I wanted to love this update. I really did.
Old Navy was the first brand I tried after my body changed. Cheap enough to experiment with. Easy returns. No dressing room drama if I bought online and it didn't fit.
Their 2025 collection was a mess. Inconsistent sizing. Weird fabric choices. Stuff that looked great on the model and terrible on my actual body.
So when they announced their 2026 plus size update, I got hopeful. Maybe they listened.
I ordered twelve pieces. Kept seven. Returned five. Here's the honest rundown.
What improved
The PowerSoft leggings actually fit now.
Last year, the waistband rolled down on me constantly. Like, walk three steps and suddenly your pants are trying to escape. This year they added a thicker elastic band and wider seams. I wore a pair for eight hours — including sitting, standing, and chasing my cat — and only tugged once. That's a win.
The linen blend shirts breathe.
I bought a white button-down in 3X. Linen-cotton mix. Light enough for summer but not see-through. The chest gapes a little — still a problem — but less than before. I kept it. I'll wear it unbuttoned over a tank top.
The jeans come in short lengths now.
This sounds small but it's not. Last year, Old Navy's plus size jeans only came in regular and tall. I'm five-four. Regular meant dragging on the ground. I had to hem everything. This year they added short lengths for sizes 16 through 30. About time.
The return policy for online orders is better.
You can now bring plus size online returns to any store. Not just ship-back. Last year I had to print labels and drop boxes at UPS. Now I walk in, scan my phone, and leave. That matters when you order three sizes of everything because you don't trust their sizing.
What backslid
The blazers are a disaster.
I was excited. A structured blazer in 2X? Sign me up. But the shoulders are narrow — like, cut for someone with smaller arms than me — and the arms are tight. I couldn't bend my elbow all the way. Returned immediately.
Also the fabric feels cheap. Polyester that sounds crinkly when you move. Hard pass.
The shorts got shorter.
Last year's 5-inch inseam was perfect. Covered my thighs without looking like Bermuda shorts. This year most plus size shorts have a 3-inch inseam. That's too short for me. I tried them on and spent the whole time pulling down the hem.
I kept one pair for wearing around the house. Returned the rest.
Sizing is still not consistent between colors.
I ordered the same shirt in three colors. Black: fit fine. Olive: too tight in the chest. Navy: perfect. That's not my body changing. That's bad quality control.
I kept the black and navy. Sent back the olive annoyed.
The "extended sizes" stop at 3X in stores.
Online goes to 4X. But in my local Old Navy, 3X is the biggest they carry. So if you want to try something on before buying? You can't. That hasn't changed since 2023. I don't know why they won't fix this.
What I'm keeping anyway
The black PowerSoft leggings. Two linen shirts (white and olive green, even with the gape). One pair of dark wash jeans in short length. A t-shirt dress in heather gray that fits like a dream.
Fourteen pieces ordered across two separate hauls. Seven kept. That's a 50% success rate.
Last year I kept three out of fifteen.
So yeah. Improved. But not fixed.
Final thought
Old Navy wants credit for trying. And fine — they did try. The leggings are better. The lengths make sense. Someone on their team is actually reading complaints.
But the blazers are still bad. The shorts got shorter. And I'm tired of ordering three of the same shirt just to find one that fits.
If you shop the 2026 collection? Stick with leggings, jeans, and basic knits. Avoid anything with structure or buttons. And don't trust the photos online before you try it at home.
Progress. But slow. Like most things.