I Tried On Similar Leggings At Gap, Old Navy, And Athleta. As A Pilates Instructor, There Was Only One Pair I Wanted To Buy.
I tried on similar pairs of leggings at Gap, Old Navy, and Athleta.
Daniela Borodin
- As a Pilates instructor, I know that having a good pair of leggings is important.
- I went to three Gap Inc.-owned stores — Gap, Old Navy, and Athleta — to find a new pair of leggings.
- I ended up buying the Athleta leggings, which were on sale during my trip.
As a Pilates instructor, I know finding a good pair of leggings is important. After all, there's nothing worse than the uncomfortable feeling of leggings sliding down your waist during class.
However, as a pear-shaped woman, finding good pants that fit snugly on my small waist and comfortably on my wider hips and bottom is challenging.
So, I decided to check out Gap, Old Navy, and Athleta — all owned by parent company Gap Inc. — in search of the perfect high-rise, full-length black leggings. Here's how it went.
Daniela Borodin
I began my journey on a Saturday morning at Gap, which has over 580 stores in the US and Asia.
The displays seemed well-organized, with an assortment of sweaters and pants, but I was disappointed by the small selection of fitness apparel.
I decided to try on the GapFit high-rise Power full-length leggings and headed to the fitting room.
Daniela Borodin
When I pulled these leggings on, I noticed they were tight on my lower leg and bunched up around my ankles.
However, it was the rough, inelastic fabric (made of 79% recycled polyester and 21% spandex) that steered me away from buying this pair.
In my opinion, the poor fit and stiff-feeling fabric didn't justify the price tag at the time I shopped — a steep $60.
Daniela Borodin
My next stop was Old Navy, which has over 1,200 stores around the world. The location in my mall was busy but tidy on a Saturday afternoon and had a vast selection of activewear.
After some browsing, I decided to try on a pair of black high-waisted PowerSoft leggings.
Daniela Borodin
Old Navy's PowerSoft leggings (made of 77% polyester and 23% spandex) felt silky and stretchy. I liked that they were high-rise and made of a slimming light compression fabric. They fit to size, and stayed put at the waist as I moved around.
The leggings looked great and seemed like a steal for $24. However, I decided not to purchase them because the fabric felt a bit thin.
As a Pilates instructor, I wear and wash my athletic wear frequently, and I didn't think the leggings' flimsy material would withstand the overuse.
Pamela Brick/Shutterstock
My last stop was at Athleta, which has over 250 stores in the US and Canada.
Athleta is one of my favorite places to shop for athletic apparel — my location is typically extremely organized, and there's always a salesperson ready to help.
Daniela Borodin
The Elation ultra-high-rise leggings from Athleta fit perfectly, and I loved the soft but thick material (made from a blend of nylon, Lycra, recycled polyester, and elastane). The velvety garment also had a large waistband that supported and accentuated my midsection and stayed put as I moved.
The leggings cost $89, but during my visit, they were on sale for $50. Considering the high-quality fit and feel, I thought this was a great price, and I ended up buying them.