It’s not every day you see a larger-than-life pair of jeans at your local mall. But this week, five malls across the U.S. will house custom pairs of Levi’s® Giant 501® Jeans, measuring 12 feet tall — nearly five times larger than the average pair of jeans.
Read on to see how and why they were made, and how denim fans can use them to get a discount.
A Job for the Pros
From the iconic Levi’s® Red Tab and stitched Arcuate on the back pockets, to the five-button fly, leather patch and the shrink-to-fit fabric, every aspect of the Levi’s® 501® Giant Jean is authentic to the original 501® design.
Typically, one of our apparel technicians can make a pair of 501® jeans in about two hours — but when there is a tenfold increase in material, the process takes three days. An average pair of 501® jeans uses about 1.5 yards of denim and weighs approximately two pounds. By contrast, each pair of Giant 501® Jeans uses about 15 yards of denim and weighs nearly 20 pounds. Even the thread count used for one Giant 501® Jean is significant, equating to what is used for about six pair of regular 501® jeans.
Luckily, our experts at our Eureka Innovation Lab can create denim magic, with proven experience bringing even the most extreme ideas to life. So when the idea of the Giant 501® Jeans first came to the Eureka team, they knew exactly who to ask: Carmen Deng, a veteran Levi’s® apparel technician who has been with the company for nearly 18 years. From cutting the denim and creating the pattern to heaving it through the traditional sewing machine and perfecting the double stitching, the entire creation process tested Carmen’s ingenuity and strength. The outcome exceeded what the team imagined was possible.
“I was honored to work on such a fun project and can’t wait to see our consumers interact with these larger-than-life jeans,” Carmen said. “This is definitely one of the most memorable items I’ve created.”
Celebrating an Iconic Fit
Levi’s®, along with our franchisee partners, opened a record number of stores in 2023 — 105 net store openings around the world, excluding Russia. With our physical footprint expanding by the day, we’re always looking for creative and fun ways to engage with our fans, which sparked the initial idea for the Giant 501® Jeans.
“What better way to bring awareness to our stores in the U.S. than with a massive symbol of what we’re known for: denim,” said Danny Rosenberg, director of U.S. retail marketing at Levi’s®. “We wanted to create a symbol that would increase consideration for Levi’s stores. So we set out to make largest pair of our iconic 501® jeans, and I’m proud to say mission accomplished. We’re eager to see consumers get joy from interacting with them, snap their pictures and welcome them to our beautiful stores while getting them fitted in their perfect denim-on-denim outfit.”
The timing of the Giant 501® Jeans activation coincides with another monumental moment in LS&Co. history. May 20, 1873, marks the day Levi Strauss & Co. received a patent for its riveted pants, the official birthday of the Levi’s® 501® jean. Since then, the 501® jean has evolved with trends and the styles of the times, all while maintaining its status as a closet staple and its core design attributes. That’s why today we fondly recognize May 20 as 501® Day, celebrating the iconic fit and its impact on our culture and communities.
The momentum and love for the Levi’s® 501® hasn’t slowed down since its introduction, as fans everywhere continue to shop the classic and iconic fit. Last year, 501® jeans neared $800 million dollars in annual sales. And in our first quarter of 2024, total global company revenues for the 501® jean were up 23% in our direct-to-consumer channel, on top of 32% growth in the same period last year. The data is clear: there’s still a passion for the Levi’s® 501®, the jean and fit that started it all.
See a Pair, Get a Pair
The Giant 501® Jeans aren’t just a cool display of denim — they also offer a fun perk for consumers. From now through May 20, Levi’s® Red Tab™ loyalty program members can show a picture of themselves in front of the Giant Jeans at any of the five participating Levi’s® stores to receive 40% off one pair of regular priced 501® jeans.
Signing up for the Levi’s® Red Tab™ loyalty program is free, open to all and easy — sign up online or at your local Levi’s® store.
The participating locations include:
- Levi’s® Brickell City Center in Miami, Florida
- Levi’s® 5th and Broadway in Nashville, Tennessee
- Levi’s® Victoria Gardens in Rancho Cucamonga, California
- Levi’s® Easton Town Center in Columbus, Ohio
- Levi’s® Ala Moana in Honolulu, Hawaii
If you’re near a participating store, we hope to see you soon! And for those who aren’t, don’t fret: you can always visit a store or go online to pick up your classic Levi’s® 501® ahead of May 20. Happy shopping!
