The Real Straight on the Always Skinny: Side by Side Gap Styles - YouLookFab Forum

Category

Dressing

Welcome! Read about what to wear and how to wear it on the YLF Blog. Join the YLF Forum to ask specific questions or just chat about fashion and personal style. Or check out the curated list of things we love in YLF Finds.

Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

The Real Straight on the Always Skinny: Side by Side Gap Styles

Suz

(website)

Veteran

A few people asked to see the Always Skinny jeans. So here they are side by side with the Real Straights for comparison.

White shirt = Always Skinny

Blue shirt = Real Straight

Real Straight are a slightly lighter wash and therefore feel more casual. The dark wash of the skinnies makes it harder to see details; sorry, but this is the best light we can get for pics these days.

Tags are still on the Always Skinny if you think they should go back. This particular pair seemed to fit me much better than the ones in my previous try-ons, but please correct me if I am deluding myself on that score!

This post has 6 photos. Photos uploaded by this member are only visible to other logged in members.

If you aren't a member, but would like to participate, please consider signing up. It only takes a minute and we'd love to have you.

Dressing

17 replies

Latest reply was from

Jonesy

Veteran

I think they both look great! You just have a bit more room through the calves/ankles with the straight ones, right? Congrats on findings some fab, pocketbook-friendly jeans, Suz!

kellygirl

Veteran

The AS look like they would make great tucking jeans too--they are very cute on you. The RS are my fave on you. They are amazing. Makes me want to give them a go too!

Anonymous

You look so fit Suz! You must really be working out. (Either that or those jeans have miraculous capabilities). I like them both on you. The fact the the skinnies are scrunching down the leg is proof that they are not vacuum sealed to your legs. How are they when you stand up from sitting? Do they fill a need that your AT skinnies do not fill? If they feel good and they fill a wardrobe hole you had then by all means keep them!

I'm curious as to the fiber content of each pair. The darkest wash Gap jeans I tried on today were 80% cotton and 20% polyester and they didn't feel as soft as the medium wash which were 99% cotton and 1% spandex. I wonder how each blend would affect shrinkage and/or bag out.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Claire, you are such a flatterer. And you are also so SMART. How clever to think of the fabric content!

Here's the breakdown:

The Real Straight is 80% cotton, 19% Polyester, 1% spandex.

The Always Skinny is 99% cotton, 1% elastane.

The Long and Lean is 98% cotton, 2% spandex.

My AT Modern Fit Skinnies are 99% cotton, 1% spandex.

It's going to be REALLY interesting to watch the shrinkage and stretching in these different fabrics!

You are right that the Always Skinny is not as snug as my AT skinnies on the calf area; those are more like jeggings on me. They also stretch out a bit more than I would like, but I bought them a bit large, so that is part of the issue. If I wear with a belt it is no problem; if not, they sort of crawl down and down and down, especially if tucked into boots. (Still need to try the shoelace trick to hold them up). But the Always Skinny could definitely fill a need, both for another tucking jean, and a narrow jean I could wear without tucking.

The Long and Leans also stretch out on me, but in that case I don't mind them being a bit looser.

So far, after a day and a half of wear, the Real Straight seem to be maintaining their shape quite well. There is a bit of stretch in the bum, but I wouldn't say it's all bagging out in an awful way.

Jjsloane

Veteran

Wow love them both but from the rear I slightly prefer the real Straight. Different washes so definitely keep both.

Anonymous

Nice! I have a new test for jeans. After rising from a seated position, how many steps (walking) does it take for the jeans to fall to their proper position on your legs/boots *without tugging*? Maybe we need to train ourselves not to grab at our crotches first thing!

I would rather my jeans bag a bit between washings than have them so tight that I never want to wear them. I have had many pairs of too tight jeans, and only one pair that bagged out horribly (they are my new yoga pant alternatives).

As per the fiber content...I'm trying to form a theory on what constitutes premium denim. (is it just like "designer jeans" in the 80's?) I could just ask Angie this of course, but I have seen Premium Denim advertised everywhere from Target to Old Navy. And my Gap jeans that are cut just like the AS are labeld "Premium Skinnies". Is this *fake* premium denim? The expensive pairs I tried on at the Rack and Nordies were SUPER stretchy and had between 3 and 6% stretch. They were like thick blue tights with pockets! Maybe this high stretch content is why they bag out. Idk. It's all a mystery.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

It is still a mystery to me, too, Claire. I hope someone will enlighten us. Someone who actually owns some premium denim. What does the fabric label say?

The other complicating factor is that the Gap comes up with new fabrics/washes every season, and I assume most premium denim designers do as well. So that means, even if someone here tells us she has a FAB pair of such-and-such and the fabric is 98% cotton and 2% gold, we can't be sure that's what we will be getting when we hit the stores!

By the way js, I agree about the back view on those Real Straights. The Always Skinny back view is my least favourite part. The pockets are rather large and have a sort of widening, flattening affect on my derriere.

Transcona Shannon

Veteran

i think these both look great on you Suz but if I had to pick a single pair, I think you look flat out sensational in the Real Straight pair. And I swear that jeans are just always going to remain difficult and mysterious to fit!

Anonymous

The super-dark jeans I tried on in every cut had a derierre-flattening effect to them. They were the jeans that were 80/20 with no stretch.

With your AS, I think it is just the optical illusion provided by the pocket stitching and placement. From the side, you are all perky!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Get both. They look amazing, Suz!

Are the Real Straights more comfy?

Kate

Veteran

They both look wonderful on you, Suz.

I like Gap jeans, but I've found that both pairs of my Real Straights (bought about 9 months ago) bag terribly. Unlike yours, Suz, My RSs are 98% cotton and 2% Spandex. So perhaps a higher percentage of stretch keeps jeans from bagging?

I just bought a pair of Gap high rise skinnies in dark gray (a really nice color for those forum members looking for gray denim) with a fabric content of 97% cotton and 3% Spandex, and now I'm wondering if that's enough stretch to hold off the dreaded droop.

What's a jeans shopper to do?

modgrl

(website)

Veteran

I bat for team distressed, so I prefer the wash on the real straights but they are both very nice. I would keep both too!!

sarah

Veteran

Gosh, I don't really have a preference - you should choose the ones that are most comfortable, and keep them both if you can (it's always so hard to find the perfect jeans).

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Thanks, all!

This particular pair of Always Skinnies feels just as comfortable as the Real Straights, Angie. The others I tried (same size) seemed too snug in the rise, but for some reason this pair felt okay. Who can fathom the Gap's sizing?

VERY interesting about the bagging, Kate. But my Real Straights actually have LESS stretch than yours, unless the polyester is also stretch. I don't think so. Mine have only 1% stretch. (80% cotton, 19% poly). I wonder if they did that because they got complaints about bagging? Hmmm. Time will tell.

3% stretch is more than any of the ones that I have.

At 60% off, I think I can afford to keep both pair. And continue the search for the elusive perfect premium denim pair. Anybody care to explain to Claire and me what the real difference in the fabrics is?

D'Ellen

Veteran

Suz, you look super in both!!!

In my experience jeans with polyester are less likely to stretch, and they keep their shape better during wear. This may not be true for all brands, but after owning too many saggy baggy pairs I will no longer buy jeans without some polyester content. I don't think I've ever had a pair of premium denim though.

Freckles

Veteran

Wow...you look fabulous in both. Your jean shopping trials sure seem to be paying off.

Anonymous

Come to think of it, the hubs lives in a pair of Wranglers that bag out like crazy (just like my Mom jeans did back in the day). All of them were 100% cotton.

I think the spandex allows us to get a closer fit and still have some comfort.

I'm not sure if the polyester reduces bag-out like Bionda said (since I have no experience with it), but I've heard that the price of cotton has been high the last few years, so manufacturers are using more blends.