Target wins on price. Old Navy wins on variety and fit options. Neither answer is complete on its own — so here’s the breakdown that actually helps you decide where to spend $35.
The Short Answer
For straight-leg basics, Target’s Universal Thread Good Straight Jeans ($25–$32) consistently deliver at the price. The fabric is honest, the sizing runs close to accurate, and the styles don’t overreach.
Old Navy’s edge is range. The Wow Straight and OG Loose lines cover more silhouettes, more inseam options, and more stretch profiles than anything Target currently stocks. If you have specific fit needs — longer inseam, more thigh room, or a preference for non-stretch denim — Old Navy typically has a better shot at solving it.
Pick Target for one or two reliable basics. Pick Old Navy for variety, size range, or difficult proportions.
Fabric and Price: A Direct Comparison
The most useful way to compare these stores is fabric composition and price side by side. Marketing language aside, the label tells you what you’re actually buying:
| Style | Store | Price | Fabric Composition | Stretch Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Universal Thread Good Straight Jeans | Target | $25–$32 | ~98% cotton, 2% elastane | Minimal |
| Universal Thread High-Rise Skinny | Target | $22–$28 | 72% cotton, 26% polyester, 2% elastane | Moderate |
| Wild Fable Extremely High Rise Jeans | Target | $20–$28 | High polyester blend (varies by color) | High |
| Wow Straight Jeans | Old Navy | $35–$50 | ~73% cotton, 25% polyester, 2% elastane | Moderate |
| OG Loose Non-Stretch Jeans | Old Navy | $40–$55 | ~99% cotton | None |
| Built-In Flex Slim Jeans | Old Navy | $40–$55 | ~68% cotton, 30% polyester, 2% elastane | High |
One pattern stands out immediately: Target’s Wild Fable line uses significantly more synthetic fiber than either store’s other offerings. High polyester content in denim generally means the fabric retains odors faster, pills along the inner thigh, and doesn’t break in or soften the way cotton does. Wild Fable jeans look the best on the hanger. They’re often the worst to actually wear for a full day.
The Universal Thread Good Straight, by contrast, is about as close to genuine denim as you’ll find at this price point. Not premium construction — but a fabric that behaves predictably over time.
Dye care tip: Wash new jeans from either store inside-out in cold water on the first wash. Budget denim dye bleed is real, particularly in dark washes, and that first wash largely determines how well color holds over repeated laundering.
Where Each Store Consistently Gets It Right
Old Navy has invested heavily in its sizing infrastructure. The Wow Straight Jeans currently come in inseams from 28″ to 34″ and sizes 00–30, with separate petite and tall categories that are genuinely proportionally altered — not just hemmed. Madewell charges $148 for comparable inseam coverage. Old Navy charges $50, and frequently discounts to $30 during sitewide events.
The Built-In Flex line addresses a real problem: buyers with larger thighs relative to their waist. The stretch moves without the stiff, plastic resistance common in cheap elastane blends and recovers its shape reasonably well through four or five washes. After ten washes, recovery starts to degrade — these aren’t five-year jeans. They’re reliable two-to-three year jeans priced to reflect that lifespan.
Old Navy’s other consistent strength: restocking colorways. Dark indigo in a specific cut typically stays in stock longer and in more sizes at Old Navy than at Target, where popular shades often sell out within weeks of launch.
Target’s strengths are different and worth naming clearly:
- In-store try-on — Universal Thread is available in-store in sizes 00–26W, removing the return guessing game entirely
- Price floor — the Good Straight at $25–$28 is the lowest entry point for cotton-dominant denim from either store
- Straightforward sizing — Universal Thread waistbands run close to labeled measurements, with less vanity sizing than Old Navy’s Wow Straight (which runs about half a size large in the waist)
- Curvy fit availability — the Universal Thread Curvy cut adds approximately one inch of extra room in the hip and thigh and addresses the waistband gap issue without requiring a size up
Fit tip: If you’re buying Old Navy’s Wow Straight online and you’re between sizes, size down. The thigh and hip measurements are accurate, but the waist consistently cuts generous.
Fit Questions That Come Up Repeatedly
Which store has better inseam options?
Old Navy, and it’s not close. Target’s Universal Thread typically ships in one or two standard inseam lengths — usually 30″ — with limited petite availability. Old Navy offers 28″, 30″, 32″, and 34″ in most cuts, plus a dedicated tall line. Anyone under 5’3″ or over 5’9″ will find Old Navy’s online catalog meaningfully more useful.
Does Target’s denim hold up through repeated washing?
The Universal Thread Good Straight holds its shape reasonably well through 20–25 machine washes when washed cold and line dried. The Wild Fable line degrades faster — the synthetic content shows its limits around wash 15, typically as pilling at friction points and waistband distortion. If you’re machine-drying consistently, subtract about 30% from those estimates for either style.
Which store is better for plus sizes?
Old Navy carries the wider range online, with extended sizes up to 30 in most cuts. Target’s in-store plus selection typically caps at 26W, with some styles available online to 4X. For trying on before buying, Target is more accessible at standard plus sizes. For anything above a size 22, Old Navy’s online catalog is the stronger option — though returns require shipping back, which adds friction.
When to Skip Both Stores
At $25–$55, both retailers make construction compromises that affect longevity. The honest assessment is that denim from either store typically lasts two to three years of regular wear before inner thigh wear-through, waistband stretch, or seam failure becomes a real issue.
If you wear jeans three or four times a week, the cost-per-wear math shifts significantly. A $28 pair lasting 18 months before blowing out costs more annually than a $98 pair of Levi’s 501s that goes five years. The 501 uses heavier cotton (typically 12–14 oz denim versus the 8–10 oz fabric common in budget lines), chain-stitch seaming, and riveted construction at stress points. These aren’t marketing claims — they’re construction differences visible on inspection.
Levi’s is the threshold worth naming because it’s genuinely accessible. The Levi’s 501 Original, 505 Regular, and 550 Relaxed are available at $70–$100 and represent a meaningful jump in durability over house brands at either retailer. They’re also sold at Target, which makes the comparison easy to make in the same shopping trip.
Secondhand is the other real answer. A pair of Gap or Banana Republic jeans from a few years back at Goodwill for $8–$12 will outlast a new Wild Fable at $22. Cotton-heavy denim from older production runs was built to standards that most entry-level new denim no longer matches.
One scenario where Target wins by default: if you’re unsure of your size and want to try on before buying. The in-store experience removes the return friction, and the Universal Thread price point makes experimentation low-risk.
The gap between budget and mid-range denim construction is narrowing — slowly. Both Old Navy and Target are under real competitive pressure from resale platforms and direct-to-consumer brands, and that pressure tends to push quality up over time. The affordable denim buyer in 2026 has meaningfully more options than five years ago, and that trend isn’t reversing.
