Gap 1969 Real Straight Leg Jeans Review

I have a lot of trouble finding the perfect pair of jeans. Most jeans do not fit me properly. Finding jeans that fit me well is like finding the needle in a haystack. I have heard a lot of hype about the Gap 1969 Premium jeans and went to try them on. Gap carries a lot of different styles from skinny jeans to boot cut jeans. My favorite styles of jeans are the straight leg jeans. Straight leg jeans help elongate my short legs. While boot cut seems to engulf me, except for a slim boot cut. My body shape is of a rectangle.

I know a lot of people who have the same body shape struggle with the thighs of the pants being too big. However, I have very muscular thighs. I used to do competitive swim and exercise frequently. My genetics have blessed me with muscular thighs and very little curves.  I do not have any pictures of me trying on the jeans.

Fit:        

I have short legs but very muscular toned legs. Most brands do not carry jeans that both fit my waist and thigh area. If the jean fits my thighs, it is too big in the waist. If it fits in the waist, then it is too tight in the thigh. The Gap 1969 Straight Leg jeans, I could fit into but it wasn’t the most flattering. My thighs looked huge. I wish the jeans would have emphasized my toned legs. I know the Gap jeans will look amazing on someone but they were not the right ones for me.

I prefer my Lucky Brand Sofia Straight Leg Jeans and Ann Taylor Loft curvy straight leg jeans. Those two pair of jeans fit me amazing. They highlight my strengths and hide my imperfections. The sales associate in Lucky told me to always look for jeans that say curvy. These jeans generally have a smaller waist (which I need) and larger thigh area. However, based on the advice of the sales associate the curvy jeans still are generally too big in the waist.

Length:

The Gap online sells jeans in five different inseams but in store only sell three of the inseams. I thought that I would need the petite length, since I am not blessed with long limbs. I generally need pants in the shortest inseam, I can find. Usually the shortest inseam of the pants is way too long. I generally need to go to my tailor and get them altered.

I tried on the Gap 1969 in store and grab the short inseam. My expectations were puddles of excess fabric covering my feet. However, the short inseam was the perfect length for my short legs. Anyone with shorter legs than I have the petite inseam would probably be the right length. My perfect inseam is about 29 inches. I know the length for petite denim can tricky, since petites can vary for the perfect length.

Style:

In general the straight leg jean is recommended for people with short legs. The style of jeans helps elongate the legs, since it creates a strong vertical line. The straight leg jean does make me look taller and leaner. Those are two factors in jeans that I love, since I am already petite ( I am 5 feet 1 inches tall, I grew since the last time I mention my height).  However, slim boot cuts, skinny leg and trousers jeans can be flattering on petites.

Straight leg jeans seem to be one of the most flattering jeans for me. The Gap 1969 straight leg jeans were not the most flattering. The reason that the jeans did not flatter me was the jean did not fit me well. Any jean that does not fit properly will not be flattering. I have other brand jeans that are in a straight leg and do flatter my body. Jeans are probably one of the hardest to find that makes you look amazing.

I generally stay away from distressed denim because it emphasizes the legs. Distressed denim tends to make my thighs look huge. I rather my legs look toned, not big. However, I saw some people look amazing in distressed denim. Distressed denim is just not my cup of tea.

Pockets:

The Gap straight leg jeans do not have any sort of embellishment, contrasting bright stitching or flap pockets. Those details on the pocket cause the bum to look larger. Women with an ample bum should avoid any sort of detail on the bum area.

The jeans pockets are slightly diagonal slightly towards the middle. This feature causes the bum to look perkier. The jean pockets are not too close towards the center or too far. The jean placement seems to be universally flattering.

The pocket size is another huge factor. I generally look for jeans with mid size pocket. That size pocket seems to be the most flattering. Huge pockets and tiny pockets put my bum out of proportion. The Gap 1969 denim did not seem close together or far apart. The pocket placement is important on how the jeans are going to look on your body. Pockets too close or too far can make your bum look bigger. I do like how the pockets of the jeans look like on my body (as a side note, I do not have a huge bum).

Color:

I love dark wash denim, since it goes with everything. Dark colors in general tend to recede, while lighter colors bring more emphasize. I always heard that darker color jeans make petites look taller and slimmer. Those two factors are appealing to me, since I am not very tall. What woman does not want to look slimmer?

I picked up the Gap 1969 straight leg jeans in the darkest color. The dark color seems to be very flattering on me. The jeans came in different washes depending on your style preferences. I wished the jeans came in colors other than black and blue. Color denim is on trend. Darker color jeans such as a burgundy would have the same slimming effect.  

Fabric:

The jean material is an important aspect of the jeans. Jeans that are made out of 100% cotton do not have any stretch. However, jeans that have spandex, Lycra blended in the cotton will have stretch to the denim. The stretch of the denim tends to be a bit more forgiving.  It stretches were it needs to be stretched. The Gap real straight jeans are made of 87% cotton, 12% Polyester, 1% Spandex. I expect these jeans to stretch a little over time. I will want these jeans to be form fitting but not tight. The more I wear the jeans, the more comfortable the jeans will be. I would suggest anyone to look for jeans with stretch. However, I do not recommend jeans with more than 2% spandex. The higher the spandex, the higher the amount it will stretch. High levels of stretch may stretch too much.

The weights of the Gap jeans are a thicker material. I tend to prefer my jeans with mid-weight jeans. Heavy-weight jeans tend to be very uncomfortable for me. I think it is preference on the weight of the fabric of the jeans. Some people do enjoy thicker denim. However, I always feel like I gained a lot of weight with a heavy weight feel of my jeans.

Sizing:

I think everyone will find jeans fit them completely different. One person may find the jeans true to fit based on the size chart and another person fined it different. Based on the size chart, Gap says I should be a size 2 or size 26. In the petite jeans, Gap says I should be a size 2 or 26. The jeans in a size 2 did not fit me and was way too small. The size chart on Gap is based on an hourglass figure. I do not have an hourglass figure, and know I will probably not be the exact same size on the size chart.  I tend to be tiny. Do to my muscular frame; I tend to be a larger size. I need more room to fit my muscular body. If I was not very muscular, I would probably be a size 0.  I think the best way of knowing something fits you is to try the item on.

When I am looking at a sizing chart on the manufacturer’s website, I like to try on several different sizes. I will grab one size smaller and two or three sizes bigger. Sometimes, a jean can buckle but it does not mean the jeans fit. A jean in the next larger size may fit better than the jean in the smaller size.

As a note, I do not recommend shopping for jeans based on a certain size. Clothing today is based on vanity sizing. A size 4 may be smaller in some stores and larger in others. A size is just a number and can usually cut out the size. No one will know the size you are unless you tell someone. However, people will be able to tell if the item of clothing does not fit you properly. Shopping based on a size may cause you to purchase ill-fitting clothing.

Pricing:

The Gap Real Straight Jeans are not super expensive. When the jeans are not on sale, they are $69.95. They are a mid-priced jean.

Summary:

Jeans are one of the hardest to purchase to find the perfect pair. The Gap 1969 real straight was not the jean for me but will be better on someone else. Just because a jean does not fit me, does not mean it will not fit you. I think it is best to purchase clothing that makes you look amazing. I would recommend the Gap 1969 Real Straight Jeans to others.  

The Limited Finally Sells Petites Clothing

I find it difficult to find clothing to fit my petite figure (I am only 5”1’ tall, I grew since last time I mentioned my height). A lot of places do not sell petite clothing and was excited to see that The Limited was starting to sell petite clothing. The Limited petite line introduces the line last month but is only available online. I wish someday The Limited will sell their petite line in stores. Currently, I did not try any of their petite line. I am planning on soon to order a few items from their petite line.

The Limited I feel caters more for the working women but I think some of their pieces can be dressed down. They sell petite suits, which can be difficult to find. Especially for tiny petites and petites that wear larger clothing sizes. For petites that love to dress casually, they do sell petite sized t-shirts.

Why did The Limited decided to add a petite range: The Limited was getting demands from petites to make petite clothing. The company decided to lesson to customers, since they will be buying the clothing. After all, clothing companies are trying to make money.

Petite versus Regular: The Limited designed their clothing to fit petite proportions. A lot of elements of clothing fit have been altered to fit a smaller frame. Here is what

Suits: “Proportioned shoulders that fit smoothly”. In other words the shoulders are smaller than on their regular size suits. “Shorter sleeves (no bagging at the wrist). Shorter inseams so hems fall where they should.”

Skirts: “Waistbands that sit at your waistline. Shorter hems fall in just the right place”.

Ankle Pants: “Shorter pant rise. Inseams & hems designed to hit just where they should”.

Jackets: “Proportioned shoulders that fit smoothly”. The shoulders are smaller versus of the regular line. “Shorter sleeves (no bagging at the wrist).

Dresses:  Neckline & armholes that sit in the right place”. The arms holes are raise higher in order accommodate a shorter frame. “ Waist placement is raised proportionately. Hems shortened to hit just where they should”. In other words a mini dress should hit mid thigh.

Tops: “Proportioned neckline and collars, shorter sleeves (no bagging at the wrist).

Denim: “ Proportioned waistband fit just right”. In other words the waistband is taking in compared to the regular line. “ Shorter rises (no bagging), knee breaks that hit in the right place”. The knee placement should hit at your actual knees. “ Shorter inseams so hems fall where they should”.

Sizing:  I think The Limited has a large variety of sizes. In their pants they sell petite 00 to 16. Some of The Limited pants start at a size 0 to 12. Some tiny petites may be sized out. The Limited sells their pants in short and petite. The short length, I believe is sold in stores.

The Petite skirts start at a size 0 to a size 12. I wish The Limited sold 00 for some petites that wear that size clothing. Some tiny petites may be sized out or require a lot of alterations.

The Petite suits start at a size 00 and goes to a size 12.  Some petites that wear larger clothing sizes will be sized out. However, I was glad to see The Limited selling size 00. A lot of petite brands do not sell 00.

As far as tops and sweater it starts at a size XS to XL. The petite dresses start at a size 0 to a size 12 or sizes XS to XL.

Overall, I think The Limited sells a large variety of sizes. However, I wish that the Limited sold more sizes in 00. Some tiny petites will be sized out of some of The Limited petite clothing line.

Shipping: The Limited shipping is 8.95 for orders under $125. This seems to be standard shipping. Ann Taylor Loft and Ann Taylor both I believe shipping is 8.95 for orders under $175 or $150 (I cannot remember).

Return: The petite clothing items must be returned online only. I wished that The Limited accepted clothing in stores, which means that you may luck out in finding petite sizes in store.

When I try The Limited Petite range, I will probably do some reviews on their clothing. I know clothing items fits us all differently.