How to Pick Your Wedgie (Jeans)
The search for the cheekiest Levi’s butt.
Levi’s have been promising that their Wedgie Fit Jeans will give us the cheekiest butt since 2016. Apparently, the deeper “V” yoke and the placement of the pockets on the Levi’s Wedgie Fit Jean are “designed to show off your assets.”
According to Levi's -courtesy of InStyle Magazine - the “Wedgie is vintage-inspired and embodies the heritage of the iconic 505 jean—the classic straight, slim fitting jean of the 1960s. The back pockets are slightly tilted inwards to give women that perfectly round derrière that vintage Levi's styles achieve so well."
Interestingly, inspiration for the Wedgie Fit jeans came from street style:
“The Wedgie was inspired by the way girls were wearing vintage Levi’s,” said Jonathan Cheung, Head of Design at Levi Strauss & Co. “Just as the 501 CT was inspired by girls wearing the 501® a little bit slouchy, the Wedgie is inspired by girls that were downsizing a vintage 505™ and wearing it very close and almost vacuum-packed to the rear ends, hence the affectionate and cheeky name.” - Levi’s
This is an example of a pair of 505s that I believe inspired the Wedgie Fits.
I have flirted with the Wedgie Fit jeans, trying a pair on in store once or twice, but I have never really given them a chance. You see, I love vintage Levi’s. I love their history and the wear and tear of each pair. I have rehabbed them, painted them, patched them and distressed them. I have done this for clients and I have sold some in my vintage clothing shop on Etsy. I even wrote a blog post about Levi’s shorts last year. Some could say I am a little obsessed.
I am not, however, obsessed with my butt. I am an inverted triangle body shape, with a pretty unremarkable backside, I didn’t think that any jean could every make my bum look “cheeky” and I wasn’t bothered by that.
If you are wondering what “cheeky” means, here are some of the images the internet offers up:
So, even though I am not that concerned about trying to mimic this look. I do have clients that might benefit. Women with triangle or hourglass body shapes (smaller waists with larger hips) might really find the Wedgie Fit Jean to give them a great backside. And, with this renewed interest, I decided to put some effort into understanding the Wedgie Fits. Besides, what if they did give me the vintage curvy butt of my dreams?
Shopping for Wedgie Fit Jeans. Decidedly not dreamy.
Shopping for Wedgie Fit Jeans proved to be very confusing. There are multiple types of Wedgie Fit Jeans. There are the Premium Wedgie Fit Straight , The Premium Wedgie Ankle Fit and The Premium Wedgie Icon Fit. Then to add to the madness they have the regular (non-premium versions) called The Wedgie Skinny and The Wedgie Straight which are apparently a little less in quality and lower in price.
My goal was to find a light wash straight pair of Levi’s that hit right above my ankle. Not skinny and not cropped. After a little (a lot) of online browsing on the Levi’s Site and Zappos, I purchased Premium Wedgie Fit Straight, Premium Wedgie Icon Fit and The Wedgie Straight. I was disappointed that I could not find more light wash options, but I decided to give them a try anyway.
Here they are in a pile. Cue the try on sesh! Get ready for lots of pictures of my butt!
For some reason I only got the back image on this first pair.
Style: Levi’s Premium Wedgie Straight
Size: 27 x 26
Wash: Jive Sound
Review: Too tight and too short. Even if these gave me the Levi’s butt, I don’t think I could wear them long enough to break them in. I like breathing and bending over too much.
Style: Levi’s Premium Wedgie Straight
Size: 28 x 28
Wash: Charleston Outlasted - Dark Wash
Review: These were much more comfortable in a size up, but I wasn’t swooning. I think if I let them break in a bit, they might be keepers. But, I wanted lighter wash!
Style: Levi’s Premium Wedgie Straight
Size: 27 x 28
Wash: Tango Fray -Light Wash
Review: I like these! But what is with the weird puckering in the rip? It looks even worse in person. Maybe the top strings need to be cut? I would need to work on these to make the rip look acceptable.
Style: Levi’s Premium Wedgie Icon Fit
Size: 27 x 27.5
Wash: These Dreams
Review: Too tight, a bit too short and not straight. The Icon fit is “High Rise snug through the hip and thigh with a tapered leg.” I wasn’t looking for skinny jeans., but they are pretty flattering!
Style: Levi’s Wedgie Straight (NOT PREMIUM)
Size: 4 Short 27 x28
Wash: Mental Block
Review: The most comfortable by far. They felt like they had stretch in them. (Tag check: 98% Cotton 2% Elastane. The premiums have 99% cotton.) They were also cheaper ( These were $69.45. The premiums were $98.) They only came in two washes and I was not of a fan of the distressing in the light wash pair. A big downside is that they do lose their shape quickly. Even though the button fly should keep your belly in, my started to pooch out quite quickly in these. I can only imagine that they would also start to sag in the butt after a day of wearing as well.
How did I do?
Well, the Levi’s Wedgie Fits did not give me the butt of my dreams, but they were close! I was pretty impressed with the way they gave more shape to my backside. The problem ended up being more about the washes than the actual fit. If I can find a Premium Wedgie Straight in a light wash without distressing, I think I will be happy. In the meantime, I am going to continue to collect vintage Levi’s.
How to pick YOUR Wedgie:
1) Wedgie Fits are tight. They have a high cotton content and are meant to be broken in. My advice is to order a size up in medium and dark washes, so you do not have to suffer through a long breaking in period. Light washes seem to run a little larger. Order your true size in the light wash.
2) Pay attention to the leg style. Stick with the Premium Wedgie Straights for a more modern look. Wedgie Icon jeans look a lot like skinny jeans.
3) Buy the Premium. If you have a flat stomach and wash your jeans a lot, I would say give the non-premiums a try. They are cheaper and more comfortable. Otherwise, stick to the premiums. The extra cash is worth it.
4) Don’t expect miracles. They are pretty cute and better than any other Levi’s I tried, but they are not magic. They are also a little uncomfortable. Breaking them in is almost always necessary. Have a comfy pair of sweatpants to change into when you get home. You are going to need them.
What is your experience with Wedgie Fit Jeans? Let us know in the comments!
Love, Lisa
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