Shop Local: American Giant
The 4th of July is coming up fast, and it always reminds me of the many accomplishments and sacrifices of all those who have come before us. It is those accomplishments, that hard work, and those sacrifices that enable us to have the freedoms and blessings we enjoy today. While I do enjoy the occasional cheap and stylish fast fashion item from that South American River company that shall not be named, I feel so much better purchasing durable, American-made and sourced, quality items that will last. So when American Giant reached out to ask if I’d like to try a few of their items, I jumped at the chance. Today I’m sharing my review of three American Giant wardrobe staples. Spoiler alert: they are waaaaay better than any cheapo items from the ‘Zon.
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About American Giant
Not gonna lie: I’ve looked at American Giant’s online store before and liked what I saw, but balked a bit at the prices. I’ve heard legends about their OG “holy grail” zipped hoodies (reported to be the “greatest ever made”), and also about how good their tees are. Now I’ve learned a little more about American Giant, like how they want to stay small and impact local communities, and how they value conscious consumerism. After going through the pandemic ordeal and seeing so many small businesses devastated, I’m renewing my own personal commitment to shop local, buy American-made products, and make more of an effort to shop smaller and better, not bigger-faster-cheaper. American Giant ticks all of these boxes.
My Review
I was able to choose three American Giant items, and I picked their Ribbed Tank Top, Cropped Power Leggings, and Jumper Dress. I got my regular size Medium in the tank and the dress, and my regular size 8 in the leggings. Everything fit true-to-size.
Ribbed Tank
This tank is sturdy and supportive, but moves with you. I feel like a lot of clothes lately are too thin, showing every bulge and dimple: not so with any of these three items. The tank top provides good coverage up top (not too low or skimpy), and it’s of such a thickness and quality that it’s not going to stretch out. I will wear this tank top alone in summer and layered with cardigans and jackets fall through spring. The cool thing is, I’ll even be able to wear this tank to work out! It’s that good. My only complaint is that it is a little long on me, but pretty much every tank top is a little too long on me, so that’s more of a “me” issue than anything. I solved this problem by knotting it, and it would be just as easy to tuck in. These come in six colors and sell for $38, or you can get three for $90.
Cropped Power Leggings
I was a little worried I wouldn’t like these. I am a huge leggings snob because I want my leggings to not just look good, but also be capable of taking me through a tough, sweaty workout. My go-to brands are Lululemon, Sweaty Betty, and Lorna Jane. Period. Well, after today that period will become a comma because I’m adding American Giant to the list. These leggings are LEGIT. With cheaper leggings, I have trouble with them either being too loose in some places and too tight in others, or not having enough stretch or compression.
The American Giant Power leggings offer great compression from top to bottom, and I can bend, stretch, kick, run, twist, and anything else I need to do working out. Then on the flip-side, they are buttery sofffffft. They remind me of Lulu Aligns EXCEPT they are a little thicker and have better compression. They have a pocket at the waistband on the right side that you can’t even see, so it’s there, but invisible when you don’t have anything in it. And the length!!! I have notoriously short legs, so most “cropped” leggings go all the way to my feet. These are perfect! The inseam is 25″, so they are a 7/8 fit on me. The full length leggings are 27″, so they might actually be a full-length option for me without tailoring! These do pass the squat test: not a bit see-through. The waistband is wide and flattering, which is another thing I need in leggings as a result of having three C-sections. These are pretty enough to wear out and about, too. They come in four colors and sell for $90.
Jumper Dress
Next up is the American Giant Jumper Dress. I’m not a huge dress person, but this is one I have been wearing a lot lately. Most t-shirt dresses are flimsy and unflattering. This one is made of thick, high-quality fabric. I’d say it’s almost a lightweight sweatshirt type of fabric. It’s soft, and the shape is flattering: it doesn’t hang awkwardly, bulge, tug, or squeeze. The length hits me just above the knee, but if you’re tall it would most likely be more of a mini dress.
As you can see from the photos below, I’ve dressed this up with sandals and a kimono (you could also add a belt!). And then there have been just as many days when I’ve dressed it down with sport sandals or sneakers. Add a ball cap and you’re good to go to the playground. Since this baby has arrived in my closet, I’ve donated two other similar (but cheap and flimsy) tee dresses that could never come close to competing. This dress comes in five colors and sells for $80.
Invest in Quality: and America
All in all, I was very impressed with the quality, durability, style, and fit of all three American Giant items I tried. I plan to order one of their t-shirts, a muscle tee, and some joggers next. They also sell nicer pants and shorts for women and have some pretty sweet jeans for men. Then of course there’s that hoodie….definitely want to add one of those to my lineup in the near future. Yes, their clothes are more expensive, but you can bet they will last. You’ll be wearing them for years, so if you’re a money person who likes to calculate cost per wear, I’m pretty sure these are going to come out way ahead of the pack in that department.
Oh yeah, where’s that promo code, you might ask? Head to my Instagram bio link to get a code good for 20% off sitewide, with no minimum order. You won’t regret it.
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