We went back through the tall sections at Old Navy, Gap, Athleta and J.Crew this morning. The four stores moved in four different directions at once. 🧭
| Store | Share of tall styles on sale | Typical discount |
|---|---|---|
| Old Navy | 85% | 35% off |
| Gap | 65% | 40% off |
| Athleta | 55% | 30% off |
| J.Crew | 70% | 25% off |
Old Navy’s switch
Old Navy put a large batch of tall styles on sale this week, mostly activewear and tees, while quietly repricing a number of jeans styles back to full. The Arc Barrel Jeans we liked last week at $40 are $50 again, and several StudioSmooth leggings that went full price two weeks ago are back on sale, just at a shallower cut than before. Old Navy’s 85% sale share is now the highest of any store we track. Full breakdown in our Old Navy report.
Athleta keeps climbing
Athleta’s sale share has swung from 60% to 40% to 55% over the last month, and this week’s move added 41 newly discounted styles with almost nothing reverting. The discount depth hasn’t changed, still a typical 30% off, so more of the store is on sale rather than any single item getting cheaper. The Jetset Bomber at $118 and the Skyline Barrel Pant at $97 are this week’s strongest picks; details in the full Athleta rundown.
J.Crew takes a breath
J.Crew had been the most aggressive clearance in this dataset for two weeks running. This week the pace eased, with far fewer styles moving onto the sale rack than the week before. J.Crew redirected instead, adding a batch of new tall styles this week, mostly fall wool, and floor space that was chasing clearance markdowns is now chasing the new season instead. More in our J.Crew report.
Gap didn’t move
Gap’s tall sale rack sat at 65% this week, with the typical discount holding at 40% off for two weeks running. Gap put its energy into 56 new tall arrivals instead, this time skewing toward workwear pants and basics rather than the sweaters and trousers from the week before. See what’s new at Gap.
The deals still standing
Some things do not move no matter how many weeks we check.
SoSoft Mock-Neck Fair Isle Sweater · Old Navy, $7 (was $50), 85% off, tall XL and XXL
This is the third week running we’ve found this exact sweater at this exact price, in the exact same two sizes. If you wear XL or XXL, nothing is stopping you.
CashSoft Rib Midi Sweater Dress · Gap, $25 (was $90), 70% off, tall S to XL
Also unchanged from two weeks ago. Full size run still in stock.
Skyline High Rise Barrel Leg Pant · Athleta, $60 in Slate (was $139), 55% off, tall 0 to 16
Slate has been discounted for at least two weeks now; Black joined it this week at a shallower 30% off. Same pant, two colors, two different deals.
Tall patch-pocket pullover dress in structured cotton poplin · J.Crew, from $30, 70 to 80% off depending on color
Sizes are down to one or two per color now. This is the closest thing to a countdown timer in this week’s data.
What this means for the next two weeks
Fall is arriving unevenly across the four stores. Gap and J.Crew are both adding real fall inventory (workwear pants at Gap, wool at J.Crew), while Old Navy and Athleta are still working through summer stock, just via different mechanisms: Old Navy rotated which categories get the discount, Athleta widened its net without cutting deeper. None of that is a coincidence. As fall stock takes priority, whatever’s left of summer gets pushed harder to clear floor space, and which category takes the hit changes week to week depending on what each store needs to make room for.
If a tall size you wear is on sale right now, don’t assume it will still be discounted, or still be there, in two weeks. This week’s Old Navy denim reversal is proof that “on sale” is not a permanent state, even at the store with the deepest clearance.
Check the fit guides before you commit: Old Navy, Gap, Athleta and J.Crew.
Prices, sizes, and stock checked August 12, 2026 at the four stores we track. Discount figures are typical across the tall styles we looked at. Some links are affiliate links; see our disclosure.