Problem with my skinnies. Help!!

I’m so frustrated! One of my biggest wardrobe gaps has been skinny jeans. I’ve been looking for a good pair for awhile, with little luck. My budget just won’t allow for an expensive pair of jeans right now, premium denim or not. So when ATL had an online sale a few weeks ago, with their denim selling for $25 a pair, I jumped all over it. I have several pair of ATL bootcuts and they’ve worked well for me. I tried really had to be smart about this purchase: I posted on the forum asking for opinions on if the jeans suited me, I expected a certain amount of stretch and even wore the jeans around the house for several hours (with tags) to see how much they’d stretch. Also, I went with a size larger than my normal size because they felt more comfortable and didn’t stretch out too much when I “test wore” them. Everything pointed to a good purchase, so I ripped off the tags and gave them their inaugural wash. Cold water, air dry. But from the moment I put them on yesterday, it was as if they were already over stretched! There was extra fabric in the hip area and the knees were all baggy!

http://smg.photobucket.com/alb...../problems/
Password: problems

Sorry for the picture quality, but it was really had to get shots that properly show the problem. I’m still not even sure these pictures demonstrate the extent of the problem.

For comparison sake, here are pics I posted of the same pair of jeans last week (pre-washing).
http://smg.photobucket.com/alb.....ies019.jpg
http://smg.photobucket.com/alb.....ies020.jpg

Now I don’t know what to do. Did I make a mistake in buying the bigger size, or would the smaller size have stretched out too much as well? It bothers me that they weren’t stretched out like this until after I washed them, so maybe it’s a flaw? I’ve thought of washing them again but putting them in the dryer this time, but I have no reason to believe they won’t stretch out this bad eventually (though, at this point I have nothing to lose). Or, should I return them and get my money back? I still have the receipt, thought I admit I feel awkward returning something I’ve washed and worn, even if it’s possibly flawed.

If you were in my situation, what would you do? Any advice or suggestions are greatly appreciated!

16 years ago

Queen Mum

Veteran

I would return them. You followed the washing instructions and you weren't happy with the results. I think you have ample grounds for return.

Mojo Riley

Active Member

I would definitely return them. You have the pictures to prove the before/after state, although I doubt you'll need them. I agree that's unacceptable for having only been washed once! Quality is hard to come by these days, sadly....

chewyspaghetti

I agree with the others. It's a design flaw, and you deserve your money back.

shiny

This is my beef with ATL: In the last 18 months I've noticed their quality has gone down hill. It's like Forever21 quality, but with a higher price tag!

First it started with their purses. Every handbag I bought, broke within a few wears. So I stopped buying their handbags.

Then it was their tops. Frequently I find they shrink and the dye runs. I've resorted to dry-elling my favorites - I don't dare to even hand wash them! Not to mention, the sizing is inconsistent and all over the map. So I have stopped buying their tops.

Also, did you buy these online? I have noticed that the quality is different, online vs in store. For example, about a year ago I duplicated a pair of dress slacks I purchased in store. The two were exact same model and style number and even color, but the ones I rec'd from my online order were shoddier quality material AND there was something off about the fit.

Then I bought that black ponte knit sheath, which bled all over my white handbag while in HK. That was the last straw.

I really love their clothing styles but I'm very, very cautious about purchasing anything there anymore. It has to be discounted to F21 levels, and I have to expect it's going to be disposable fashion. I guess it's still a good way to test run trends you aren't sure about, and buy summer clothes (my summer clothes never last more than a season anyway). Jackets that don't need frequent washing are probably a safe bet. But mostly I just look at their jewelry these days. Never had any problem with their jewelry.

karlie

Thanks everyone! I think I knew that returning these jeans is the right thing to do, but it's nice to know that others would do the same. Plus, I really needed to vent, so thanks for listening!

Shiny-I shop ATL quite often but these jeans are the first I've purchased online (I'm far too impatient to wait for things that I can buy in store, plus I hate paying for shipping, and hate paying for return shipping even more). And the only reason I got these online was becasue the sale wasn't in stores. So I can't comment on the item quality comparrision between store items and online items. However, now that you mention it, I have had several quality issues with things I've purchased in the past year or so:

*jeans that busted open on a side seam (and it wasn't that they were too tight, the sewing was off)

*black cardigan sweater that pills like it's shedding a winter coat

*shirnking issues with tops, such as you described

Too bad, because I've always really loved thier clothing style, too. I think I'm just going to have to be more careful with what I buy from there, *if* I continue to buy from there. This situation with the skinnies has been the last straw for me. Sorry ATL, but you've just lost a loyal customer!

Lee Hovey

Hmmm, I have never bought any ATL jeans, but whats funny is I just mentioned the same issue on my blog today. I bought a pair of skinnies from AE (one of the few brands that fit my curves well), and I loved how the fit brand new. I was afraid of them shrinking so I washed them on cold, and air dried them, and i have the exact same problem as you. Particularly in the knee area.

This feels like a shameless plug of my blog but it's the easiest way to show the pictures. He's today's entry showing the stretch knees... look a few posts earlier to see what they looked like before laundering.
http://tomboyfashion.blogspot......-grey.html

elpgal

I have not bought bottoms from ATL in a long while but I agree with Shiny about the tops. Every single top I have bought from them in the last year has had problems with shrinkage or seams falling apart. This has happened even when I hand-washed the items in cold water. I buy most items on sale, so I have not lost a lot of money but it is frustrating.

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