just how big do Old Navy clothes run???

April Snow · 10-14-2011, 03:59 PM

Big clearance sale at Old Navy and even more than usual at my normal one because they are relocating.

I figured I'd pick up some jeans cheap - I've got one pair that fit right now, and a couple that are too small so I could use one more pair for now as long as they are cheap. I am a size 15 or 17 in junior cut pants at this point, depending on the specific pair, and as long as they are low rise as my hips are small but my waist is not. I have one pair of Old Navy 18s that are huge, so I grabbed a few different styles in 14 and 16 to try on. I never even tried on the 16s because the 14s were too big. I am so not a 14!!

I ended up buying a pair of Rockstar jeggings in 14 to see if they fit. I didn't have time to go back and try things on again. I cannot imagine they will be too big because not only is there no planet on which I am legitimately a size 14, there is no universe in which I am a size 12, so I cannot image these won't fit. But I guess I'll see when I try them on at home later.

duckyyellowfeet · 10-14-2011, 10:04 PM

Old Navy has really varying sizes. Even just between individual pairs of pants, even when they are identical in style and size. I will say they generally run big, about a size larger than "normal" (whatever that means in terms of fashion)

sontaikle · 10-15-2011, 07:49 AM

If you're a 15 and 17 in Junior's, it's not off the wall that you'd fit into a 14. There isn't much of a different between the sizes to say you'd never fit into a 14.

I generally fit into a 6 or an 8 at ON and that's what I mostly fit into in other brands as well. Sure there are some crazy pairs of pants that have off the wall sizing, but I find that generally I can buy the 6s and 8s without much worry. I just ordered a pair of the rockstar jeggings in 8 that were on clearance and they fit wonderfully

The reviews on the rockstar jeggings actually say to go a size up on those, but I find the 8s are fine. I have three pairs now. Love them.

According to ONs size chart I should be able to squeeze my butt into size 4s, but I've never tried. My waist is probably too big for that.

April Snow · 10-15-2011, 09:38 AM

the 14 Rockstars do fit although slightly too tightly to wear right now. I had held them up to the other 14s (Divas) and they were significantly narrower in appearance but they are much more stretchy. And it does seem like there is a pretty big gap between 16 (legitimately too big on me) and 14 (go on and zip but too tight).

I was actually more surprised that the 14 Divas fit/were too big (they fit in the "waist"band, which is low rise so not really at the waist) but too big in the thighs and butt.

I still think there is some size inflation going on - I have some old school Victorias Secret jeans (non-spandex) from maybe 15 years ago in 16 and I can't get them buttoned yet. But at this point, it looks like I'd be a 12 in ON before that happens! And I cannot remember EVER being a 12!

NoMoreKnit · 10-15-2011, 11:50 AM

Yep, see why I mistakenly thought I could wear a target 17? My 18 Old Navy were literally falling off, they have to be at least a size larger!

sontaikle · 10-15-2011, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by April Snow

I still think there is some size inflation going on - I have some old school Victorias Secret jeans (non-spandex) from maybe 15 years ago in 16 and I can't get them buttoned yet. But at this point, it looks like I'd be a 12 in ON before that happens! And I cannot remember EVER being a 12!

oh yeah there is. I have a pair of size 14 pants from 10 years ago that I wore in middle school. When I was actually a 14 this time around, I couldn't button them. I didn't actually fit into them until I was getting into size 10s.

They have no stretch whatsoever, but they're clearly smaller than the size 14s now.

runningfromfat · 10-15-2011, 01:27 PM

I think they tend to run about 1-2 sizes larger than more expensive places. At Old Navy the size M T-shirts are falling off of me (and I have a LARGE bust). Right now I'm pretty solidly in 10's overall, maybe 8's. I bought a pair of shorts from Old Navy in size 10 that I'll get in just over a week so hopefully then I'll be able to say for sure if they run too large or not.

I don't think there's anything surprising about you wearing a 14 there at your weight. I was also wearing a 14 there a bit over 200 (actually the 14's stretched out so much I probably could've worn a 12). I tend to think of what I wear in Levi's as my size and I got out of 14's in them around 190bs so I was out of the Old Navy size 14's way before the Levi's.

ETA: Yes, there is some major size inflation, but it make sense since our population is getting larger so clothing companies just switch the medium to the size of their average customer. When I say I want to be a size 8 I mean my size 8's that I wore in high school so I'd have to have a 28" waist or less.

Skinnycow · 10-15-2011, 01:46 PM

Most places I wear an 8 or even a 10, but I can wear a 6 at Old Navy. Even though I know they're sized bigger, I still love knowing that the tag says "Size 6"

shelley3650 · 10-22-2011, 12:17 PM

hmm...old navy seems to be a bit off. i went to old navy to check out their clearances and i picked up a size 14 and a size 12....oddly the 12 was big but the `14 fit perfectly and when u put them together you could clearly see the difference in sizes. the 14s where much much smaller then the 12s and where actually smaller then the size 12 jeans i already owned. old navy is definitely the type of store in which you have to try on all the clothes because you never know with them.

milmin2043 · 10-22-2011, 10:52 PM

Old Navy sizing is ridiculous. I can fit into a 4 at ON, and sometimes even a 2. If I tried to fit my butt into a size 2 at any other store (with the exception of maybe Walmart), there is no way I'd fit into them.

I remember writing almost your exact post back when I first started losing weight. I was so excited because I thought I was a size 10 due to Old Navy. When I tried 10's on at other stores, I was sadly disappointed.

April Snow · 10-23-2011, 10:39 AM

the good thing is that at least I know ON sizes are wacky. I'm wearing 15 and 17 in other things that I've just bought, so I have a better sense of my current realistic size.

GwenSue · 10-23-2011, 11:11 AM

Old Navy is definitely a size larger. Same items can even fit differently. Shirts tend to be very thin material and the chest for a lot of items seem to be for the DD+ size crowd. Pants just fit me weird there.

toastedsmoke · 10-27-2011, 07:01 PM

Pants fit me weird at Old Navy too. I've never gotten a pair of pants there that fit right. If the waist fits, the hips and thighs are balloons, if the hips and thighs fit, the waist is too tight. Then the lengths never work for me. I find the regulars too short and the talls too long. That being said, to me I think Old Navy size quality control can be really, really shabby. I've fit into size 12s (just right) but not size 14s (too tight) in the exact same style of jeans just different colour washes.

getncontrol · 10-27-2011, 07:15 PM

I would agree that ON fits larger as well. I just ordered size 8's to shrink into and to my surprise they fit! I wear a size 10 in levis.

runningfromfat · 10-28-2011, 12:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toastedsmoke

That being said, to me I think Old Navy size quality control can be really, really shabby. I've fit into size 12s (just right) but not size 14s (too tight) in the exact same style of jeans just different colour washes.

This. So I just ordered a bunch of clothes from there. I bought a small t-shirt that fit me spot on. I bought a pair of medium bikini bottoms that fit (slightly on the big side but still ok), a pair of medium PJ bottoms that were big (couldn't definitely bought a small instead) and a pair of wool shorts in size 10 that fit but are still tight.

I already own two pairs of leggings and a pair of yoga pants in M and I could definitely get away with smalls now in those.

Quote:

I would agree that ON fits larger as well. I just ordered size 8's to shrink into and to my surprise they fit! I wear a size 10 in levis.

See and that's even funnier because I just bought a pair of size 29's, which correspond to size 8's and they fit pretty well (slightly tight in the waist but definitely wearable). However, my size 10 shorts from Old Navy are still tight. It's so weird! I think it might been the fabric, though, because the shorts are wool and definitely not at all stretchy and I have a pretty big butt (the Levi's are supreme curve).

ETA: I actually just checked out the reviews on the shorts I bought everyone is saying you have to go up a size. That is one good thing about Old Navy is that you can always check the reviews online.