I’m an Odd Man in an Even World

I’m a Levi’s kind of guy. Once I made it to high school and started working part-time to have my own money, I swore I would never wear discount department store jeans again. My first pair of “real” jeans were some button fly 501’s, 32W x 34L.

These were my pants of choice for casual wear for many a year. By my late twenties I was a slightly bigger person than in my teens so my 501’s now came in 34W x 34L.

Somewhere along the line, in my thirties, bigger became better, in style and comfort, so I moved to the loose fit style, the 560 in 34W x 34L. The 560, in varying shades of stone washed was the mainstay pant in my casual wardrobe for the next decade or so.

In my middle 40s I decided that I baggy was more for the younger crowd, so I downsized my leg width by going to the relaxed 550 jean. Unfortunately my waistline had grown, what I could squeeze into a 34 waisted 560 jean had to be inside a 36 waisted 550. I was no longer a square, I had officially become a wide, as my pants size was now 36W x 34L.

A couple of years ago I lost 15 lbs and my 36 waisted pants were a little too baggy, but I was still not small enough to get into 34s. When we went jean shopping, much to my surprise Levi offered a 35W in some styles and I found some in a 505. They didn’t have any 34L though. Using my (now I know, faulty) logic, I bought some 35W x 32L 505 jeans. You see the 34L has always been a touch too long, but my fear of the dreaded “highwater” look has kept me from going with anything shorter. A couple of months was all it took before I actively searched out some 35W x 34L 505’s.

My last pair of faithful 36W x 34L 501’s are getting too worn looking to be seen in polite company, so I am looking for a new pair. My now slightly slimmer waist will still not allow a 34W pant to fit, I tried today, too snug, but the 36W is too loose. The 34L is doable, but a bit shorter would be perfect.

Levi’s just doesn’t make 501’s in a 35W x 33L. I’m an odd man in an even world…