I Tried on Men’s Jeans From Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic: REVIEW

Every time I visit my local mall, I stop at Old Navy for its trendy styles at affordable prices.

As soon as I walked into the store, I found a variety of denim jeans in every size, fit, and color. My eyes quickly turned to a wall of jeans perfectly organized by fit — baggy, loose, straight, boot-cut, athletic taper, slim, or skinny.

However, I went straight to the slim lightweight traveler jean and looked for a dark denim wash. I tend to prefer darker washes, as I find they can be dressed up more easily.

The stickers on the pants made it super easy to find my size, and I made my way to the fitting room.

I was hoping for an all-dark-blue pair of jeans, so I was a bit let down to find that these had a lighter fade around the knees.

However, I instantly appreciated the fit. The fabric blend — 57% cotton, 37% lyocell, 5% recycled cotton, and 1% spandex — was comfortable, and I knew I could get a lot of use out of these pants.

The $60 price point was decent, and the store was having a 30% off sale when I visited.

I would definitely be satisfied with this pair of pants, but I wanted to see other options at Banana Republic and Gap before making a decision.

Compared to Old Navy, Banana Republic has a more sophisticated and elevated style. However, the brand is a little out of my price range, so I don’t usually shop there.

Although the store had far fewer denim options than Old Navy, I was very impressed with the way the pants were displayed. Alongside the various denim options were button-downs, shirts, and other items that could pair together nicely.

I was immediately drawn to the slim luxe traveler jean in a dark wash.

These pants were true to size and fit comfortably. The fabric — 64% cotton, 28% lyocell, 6% elasterrell, and 2% elastane — was stretchy and made movement easy. I even lifted my legs in the fitting room to test the fit.

Though these were a little pricey at $120, I could see myself splurging on them because of how nice they felt. Still, I wanted to check out one last option.

Although I don’t shop at Gap often, I’ve been seeing the brand’s “Better in Denim” campaign everywhere and was eager to see what options were available in-store.

Thankfully, I was very impressed with the assortment of styles. Similar to Old Navy, shoppers could easily choose between a variety of fits, including slim, straight, ’90s loose, and relaxed.

All the pants were either folded neatly or hung on individual racks for easy access. There was also a sticker on each pair, which made it easier to locate my ideal size.

I chose the slim jeans in a resin rinse wash and headed to the fitting room.

When I walked into the fitting room, I was immediately impressed that it had a personalized lighting option, where I could determine the perfect amount of backlighting behind my mirror.

As soon as I put on these jeans, the comfortable fit made it feel like I had already worn them for weeks. I was pleased to find the fabric — made of 78% cotton, 10% recycled cotton, 10% organic cotton, and 2% elastane — wasn’t stiff at all.

The zipper and front button were the easiest of the three pants to maneuver, and I thought the $70 price point was reasonable. At the time, the store also offered a buy-one, get-one 50% deal.

After three positive experiences at the different Gap Inc. stores, I knew I would be satisfied no matter which pair of jeans I bought.

However, if I had to pick just one, Gap won me over with its price point, fit, and color.