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My BRAND NEW pair of Levi’s 502 smell like poop

SolidChamp

SolidChamp

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
4,867
I told myself I shouldn't make this thread, but it's driving me crazy and the Reddit thread I found isn't helping much and is just causing more confusion.

https://www.reddit.com/r/streetwear...source=amp&utm_medium=&utm_content=post_title

So apparently I'm not alone here. About a week ago I went to a Levi's store and bought two pairs of 502's, a dark blue pair and a slightly lighter one. The dark ones are fine, look awesome, and smell like every other pair of jeans/pants I've ever bought. The lighter pair, on the other hand...

It's such a subtle, yet lingering odour that really does smell like poop; the kind of which is not unlike the bad breath of someone who just had a cigarette after a cup of coffee and hasn't brushed their teeth in a day.

Let's get the obvious out of the way: I didn't shit my pants. We can all agree on that, right? Why would I be here if I did? So get that chuckle out of your system and marvel with me; why the fuck would every inch of this denim have that faint shit smell?

I ran it through a cold cycle without detergent so as not to ruin the color, and a low dry cycle with a Bounce dryer sheet. It had zero effect. According to some of the people on Reddit, an aggressive wash will just make the smell stronger.

This is truly one of the weirdest retail related things that has ever happened to me. For a while I was paranoid that maybe the person who tried them on before me had such poor hygiene that their foulness clings to the fabric like stink on shit...but that's not a thought I want to entertain.
 
Ominym

Ominym

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,068
Never had this problem with Levi's jeans, but I did with a pair of Express ones I had once. Didn't smell like actual shit, more like burning plastic (which wasn't great either) because they were apparently made from recycled materials.
 
Fiction

Fiction

Fanthropologist
Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,757
Elf Tower, New Mexico
Not sure how that would have happened, but I would try some vinegar and baking soda and maybe a non-bleach laundry sanitizer. Shouldn't damage them but should remove the smell.

If that doesn't work return them.

Akso, Gross.
 
OP
OP
SolidChamp

SolidChamp

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
4,867
Nida said:
Can you return them?

I have a couple pairs that have a weird chemical smell, but I think that's just jeans.
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According to some people in that Reddit thread, some jeans are treated with a sulphur based black dye? I dunno. Never heard of that before.

I'm pretty sure I ditched the receipt. I'm a 6'2" tall Canadian dude with a 36 waist living in Taipei and so finding a pair of jeans that fits is a bit of a chore. These fit like a dream and I'd hate to return them only to find out I can't get them in the same color/size.
 
big_z

big_z

Member
Nov 2, 2017
7,797
I've encountered this once before. I noticed the smell before trying them on so I tossed them figuring someone shit themselves during a test fit.
 
Ominym

Ominym

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,068
I mean if all else fails OP, you could always try shitting the pants.

Fight fire with shit, or something like that.
 
OP
OP
SolidChamp

SolidChamp

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
4,867
Verano said:
Yes plz shit on yourself OP lol

On a serious note OP how come you didn't notice the smell before you bought a pair? Just sayin.
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That's a whole other story. lol

I like to zip in and out of places when I shop for clothes. I only try things on when I feel it's absolutely necessary. With jeans I know I need a straight leg in a 36/34. If it's not a slim/skinny fitting jean then I can grab it and go.

I had planned on being in that store for 15 minutes, tops. The store clerk had other plans for me. I kept telling him what I wanted, and he kept fucking redirecting me to a very large table at the front of the store of these "Made in Japan Collection (511)" imports trying to get me to try them on. These fucking things were $270USD a pair. Every time I asked for "straight leg" with a normal fit, he'd ask me to try those on.

It was only at the very end that I insisted on a straight leg and classic fit that he brought me to the normal priced jeans ($100), and I grabbed the first two in my size, tried on the darker ones, discovered it was exactly what I was looking for the entire time, and then just said "give me both pairs, one light and one dark".

TL;DR I was in a rush. I didn't have time to stop and smell the shit.
 
uzipukki

uzipukki

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
5,722
EDIT: I'm stupid for not reading the whole OP.
 
Dust

Dust

C H A O S
Member
Oct 25, 2017
32,221
SolidChamp said:
Let's get the obvious out of the way: I didn't shit my pants. We can all agree on that, right? Why would I be here if I did?
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I chuckled because this sounds like an Ace Attorney character having a breakdown.

tenor.gif


Can't say I ever encountered this, maybe they were washed incorrectly beforehand for some reason?
 
CHC

CHC

Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,246
Got to say the OP had me dying. I try not to "break character" for threads like these but goddamn, it's great writing man.
 

Maso

Member
Sep 6, 2018
912
You said you didn't want to entertain the thought, but I do! Someone with a poopy butt tried them on, or wore them for half a day and then returned them. Their poop has now become one with you. 🤷‍♂️

Does it smell more like a sulfur poop? Could be the dye, but then I imagine it'd be a more widespread issue.

Edit: Sorry, I should have paid more attention to your followup posts.
 
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Dimple

Dimple

Member
Jan 10, 2018
8,557
My dad ordered a pair of Levi's off Amazon once and they smelt like shit when they arrived, when I worked in Topman/Topshop the girls skinny jeans smelt the same when they turned up in the delivery.

I think it's something to do with the dyeing, Probably just a cheap manufacturing process.
 
Amalthea

Amalthea

Member
Dec 22, 2017
5,679
That sounds scary since I mostly wear jeans and can't smell. And most people I'm around propably are too polite to tell me if I stank like shit (except my sister, lol).
 
Kyrios

Kyrios

Member
Oct 27, 2017
14,637
SolidChamp said:
According to some people in that Reddit thread, some jeans are treated with a sulphur based black dye? I dunno. Never heard of that before.
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That could be what you're smelling, that is some stanky stuff if you can smell it.

I'm going to be smelling every new pair of dark color jeans from now on thanks to this thread lmao
 
DonnyHayabusa

DonnyHayabusa

Member
Jan 22, 2019
174
I would go to the store and sniff the other jeans from your model. If they are also stinky just casually ask the staff if there is a known serial jeans shitter doing his dirty work in their store.
 
Laserbeam

Laserbeam

Member
Oct 27, 2017
6,450
Canada
I have nothing real to contribute because I don't own these pants.

but I HAVE purchased two different pairs of Dickies work pants months apart (from their site) that smelled pretty offputting and possibly like the smell you are mentioning when they arrived.

I did wash before wearing and they stopped smelling, however. so this is weird.

I just took it to be whatever dye/chemical/whatever they used.
 

Deleted member 44371

Banned
Jun 1, 2018
4,523
The stinky odor that you smell from your new clothes is because of the formaldehyde applied to them in the manufacturing process in order to prevent molds, bacteria, mildew, and other substances that may wear out the cloth while they are still stocked in the warehouse.

Its just pure toxic chemicals thats why I always wash new jeans at least 3x before wearing them.
 

Deleted member 12790

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
24,537
eat something that smells the exact opposite of the way your jeans smell, then poop in them. The smells will cancel out, it's basic science.
 
Captjohnboyd

Captjohnboyd

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,569
Your first mistake was buying 502's. You should have listened to the clerk. 511's are the superior fit. Tapered a tiny bit at the thigh and calf but not skinny jeans. Straight legs are too stovepipey. But $270 is insane so I get it
 
Mivey

Mivey

Member
Oct 25, 2017
17,825
Ominym said:
I mean if all else fails OP, you could always try shitting the pants.

Fight fire with shit, or something like that.
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Or, use it defensively. If you do shit your pants, you can at least be assured that no one will be able to smell the difference.
Not that I'm recommending that OP should, actually, shit their pants.
 
Username1198

Username1198

The Fallen
Oct 27, 2017
8,122
Space, Man
I would straight up call Levi's help line and be like wtf y'all?

also, I went to the Levi's store last night and noticed every single pair had the word "stretch" on it and the material doesn't feel like denim, and was 65% cotton and 34% polyester?

The pair I have feels like wearing sweat pants but they look like denim??
 
PeskyToaster

PeskyToaster

Member
Oct 27, 2017
15,313
Username1198 said:
I would straight up call Levi's help line and be like wtf y'all?

also, I went to the Levi's store last night and noticed every single pair had the word "stretch" on it and the material doesn't feel like denim, and was 65% cotton and 34% polyester?

The pair I have feels like wearing sweat pants but they look like denim??
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the help line is gonna be like how do we help this person who doesn't realize they stink.
 
petitmelon

petitmelon

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,321
Texas
Some things that helped in my experience:
  • Placing them outside and letting the sun shine on them for half a day
  • Putting in a bag in the freezer
  • Using a misting bottle with a vinegar/water solution (last resort)
I don't recommend Febreeze because it makes it worse.

Usually airing in the sun is enough for me.
 

Deleted member 11985

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
4,168
I got rained on like 5 days in a row once, which led to this awful smell in my shoes. I tried a bunch of random stuff I read online that didn't work, but then I realized I could just buy something from Amazon, so I bought this spray and it worked on the first overnight spraying:


You could try spraying that all over your jeans. It's labeled as a shoe deodorizer, but I'm not sure if that matters for jeans or not. You could try looking for a highly rated clothes deodorizer, if you're concerned about it.
 
OP
OP
SolidChamp

SolidChamp

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
4,867
Okay so tossing it in the dryer on an air cycle for 70 minutes is having some sort of an effect. It's slowly improving things. We'll see how it smells after a few cycles.
 
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