About a year and a half ago I purchased my first pair of Gap 1969 dark, raw, selvage jeans. I had my initial reservations given Gap's penchant for cutting corners with fit and construction, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that for a more than reasonable $80.00 or so I received a pair of selvage jeans in a perfectly rich dark wash that were neither too baggy, nor too tight. Assuming that a couple wearings would reveal some well hidden flaw, especially given the custom of all jean aficionados to forgo washing until absolutely necessary, I braced myself for what I thought was the inevitable loss of fit or crackling in the even indigo finish; neither occurred, even after repeated wearings. I was immediately hooked, so much that only a few months later my wife was kind enough to placate my new obsession with a second pair. I began extolling the virtues of these jeans to anyone that would listen in person and in one of my initial blog postings, and was pleased everytime I was asked whether the Gap jeans I had one were A.P.C. (which happened on several occasions).
Last week for Christmas my wife presented me with what should have been my third pair, neither of us realizing that Gap had altered their construction (though they retained the original image online). This pair was dark, but definitely pre-washed which ruined the fit and the raw denim look. The denim gauge was also much lighter. Overall they were not the jean either of us were expecting and she immediately felt bad thinking she had bought the wrong ones. After returning to the website and reading through a string of angry product reviews, I found it was Gap's fault entirely. It seems that sometime in August (as this was the time the almost entirely positive reviews changed to almost entirely negative ones) Gap made changes to the jeans but did not mention this in their description online. Rather than the heavier gauge, deep, raw indigo denim used previously, they have switched to a lighter, pre-washed jean and altered the fit. In doing so they ruined not only what was likely the best product they offered, but also one of the best selvage jeans on the market, especially considering the price. If construction cost was an issue, a small price increase would undoubtedly have been a better option than putting out a poor product. It is this sort of sacrifice of quality that most people have come to expect from Gap clothing and it accounts for their dwindling customer base and revenue. So, if you want a decent pair of selvage Jeans I encourage you to try Uniqlo or Levis, either of which could compete with the new Gap selvage and cost less, and if you want an excellent pair of selvage jeans then indulge in a pair of A.P.C., the current best selvage jean for your money.
