Levi's Shrink-to-Fit™ Jeans: How to Size and Care for Them, According to Levi's Own Guides

Most Levi's jeans are preshrunk, but Shrink-to-Fit™ jeans are the exception. According to Levi's help center, they are made from raw denim that has not been preshrunk and are designed to shrink and gradually conform to your body over time. The Levi's Product Size Guide adds that the fabric is 100% raw cotton that has not been pre-washed or treated, which is why the jeans start stiff and slightly oversized.

That behavior changes how you size them. Levi's says your recommended size depends on how you plan to care for the jeans, and the brand's sizing table adds inches to your waist and inseam only if you intend to machine wash and dry them. If you want to wear them raw and unwashed, Levi's says to buy your true size instead.

Sizing: The Numbers Levi's Gives

To use the table, you first need your measurements. Levi's explains how to measure for its size charts: wrap a tape snugly around your natural waistline just above your belly button, measure around the fullest part of your hips with the tape parallel to the floor, and measure the inseam from the top of your inner thigh down to the bottom of your ankle. In Levi's charts, the size number matches the waist in inches: a size 32 corresponds to a 32-33 inch waist (about 81-84 cm); European readers can roughly convert by multiplying inches by 2.54.

Levi's sizing adjustments for Shrink-to-Fit™ jeans, if you plan to machine wash and dry them, per the brand's help page (sizes refer to the waist-size number):

• Waist: add 1" (about 2.5 cm) for sizes 27-36, 2" (about 5 cm) for sizes 38-48, and 3" (about 7.5 cm) for sizes 50 and above.
• Inseam: add 3" (about 7.5 cm) for sizes 27-34, and 4" (about 10 cm) for sizes 36 and above.
• If you prefer the unwashed raw denim route: buy your true size and let the denim conform with wear, per Levi's.

Note what the table does not cover: it is keyed to the waist-size number, not to height or to specific fits, and the brand's page does not say how much the jeans will shrink in total or how the adjustments apply to bodies between size bands.

The Soak: Levi's Method for a Custom Fit

For readers who want the molded fit, Levi's Product Size Guide describes a soaking process: fill a bathtub/bath with lukewarm water, submerge the jeans, and let them soak for about 30 minutes, avoiding hot water, which the brand says can cause uneven shrinkage. After soaking, Levi's suggests air drying the jeans while wearing them for a more custom fit, or laying them flat to dry for a looser result. The brand also notes the jeans will feel snug at first and loosen up over time as they mold to your body.

Caring for Shrink-to-Fit™ and Raw Denim

Levi's care recommendations for Shrink-to-Fit™ jeans, combining the brand's shrinkage help page and the care tips in its Product Size Guide:

• Wash inside out, in cold water (shrinkage help page).
• Air dry whenever possible (shrinkage help page); the Product Size Guide separately advises avoiding machine drying to prevent further shrinkage.
• Spot clean when appropriate to reduce the need for full washes.
• Levi's also notes that many denim enthusiasts wear Shrink-to-Fit™ jeans for an extended period before the first wash to encourage unique fading and wear patterns.

The brand's general denim care page gives additional detail for raw denim specifically: hand wash in cold water with a gentle cleanser, avoid wringing the fabric, gently remove excess water, and hang to air dry. For washing frequency, Levi's recommends washing denim after approximately every 10 wears, and for minor stains suggests spot cleaning with a damp cloth, soft brush, and mild soap instead of washing the whole garment.

Where Levi's Advice Stops

The sizing table is Levi's rule of thumb, not a guarantee: the brand does not state a final shrinkage percentage, and the added-inches figures are tied only to the planned washing method and the size number. The soak-and-wear method is also described as a way to customize fit, so how snug the result turns out depends on how you dry them (wearing them wet versus laying them flat, per Levi's). These are brand recommendations; the help pages were last updated August 20, 2026 (the size guide, October 17, 2024), and guidance can change, so check the current pages before ordering.

To check the result yourself, measure your waist and inseam as Levi's describes, write the numbers down in inches and centimeters, and re-measure the jeans after the first soak or wash to see how far they came in. Keep the care label on the garment and compare it with the Levi's help-center pages cited here, which you can find by searching "Shrinkage and Shrink-to-Fit™ jeans" and "Denim care and washing" on Levi's customer service site.