About the Author: Ryan N. is a professional web developer for (and alum from) the University of Delaware, who keeps a close shave as to not be confused with his strongly-bearded twin brother. He plays guitar and drums, loves going to concerts with his wife, and loves being a dad. Ryan is 5’9″, 155, and wearing a size small in shirts/jackets, while the pants are 31×30 or 30×30 and specified in the description.
When it comes to Old Navy, the brand has reportedly been doing so well that it’s separating from its BR/Gap siblings and flying solo. But does that translate to a significantly better product? There’s some hits and misses here in this sampling of their new Spring lineup, but unfortunately, the misses range from double-doink to some real butt-fumbles. Let’s start with some of the good.
Much like the Goodfellow roundup, not too much to say here. Feels great to the touch, soft, fits nicely. I’m particular about my plackets, though, and this one seems to lay a bit.. squarish? Could very well be a quick wash away from laying more round (the website looks as such).
Soft as the henley, and fits awesome. Arms aren’t roomy like a lot of department store crewnecks tend to be, and there’s even a nice little shadow stripe to this for some visual interest. 100% cotton here.
I’ve been so smitten by my trusty AE 360 Extreme Flex denim jacket over the past few years that I haven’t even so much as tried another stretchy one, but I like this in both shade and feel. It has some flex in the body and arms, but not in the cuffs, which is a bummer. It’s also plagued by the strange Old Navy cut of slim arms and a roomy torso (more on that later, unfortunately). If you like a more standard fit, this may be right up your alley. Slim fit fans will probably need to size down. Currently on sale and sizes are getting short, so, might want to check in store for this one if it’s something you’re after.
Solid fit and feel all around. A bit roomy in the chest but that’s just fine in a breezy, summery shirt. Arms are slim enough and the fabric feels cool to the touch and very lightweight. An odd note: the website photos show your run-of-the-mill plasticky white buttons, yet my shirt sports some sharp-looking faux-horn buttons! Not sure if they come standard, but the horn buttons are a super-nice touch that really ups the summer appeal.
SO CLOSE. Another for the woulda-coulda-shoulda pile. When I first slipped this on, the sleeves felt GREAT. I mean, the arms are some of the best-fitting I’ve felt on a mass-produced OCBD. The fabric feels thick without being suffocating, but if you’re looking for a slim torso.. what happened? I am literally grabbing 4″+ of fabric to size down the torso in the “slim” photo above! ON’s sizing chart notes that a Small will fit a 39-41″ chest. Since when is that a slim fit, especially on a shirt that “flexes”? Compare that to the recent Goodfellow OCBD, which is cut for 36-38″ in Small. Sure, you could tailor it, but why? Size down here, but the arms may get tight.
This started out so promising, but all the weirdness of Old Navy found its way into one blazer. Sleeves fit great, and it is completely unlined and lightweight.. but that’s about it in terms of what’s to like here for this reviewer. Functional, hard-to-tailor sleeve buttons? Check. RIDICULOUS armholes that make the whole jacket move around?? Check and check. I couldn’t even raise my arms above my shoulders without the bottom of the jacket reaching my waist. For a claim to “flex,” this thing don’t move where it needs to move. If you’re going to be standing completely still, sure, it drapes okay. But for the rest of us, just move along. Nothing to see here.
These perfectly match the fabric of the blazer already mentioned, so you could make yourself a nice little un-suit pairing. But you’re gonna want to just stick with the pants due to the jacket’s armholes. Lightweight but sturdy fabric, and a flattering cut with a nice break right at the ankle. Order a size or two up, though – the 30×30 looked spraypainted on! One the left is a 31×30. One the right you’ll find me “applying” the 30×30. They were tight. Quite tight.
Oh baby. Now these? These actually fit great in a 30×30. If there’s one thing Old Navy has been nailing recently, it’s their pants. I don’t even know what to make of this – a “tough” off-white jean? Probably not doing yardwork or climbing mountains in these, but they claim they’re 2x more tear-resistant than regular denim, which is pretty cool. These are one sharp pair of pants. All-Temp means these are great for summer, a lightweight almost-twill type of denim, yet with that aforementioned toughness. “Ecru” wash seems to be a fancy word for “unbleached,” so these aren’t going to be get-out-your-sunglasses white, thankfully. Have I mentioned I like these?
Got a recent warm weather favorite from Old Navy? Do you think they deserve more coverage, or, are you still a bit skeptical despite their recent business success? Send those tips into joe@dappered.com
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