One bright spot I did want to talk about was a recent purchase from GAP.com. In the last year they've really been pushing their denim line and have recently released a number of "premium" offerings in all of their men's cuts. See here for their complete premium line.
They've got their cuts organized from slimmest to most roomy as follows. Skinny, Straight, Boot, Authentic, Standard, Easy, Loose: many of them with a premium version. I guess the "Easy" cut is too old-mannish to merit a premium release, and it's relatively impossible to maintain a selvage line in a boot-cut jean. But anyways - these jeans have been a relatively big hit in the premium denim market, inasmuch as their pricepoint (>$90) is much lower than the general competition, and they're just plain old well-constructed jeans.
They're a rigid one-wash jean, so shrinkage is pretty much out of the way at purchase. They sport a pretty deep, even indigo color. The selvage coin pocket is, I think, a really classy touch - although some reviews say it's too "trendy" an inclusion. And of course they're red-line selvage denim. Selvage is usually a sign of higher quality denim, meant to last longer and wear better, although it is important to note that that's not always the case (lest I be crucified on Superfuture or Styleforum). Anyways, from my experience thus far, the jeans aren't fast-faders by any means. They look to be staying dark and fitting well for a long time. In the abuse inflicted on a pair of straights since mid-summer, they hadn't yet really faded yet at all. I've since donated that pair to Jon to help his dating life, and I purchased for myself pairs in the skinny, straight, and authentic cuts. Those ones were too big anyways.
Yeah - they run a bit big. I'll normally wear a 34-waist, and to get a decent fit it's pretty necessary to go down a size in these. The 33-waist straights and authentics fit remarkably well, and while a 33-waist skinny was fine up top, through the thighs it was just too bloody tight. I was able to exchange the pair for a 34 at the store that had the same waist size with the lower half just slightly bigger. I currently don't have fit pics, but I'll be posting them in an *edit* later in the day after the camera finishes charging.
Overall, they're nice jeans - dark enough to pair with a blazer or something slightly more formal, but not beyond their workwear roots either. If I had to say offhand, I think my favorite cut is the "straight" although the rise is a little bit low than I prefer. The "authentic" is similarly cut, although with a higher rise. The "skinny" is just that - although not emasculatingly so. I haven't had any sort of tapered denim before, so the aesthetic is different in that pair, especially when paired up with some chunkier boots. The denim, as I've said before, does not fade quickly at all. Don't be expecting APC-like fades in anything less than 6 months of everyday wear. Too - the quality can't be expected to rival any of the Japanese brands that make their living producing denim: Eternal, Samurai, Sugar Cane, etc (the typical Blue in Green offering). But for their price (and the fact that GAP is consistently running 40% off coupons) they definitely pull their weight.
So, as said, fit pics will be posted within the next day or so. In the meantime, Happy Almost-Thanksgiving!
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