND some 514s in a few sizes, because there's no way to know if they are going to fit the way you like until you have them on your person. In my case, I guess my rear is smaller than most because the 512s are baggy there more than I would like. Not what I expected from the product description. I kept a pair just to have some knockaround pants, but I think from now on I'm a 514 kind of guy.

I have tried to find the Levi 512 jeans in malls and online for months without result. If you are skinny and like a jean that fits comfortably without being baggy, then this is the model. They fit very well and of course carry the famous Levi tag.

Great fitting Jeans for the slim guys, with skinny legs. Look and fit great. Would buy this style again.

I have been a Levi's purchaser and wearer for nearly all of my 41 years, I really have been taken aback by how the quality of the denim used by Levi's China. It weighs about as much as 2 dress shirts and wears terribly. I bought a pair of these jeans last year and they have been ripping at the crotch, which led me to purchase these. When I got these in the mail, I couldn't believe how crappy the denim is. I'm sure they won't last even a year. Does anyone make a REAL HEAVY denim anymore??