Abercrombie 90s Straight vs. Ankle Straight: What's the difference?

The 90s Straight is the pair to buy if you want a full-length straight leg that breaks on top of your shoe, and the Ankle Straight is the pair to buy if you want the hem to stop above your ankle bone. In a base size 28, that is a gap of nearly four inches of inseam.

There is a second thing worth knowing before you open a single product page. Abercrombie has built the 90s Straight into the backbone of its women's denim while the Ankle Straight has shrunk to a small corner of the site. For a lot of shoppers that settles the question before fit does.

How Much Shorter Is the Ankle Straight?

The Ankle Straight runs a Regular inseam of 26.75 inches against 30.5 inches for the 90s Straight in the same base size 28. Abercrombie describes the Ankle Straight as cropped to show a little ankle, and describes the 90s Straight as a full-length inseam designed to hit at the top of the shoe. Those two lines are the entire comparison in miniature.

The length runs differ as well. The 90s Straight comes in Extra Short at 26.5 inches, Short at 28.5, Regular at 30.5 and Long at 32.5, with the numbers moving half an inch either way between washes. The Ankle Straight offers Extra Short at 22.75 inches, Regular at 26.75 and Long at 28.75, so even its longest option lands two inches above the shortest 90s Straight run.

Leg opening is far closer than the two names suggest. The 90s Straight finishes at a 15.5 inch hem circumference and the Ankle Straight at 14.75 inches. Three quarters of an inch is not something you would spot side by side. What you see in the mirror is where the hem stops.

Which Rise Sits Higher, and Which Denim Has More Give?

Rise is where the two cuts have drifted apart. The 90s Straight is sold in a mid rise, a 10.5 inch high rise and an 11.5 inch ultra high rise, in Classic, Curve Love and maternity fits. The Ankle Straight now has one non-maternity version left on Abercrombie's site, an ultra high rise Curve Love style the brand describes as sitting at your natural waist. If you want a mid rise crop, this is no longer the jean that gives it to you.

The denim is different enough to feel in the fitting room. The 90s Straight uses Abercrombie's Vintage Comfort Stretch, which the brand describes as an authentic vintage look with built-in stretch for comfort. One black wash lists at 99% cotton and 1% elastane, close enough to rigid denim that it holds its shape from morning to evening. The Ankle Straight uses Lightweight Comfort Stretch, and our read is that if you want structure through the thigh rather than softness, the 90s Straight is the one to order.

Price lands in the same place. The 90s Straight is $90 across most washes, with seasonal and matching-set versions at $100. The Curve Love Ultra High Rise Ankle Straight is $100 and the maternity Ankle Straight is $90. Cost is not going to make this decision for you.

Shop the 90s Straight: abercrombie.com/shop/us/womens-bottoms-90s-straight-jeans

Which Cut Suits Your Height?

Height matters more for the Ankle Straight, because a cropped hem has a narrow margin for error. If 30 inches is your normal full-length inseam, the Ankle Straight in Regular sits close to four inches higher on your leg. On a frame around 5'4" that reads as a clean ankle length. Around 5'8" the same jean reads as a proper crop, which may be what you want or may be a surprise, and Abercrombie photographs the Curve Love Ankle Straight on a 5'8" model wearing a size 27 Long for exactly that reason.

The 90s Straight forgives far more. Its Extra Short through Long range covers 26.5 to 32.5 inches, and because the hem is meant to break on the shoe, an inch of extra length reads as styling. Order up when you are between lengths and let it stack. Our comparison of Abercrombie short vs regular jeans covers how the codes translate on the body, and long vs extra long inseam handles the taller end.

Petite shoppers get the better deal from the 90s Straight here too. An Extra Short at 26.5 inches gives a full-length look without a trip to the tailor, and it is the only one of the two cuts where a shorter inseam still reads as the fit the designer intended.

What to Wear With Each Pair

The 90s Straight suits a shoe with some bulk to it, since the hem lands on top of whatever you are wearing. Chunky sneakers and lug-sole loafers both sit well under a full-length straight leg, and so does a western boot. Tuck a fitted knit or a bodysuit into the high rise and the proportion sorts itself out. This is the pair you reach for on a Saturday.

The Ankle Straight asks for the opposite shoe. The cropped hem leaves your ankle bare, which flatters a pointed flat or a low boot the hem can clear. Put it with a tall shaft boot and the gap between hem and leather looks like a mistake rather than a decision. It is the easier of the two to wear to an office.

Cuffing is the workaround if you own the 90s Straight and want the cropped look on a given day. One turn on a Regular inseam gets you close to ankle length. There is no equivalent trick in the other direction, which is worth weighing if you can only justify one pair.

Which Abercrombie Straight Jean Is Worth Your Money?

Buy the 90s Straight unless you specifically want a cropped hem, and the assortment is what tips it. Abercrombie's dedicated 90s Straight page currently lists 15 styles across three rises and three fit families. The Ankle Straight page lists three, two of which are maternity, which leaves a single non-maternity option in one medium destroy wash at $100.

That turns the decision into a narrower question. Does the one Ankle Straight wash still on the site happen to be one you would wear, in an ultra high rise Curve Love fit? If yes, order it and enjoy a crop that Abercrombie may not restock. If no, take the 90s Straight in your usual size and cuff it on the days you want your shoes to show.

If you are choosing between Abercrombie's fit families rather than its lengths, our Curve Love vs Regular comparison is the next one to read, and Vintage Straight vs 90s Straight covers the closest rival to the winner here.

Shop the Ankle Straight: abercrombie.com/shop/us/womens-bottoms-ankle-straight-jeans

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