Brand Spotlight: Old Navy / Gap / Banana Republic - Topic of the day 4/13/24
A shopping mall staple store (or collection of stores), it's no secret that Old Navy, Gap, and Banana Republic are all under the same brand umbrella but have different aesthetics and price points. What do you think about these three brands? Are Old Navy and Gap solid for affordable basics or should you not bother with them? Is Banana Republic worth the premium or is it overpriced? When did Banana Republic's lookbooks suddenly turn safari themed? Is vintage Gap actually good stuff, or was it always cheaply made? What are your favorite and least favorite pieces from these brands?
9 Replies
all three were formative parts of my clothing journeys but nowadays...lol sorry bye
overpriced + iffy quality + crazy vanity = thanks no thanks. on sale is a different story (especially for BR basics) but the stars have to align for that
vintage BR/gap are both good, especially the button fly gap jeans of the 70s
and every so often (usually two years at this point) BR will have an actual Good collection (s/s 2022 comes to mind with all the prints), but not nearly good enough to justify the insane markup
ultimately i think they're struggling to adapt to how fashion and the industry has changed post-pandemic; BR is about a year late leaning into the old money aesthetic and Gap is currently riffing off Everlane. ON is gonna do what ON does - i assume their flip flops are still great
One thing I appreciate is that they all have tall sizes. I feel like I need to at least keep them on my radar because they'll occasionally be the only place I can get something that actually fits me.
in all my bitching i neglected that aspect, they were/are very size-inclusive which was helpful in the aughts and 10s (see previous totd)
my gf really likes ON so ive been in my local store more frequently than id have expected, and im pretty impressed. its not the best quality, obviously, but its probably on par with other entry level stuff, which is better than i woudl have thought. Additionally, they seem far more on trend with womenswear than mens, which ive noticed seems to be maybe a year back.
I've always liked BR but agree with zeo that they have some trouble getting on trend, especially with slim or trim fit stuff
that said, im a big fan of BR, although i dont really buy from them anymore. I wish they would lean back into the older safar aesthetic more, which is so iconic. as to quality, i dont think its too poor, probably on tier with the lower-quality PRL or BB stuff. worth it on sale definitely
I have a pair of 90s straight jeans from Gap (model name not actually from the 90s) and a pair of herringbone double knees that are both great loose pants
Some of the gap camp collar shirts and sweater polos look like they can be decent
I don’t know if this holds true but I think of you look for items with 100% natural fibers they can be decent cheap basics to round out a wardrobe
BR was really the start of my interest in fashion; my first job was at a mall location. It kind of set a standard for me in terms of various styles and materials; at one most 95% of my closet was BR. Also feels like a brand that you can get on sale often enough where the price is really good for the hand-feel of the garments. I recognize that their designs can often miss the mark with some weird features, but overall I think it's a really good place to begin exploring fashion more without feeling intimidated. I like that they're been leaning less into office-based designed more
Vintage Gap (mid 90s and earlier) is absolutely worth it. I have a wonderful mideweight flannel in a pink pastel from 1992 that is built with all flat felled seam construction throughout and double and triple needle stitching. Construction wise it’s almost identical to the construction on my Sugarcane and 3sixteen flannels and the fabric is pretty similar to what 3sixteen uses on their spring weight flannels
How do you date vintage gap stuff?
That particular shirt has the manufacturing date on it care and materials tag on the bottom left inside seam