The Best Abercrombie Jeans – a side by side comparison

When I was growing up, Abercrombie & Fitch jeans were the very last thing I would wear. Every time I tried them on, they were WAY too small (even my correct size) which put a bad taste in my mouth, especially as a teenager. Now that I’m almost 40, I’m obsessed. Kind of ironic.

I was so surprised by these jeans and SHOCKED by how well they fit my petite frame without needing to be tailored, since they come in multiple lengths. They are truly a perfect fit! Now I shop at Abercrombie more regularly and find GREAT stuff there.

I’ve been on the hunt the last few years for some on-trend non-skinny jeans. I’m preferring a looser “mom-fit” these days, since I find them more comfortable and more flattering.

But as a petite 5’1″ woman, it’s difficult to find mom-jeans that don’t look frumpy, swallow my frame or look like flare, wide leg pants. Enter the Abercrombie Ultra High-Rise Ankle Straight Jeans. So good that I now own nine pairs – 5 different styles and some styles in multiple washes. If you’re also petite, you’ll also love this post on my favorite jeans for petite women – no alternations needed.

In this review I’m sharing side by side comparisons with a few other brands of jeans I own so that you can see how good the Abercrombie jeans really are stacked up against designer denim (MOTHER denim) as well as Madewell. I also have to note that if you’re expecting, Abercrombie has some of the very best maternity jeans EVER. I did a full review on my favorite maternity jeans here, but today I’m talking about non-maternity jeans since that’s what the majority of you are shopping for.

Also, I have a video review that includes the Abercrombie Jeans if you prefer to watch rather than read.

Ready? Let’s dive in.

The Best Abercrombie Jeans – a side by side comparison

Abercrombie Jeans Size Guide

First, let’s break down a few basics.

Do Abercrombie Jeans Run True-To-Size?

The sizing at Abercrombie must have changed because when I was in high school and middle school, trying on Abercrombie jeans was a traumatizing experience. I would have to try on sizes that were 4-6 sizes larger than my typical size to even get them on my body, which is a teenager’s nightmare. Now, I don’t really care about sizes and just order what fits, since brands vary so much.

However, Abercrombie jeans ARE true-to-size now, so toss that teenager dressing room trauma out the window. Before I had my second baby, I wore a 25 or a 26, and the 26s were perfect on me. The 25s worked but were tighter in the waist, of course (last year when I tried on all of these jeans I was 115 lbs and wore a size 26 – I’m also 5’1″ for height reference). Since I’m postpartum with my second son right now, I’m planning to order a size 27 in all of these jeans to try. If you are between sizes, I’d try sizing up in Abercrombie jeans since most styles don’t have stretch, but in general, keep your normal size!

Abercrombie has size ranges from 23W to 37W and two different fits (classic and curve love), which I’ll get into below.

Another thing that I LOVE about Abercrombie jeans is that they come in four different lengths:

• Extra short
• Short
• Regular
• Long.

Being 5’1″, having shorter options makes a huge difference for me, since regular jeans don’t always look the same unless I alter them. And if I can find jeans that don’t need alterations, I’m buying them (BTW, getting your jeans tailored to you is a sure-fire way to get more wear out of them, even though it can be annoying). I order the Short length (I have a short torso!) and I own both size 25 and size 26, which is true-to-size with the other brands of jeans I wear (Madewell, Paige, and Mother).

Abercrombie and Fitch has stores in most cities (even Winston-Salem which notoriously has not-great shopping options), so if shopping in-store is an option for you, you can go try on a few pairs.

I ordered the “short” length for my first pair and it hit right above my ankle bone, which is exactly what I was going for. However, my two pairs that do not have distressing are a little shorter, for some reason. I like the length of those, especially with my short boots, but keep that in mind when you’re shopping.

Here is the length chart from the A&F website.

What is the difference between Classic and Curve Love fit?

In an effort to be more inclusive in their sizing, Abercrombie introduced a Curve Love fit. This fit features an additional 2″ through the hip and thigh for a little extra room to help eliminate the waist gap. Since I discovered the Curve Love Fit, it’s what I’ve been ordering, since I have muscular glutes and quads, and I find that fit is a lot more comfortable and flattering.

You can see a side-by-side comparison below. The one on the left is the regular fit and the one on the right is the Curve Love. They’re the exact same style and same size, but you can see the extra room near the top of my thighs in the pair on the right. It’s more comfortable and more flattering. I can wear the regular fit, as well, which is great since most of my older pairs are regular fit, but they’re just tighter.

Okay, let’s get into my favorite pairs.

Abercrombie and Fitch Ultra High-Rise Ankle Straight Jean

Like I mentioned above, I had been on the hunt for straight leg jeans with a mom-fit style for a while. I didn’t want anything too baggy, since that’s not necessarily my style, but I wanted something that was cropped above my ankle with a looser fit at the bottom, that would still hug my booty enough on top. And I definitely wanted high waist. I don’t care that low waist jeans are coming back on trend. Hard pass on that for me.

Here is my list of wants in a pair of the perfect jeans:

• high waist / high-rise jeans
• option of a short length
• slight distressing
• loose-fitting on bottom, snug on the butt, thigh area, and hip area (sort of like mom jeans!)
• not stretchy – I prefer the structure of true denim

And the Ultra Rise Ankle Straight Jeans hit the mark on all of those things and was the first pair of Abercrombie jeans I purchased, a little over 3 years ago. In this style, I originally ordered one pair that was distressed. Now I own two black pairs (one distressed, one without distressing) as well. The jeans cost $99 and go on sale often, which is a great deal compared to many pair of jeans that I own in the $175-$225 range.

This style also comes in the Curve Love Fit of the Ultra High Rise Ankle Straight Jean, which I ended up liking better (and that’s what I’m wearing below).

BTW – all of the jewelry I’m wearing in the photos below is linked in this blog post about my favorite everyday jewelry.

Side-By-Side Comparison

First, let’s compare the different washes I have in the Abercrombie and Fitch Ultra High-Rise Ankle Straight Jean. I want you to see a comparison of every angle to get a sense for how flattering they are!

The first photos show the original pair I got in Medium Destroy Wash, and the photos below show a Washed Grey (not available anymore but this pair is similar) and a black distressed wash that’s no longer made. They’re all so flattering, and they look like the perfect pair of “throw-on” jeans.

Ultra High Rise 90s Straight Jeans

If you’re looking for a more vintage feel when it comes to your straight leg jeans, you should try the 90’s straight jeans. They’re similar to the pair I’m wearing above, but they have a full length leg and slightly frayed hem. They are also super high-rise, and not copped like the pair I’m wearing above.

I LOVE the length and the relaxed feel. They have a stiffer – more vintage feeling – shape, which is fun too.

This style also comes in the Curve Love fit of the Ultra High Rise 90s Straight Jean.

One of my favorite “washes” from last year is back again this year, and I’m so excited. I looked high and low for a pair of leather pants this past winter and these black jeans with leather details were the most fun find ever (I’ve also reviewed leather pants from Abercrombie in a separate post, if you’re looking for more details on that style).

Ultra High Rise Stretch Flare Jean

This pair of flare jeans is also a great find. They have an ultra high rise and a full length leg. The flare begins at the knee and flares out dramatically toward the bottom. They have a really nice amount of stretch making them super comfortable. I’m wearing a size 25 in the short length.

Strangely, there are a couple different listings of these jeans online with different washes. You can see the black and dark blue wash flares here, and the flares in the light wash + two other blue washes here. I believe the second listing is slightly different with a more rigid feel since they are called “vintage”. I’d imagine they aren’t as stretchy.

This style comes in the Curve Love fit of the Ultra High Rise Stretch Flare Jean.

How Abercrombie Jeans Compare to other Brands

I have two other absolute favorite pairs of jeans when it comes to this style: MOTHER Insider Crop Step and Madewell’s Perfect Vintage pair. Let’s compare.

Vs. MOTHER Insider Crop Step

The MOTHER Insider Crop Step is another favorite of mine. You can see from the photo above that they’re slightly snug in the upper leg and then have a small flare at the bottom. MOTHER denim tends to be stretchier and much pricer at $228.

I feel like the MOTHER jeans are more polished than the Abercrombie, so that’s something to note while shopping. Abercrombie feels stiffer, like true denim, rather than stretchy. This is all preference, but stiffer denim holds its structure really well, and it gets more comfortable over time, which I love. I almost never wash them, unless Thomas or Charles get food or poop on them. Mom life. 😉

Overall, I love both styles (stretchy and non-stretchy), but wear them for different looks.

Vs. Madewell Perfect Vintage

The Madewell Perfect Vintage jean is similar to Abercrombie in price ($128 and less when on sale), but I don’t think they look as good. Madewell looks looser and a little slouchier. The top half of the jeans is less fitted than Abercrombie, which I don’t like as much. I wear the Petite size in Madewell, and they are still a little too long on me. I love that the Abercrombie jeans hit right at the ankle in the short length. It’s so rare to find jeans that aren’t too long on me!

I have a full blog post reviewing Madewell jeans as well.

Abercrombie Promo Code

I mentioned this earlier on in the post, but Abercrombie has sales all the time. While these jeans are usually priced at $99, I rarely ever buy them at full price. There are consistent sales making these jeans around $75 or cheaper, so I always recommend waiting for those. Whenever I have a promo code, I update this post.

They also have semi-annual sales through the LTK app, which I explain in detail in this LTK Sale blog post.

Abercrombie Jeans Review: Bottom Line

I LOVE THESE JEANS. I work from home but try to get “ready” every single day, and Abercrombie’s jeans are the ones I pull out of my closet to wear 90% of the time. There’s something so nice about having a pair of jeans that fit perfectly and looks good from every angle. If you’re on the fence, just order them to try. I’ve noticed that Abercrombie has sales frequently. I’ve also noticed that while they do sell out of sizes frequently, they always restock.

Happy shopping!

Shop My Favorite A&F Jeans