True vintage in the world of Levi's is defined as any pair made in the USA from 2003 and earlier (the year the last factory in San Antonio closed). Vintage Levi's are predominately men's jeans made from 100% cotton shrink-to-fit denim that's intended to shrink by up to 10%.
The rule of thumb for women navigating men's sizing is to take your typical women's denim size and add 2-3. That will help narrow things down to then compare exact measurements provided for each pair to your own.
FINDING YOUR MEASUREMENTS
To get your measurements, start with your favorite pair of 100% cotton no stretch jeans, grab a soft measuring tape and follow the instructions on the image below. Waist, Hip, Rise and Inseam are all essential to finding your fit.
OTHER FITS
Once you have your fitted measurements, you may want to explore other ways of wearing your vintage Levi's. I always suggest adding 1-2 inches to the waist and hip dimensions for a more relaxed/boyfriend fit and 2-3 inches for a slouchy oversized fit.
