Guides & field notes

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Fit guides, brand breakdowns and how to date vintage, straight from the ThriftManGuy rack.

Vintage Levi's 505 Mens 36x32 Blue Denim Jeans

9 min read

How to Tell If Levi's Are Vintage: Tags, Tabs and Buttons

Big E tabs, care tags, button numbers, redline selvedge and patches: how to date a pair of Levi's, plus an era chart and the reissues that fool people.

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Vintage Levi's 550 Relaxed Fit Denim Shorts Mens 42 Blue Baggy

8 min read

Levi's 505 vs 550 vs 559 (and 501, 517): Which Vintage Levi's Fit Is Right for You?

Regular, relaxed or relaxed straight? How the Levi's 505, 550 and 559 differ in rise, thigh and leg, why vintage tag sizes drift, and how to measure a pair.

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