Old Navy Charges More For Bigger Jeans For Women, Not Men
BOSTON (CBS) - Old Navy jeans may look the same when they're stacked on the shelves, but there's a major price difference for one size group.
Plus-sized women are expected to pay almost double for the same style jeans sold at the store than women who wear regular sizes. Larger sized men, however, pay the same as their smaller sized counterparts.
The seemingly unequal standard prompted an online petition targeting Old Navy, labeling the chains pricing as "sexism and size-ism."
"It's not fair for women who are plus-sized," one shopper told WBZ-TV's Katie Brace.
For example, the Women's Rockstar Super Skinny Jeans costs $27 for a size 6. A size 26 in the same style costs $40.
The Men's Slim-Fit Jeans costs $25 regardless of size.
"This higher price point reflects the selection of unique fabrics and design elements," Debbie Felix, a spokesperson for Old Navy's parent company, Gap Inc., said in a public statement.
"While we don't make more money on our plus-size line, our plus-size clothes cost more because we invest more in them," Felix said.
A Change.org petition aims to change Old Navy's pricing, telling the company to stop up-charging plus-sized women. As of Thursday, the petition has received more than 34,000 signatures of support.
Many customers told WBZ-TV they can understand why larger sizes would cost more, but changing the price for women's clothing while keeping the price the same for men's clothing does not add up.
"It's common sense; when you look at it, you can tell that it's not right," one shopper said.
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