GAP 1969 Standard Taper Fit Jeans – $69.95
“Athletic build? This is made for you” said the GAP promo email. And with all the talk lately about what an Athletic body type is, or isn’t, and the recent Kickstarter success of a brand promising to make jeans for the squats & deadlifts crowd… it seemed like these were worth taking for a spin.
Now, this friendly neighborhood affordable-men’s-style website editor isn’t exactly The Mountain, but about a year ago, a change in routine & effort has left me out in the cold from the old personal standard, which were the slimmer leaning Levi’s 514s. (+1.25″ in thigh circumference, +1.75″ on the calf, +10lbs overall. BRAH. HULK SMASH BRAH. Yes, I know. This is getting lame quick.)
For the record, the roomier, straight fit 505s work just fine now. So I wanted to see if the GAP 1969 Standard Taper was an improvement. Here’s how the GAP and Levis’ 505s stack up side by side:
Left: Gap 1969 Standard Taper (brand new) | Levis’ 505 (washed and worn plenty)
Pretty similar. Both size 32×30.
Just One Difference: From knee to ankle, the GAP pair slim down noticeably. Which, makes sense due to the fact that the Levi’s are a straight fit, and the GAP pair uses that word, “tapered” (well, yeah) in the title of the product.
But how much? Leg opening, measured seam to seam when laying flat is 7″ on the Levi’s. The GAP pair measure 6.5″. Thighs on both fit the same. But it’s a noticeable, closer to the calf when you’ve got em’ on:
Noticeable taper from knee to ankle blends in nicely with the silhouette of trimmer dress shoes. Shoes by DSW.
There’s some room in the rear and thighs, but they’re getting awfully close to sock-like territory on the calves. Not terrible by any stretch, and certainly a good look for dressing it up a notch with a casual blazer & nicer shoes (y’know, when you don’t want the cloth at your ankles from your jeans flapping about like a loose spinnaker.)
The denim itself is nice. Substantial without being thick or too rigid. No brand stitching on the back pockets is welcome. But there’s some whiskering going on with this “dark resin” color. For most, probably a touch too much.
Are they an option for the super-strong in the legs, deadlifts/squats/monster lower body crowd? Honestly, probably not. They’re pretty much 505s with a more sculpted lower leg. Plus, that taper might cause problems for those with enormous calves. But for those of us that don’t necessarily wake up with a poop-eating grin on legs day, it’s another option.
But then again… the “regular taper” Levi’s 508
Your turn big-legged fellas. What’s your go to brand and fit? Have you tried the Levi’s 508? And keep it affordable if you could. Say, around $60 or under w/ sales.
I wouldn’t say I’m huge in the legs, but since starting to work out legs on a regimented basis, my go-to GAP jeans kept getting tighter and I ended up wearing a hole in the inner thigh. That sucked because I have a 36 length so all my pants have to be ordered online. I saw this ad when I didn’t have any expendable income, however these jeans are at the top of my list for consideration when I buy my next pair. Thanks for the review.
Joe, no belt?
My pleasure Tom. Have you tried Levi’s 505s yet? I don’t think I’ll step away from them in favor of these. Might be worth a shot, and usually around $40 through Amazon or at JC Penney (cheaper than GAP jeans, which usually get excluded from codes). What was your go-to GAP fit before?
Levi’s 508 are great. Played soccer my whole life and they fit great in the thigh area while tapering down nicely at the bottom to avoid the bell bottom look you get with a lot of pants/jeans these days.
Reviewing the jeans. Not making a style statement.
I can’t wait to try out the barbell denim (when it gets to me in August…) because my jeans usually wear out along my inner thigh.
However, the barbell apparel jeans only come in lengths which are too long for me, so I’ll need to get them hemmed, anyway…
Where are you measuring the thigh dimension? I want to compare it to my Gap loose fits.
Excellent review, as usual. I prefer the lighter color of these. I have skinny yet toned cyclist legs and these are a bit baggy in the butt and upper thigh area for my tastes.
Also, could you make it snappy with the Stafford Logan Wingtip review?
I wear the 505s, but I have to size up (38×34 to 40×34) for the thighs to fit. Looking at the 508s, I think they might be a little too tapered. I’ll probably swing by a GAP store to see how the 1969s fit. Always nice to have options!
These look great! Gonna have to get to a store and try them on. But I don’t think I can justify spending over 50$ on jeans
I’m glad there is another option for the 508 type fit, but I wish someone would make a fit like this with higher quality denim.
Especially if you need a shorter inseam + larger thighs and a small leg opening, there just aren’t a ton of selvedge/raw/high quality washed options.
Joe, no tinfoil-wrapped cucumber?
GAP has 40% off sales often which drops it to $42
There is a .gif of everything on the internet (Spinal Tap for those who haven’t seen it) http://stream1.gifsoup.com/view5/2836018/spinal-tap-cucumber-o.gif
“[…] wake up with a poop-eating grin on legs day […]”
Pretty much describes me…guess I’ll go back to my 559 & 569’s and wish the leg opening wasn’t so wide…
Flawless comment…
It’s a zucchini. Cucumbers are all pimply.
Maybe it’s the combination of the pose and the shoes, but it looks like Joe is rocking the cowboy look with those jeans.
So now athletic build now means thick legs?
“Focus on my dinky calves!”
I went to my JCP yesterday and fondled the Logan on display. They sure were close to the Camlin in terms of leather feel. I didn’t have time to try them on, though. They were $90 in store, so I went home and used a coupon to get 20% off the online price of $60.
I went with 514s for my current pair of jeans but sized up a few inches (32 -> 36) for the leg fit then brought the pants to my tailor to bring the waist in. Worked fine this time but I’ll experiment more with other fits when I need another pair.
Levi’s 508 are a great pair that are seem very similar. I used to wear 511’s, but since I started Stronglifts 5×5, they started getting tight. The 508s still have that slim feeling and taper at the ankle, but they have enough room for your ass and thighs (but not too much room). You can get the 508 anywhere from $15-70 depending where you look.
I’ve looked at the 508s before. They had a good taper but were still too tight in the thighs. I think they would probably break-in though. If you find a pair for 15$ let me know! lol
I don’t hit the gym nearly as much as I need to but most jeans just don’t fit. if they taper at all they will strangle my basketball-skateboard-snowboard-HULK calves. I always have to get a larger size and then the waist is too big. I’m hoping Barbell jeans may help, but I don’t think these GAP jeans are going to work. I want jeans that fit. That are tailored, maybe slim but not skinny jeans.
Check out Rogue Territory. Their Stanton fit has plenty of room in the thighs and a nice tapper. Made in the US with selvedge denim. Best fitting jeans I’ve ever worn. I’m short too so I know what you mean by short inseams and wide thighs.
thanks! i think i had checked these out but unfortunately the leg opening is a little larger than what i’m looking for (8.5 but looking for around 7).
Joe, what is your thigh measurement? I think it’s the one thing you didn’t include on your updated measurements post (which of course wasn’t open for comments).
The thigh should be measured from the middle of the crotch seam outward across the leg.
http://www.blueowl.us/measurement-guide/
I went lower than that. The area where my trainer takes my thigh measurements. I was comparing these two jeans in particular, and have taken that measurement out of the post above.
You could also try their SK fit which has similar dimensions in the waist and thigh but a much more aggressive tapper.
And if those don’t work maybe check out the Baldwin Henley? They also have decent room in the thigh with an aggressive tapper. Not sure what size you normally wear but my Henleys measure 7 inches at the cuff. Only thing is the rise is really low on those.
I hope you find what you’re looking for because I know the frustration.
Either measurement is fine, really, so long as you’re consistent. Some companies choose to measure from the crotch seam, and some choose to measure 2″ down from that. (I’d personally say that one’s thigh would be the widest about 2″ down from the crotch seam.)
I didn’t want people to measure in the wrong place though, and I can’t recall how far down I went. All I recall is that they were the exact same (9″). Also, the thing about super precise measurements… is that manufacturing isn’t super precise. Especially mass production. So there might be a half inch difference here or there. Not to mention what happens if someone shrinks the shat outta em’ in the dryer.
AEO original taper jeans are perfect for me. I have big quads and calves but I want a jean with a decent silhouette and taper without my crotch suffocating. They are very cheap, surprisingly rugged (8 months of constant wear and just now the bottoms started signs of fraying) and I couldn’t recommend them more.
Word of advice though buy them at least a full waist size smaller if not more because they run big and a size smaller in length so they sit nicely. Really surprisingly great jean.
I like the Lands End Canvas Straight Fit (slight taper) and Levi 505.
Bonobo’s Washed Chino Straight leg (the straight leg travel jeans fit me like slim/leggings).
Slightly more expensive the Naked & Famous Slim Guy when featured on Gilt sales.
Overall, I would say the best fitting pants off the rack for me are Kirkland Italian Wool Trousers from Costco.
Had to go home and look. Apparently it was a pair of GAP 1969 Boot Cut in the Rockaway wash. Color was perfect for me, and I almost always wore them with boots. Great color for bars and clubs. I haven’t tried the 505s yet, but I am relegated to a pair of 559 Relaxed Straight that aren’t quite have the color I need, but the fit is pretty good and not too tight.
I also have GAP 1969 Japanese Selvage and those fit well, but a little tight in the thighs. And I just got a pair of Gustins which I need tailored because of the length, so I don’t know how those will work out yet. I’m a Levi’s fan as well. I just need to get the right color and fit, I’ll look into the 505s.
I miss the Gap Authentic fit jeans from a few years ago. Those fit awesome. Too bad they discontinued them. Oh well guess my peter manning jeans for this short athletic guy will do.
After emailing Joe about my achilles tear injury resulting in larger much “beefier” legs from rehab, I too could no longer get my thighs into my beloved 514 Heshers. Joe suggested the 505’s in which I still could not squeeze into — you have to love squats and calf presses for this. I headed over to the Levis store in which they suggested the 504 which is the 505 but specifically built for athletic types. If you like the 505 or 514 you’ll love these. They have stretch in them and they seem to run a little big in the waist but the legs are perfect. I also bought a pair of the 508’s in which joe mentioned above. I keep them cuffed and they hit just the tops of my shoes. Tapered indeed but after a couple of wears they loosen up on the calfs, especially if you hike them up onto you calves to put your socks on. A much more tailored dressy look then the 504’s. Im curious as to how these Gap jeans fit, but from the photos it looks a lot like the 508 fit and the 508’s were only about $45 on sale. If you want a more casual but slimmer leg look I would go with the 504.
I have fairly skinny legs but still prefer the Levis 505. I hated tapered jeans in the late ’80s/early ’90s when they first came into style, and still don’t like them all that much. The issue I have is that anything that gets narrower below the knee has a tendency to make the male form look wider in the middle. What guy wants his hips/mid section to look wider?
i think i’ll have a chance to try on the baldwin henley, and i’ve been using scout.rawrdenim.com to enter my measurements and see what else pops up. thanks for the help!
I was always a big fan of the GAP Slim Straight, but now they are getting too tight in the calf area for me. You think the 508’s would be the next step from those? I like the slimmer leg opening so I can dress them up a bit, plus I have a 36 in waist so the leg opening on most straight leg jeans is too big in my eyes.
I pulled the trigger on them yesterday too. I also had a 20% code.
I wish I had some experience with the 508s, can anyone else answer this? Some of the pics of the 508s make them look “relaxed” fitting, but others make it look tight in the calves as well.
I want to say (can’t do it with certainty) that even between colors in the same line, I’ve had problems with getting a consistent fit with Levi’s. I love the price and oftentimes look, but I can’t be sure what I’m getting. So if you do go Amazon for them, I’d order two pairs and return the one that doesn’t fit. I’m with you though, I like the slimmer leg opening to dress them up for sure, even with boots.
As an aside, if there’s one thing Bonobos has done right for me, it’s pants. They’d be a bit more pricey but you may want to look into those as well.
tl;dr – I don’t know. Sorry.
Recently purchased Banana Republic Slim-Fit Dark Wash Jean with 40% off. Never had this GAP jeans or Levis, but BR seems to good too.
Joe, I have been having the same problem with thigh circumference not agreeing with my previous pairs of pants and jeans since I’ve been powerlifting under the Starting Strength (highly recommended) program. I was wondering if you let me know how your Gustins are holding up? I’m looking into getting a selvedge denim for the fall but don’t want to go through the trouble of ordering only to not fit.
Just thought I’d chime in a couple months later to say that I absolutely love the Standard Taper fit. I picked some up during a 40% off sale in August and they’re the best fitting jeans I’ve ever owned. I get the tapered ankle look but I don’t have any tightness in the crotch or upper thigh. I’m * this * close to buying them in all four colors available.