NY Times Critical Shopper Reviews the Gap

[B Hamilton]

Originally Posted by LA Guy

1. It's pretty spot on.
2. It's a ***** move - so easy to criticize The GAP.

I want to see The Critical Shopper take on some of the heavies, either fashionista darlings (Atelier - looks like someone never got over reading Goethe in the 11th grade,) uptown stalwarts (Bergdorf Goodman - where trophy wives go to buy their husband's Borrelli sweaters and Incotex trousers so that they can look the same as they did when they were still middle management and wore Alfani and dockers, just with a larger gut.) The best would be if they reviewed a place like Saks - stuck somewhere between middle class and upper middle class - a good place to get a Canali suit, and Dolce&Gabbana leather jacket to match the Seven jeans - because the buyers haven't bothered to follow trends since 2002.

Jon did a pretty good write-up on Epaulet about a year ago.

 

[TheDroog]

The irrelevance of the Gap says more about the evolution of men's tastes than it does about the company itself. As Caramenica points out, in the 1990s wearing Gap was the surest and best way to fit in. Everyone was wearing denim shirts and pleated khakis, and so were you. It was pretty cool to conform. But since the early 2000s, men's fashion has emphasized individuality, hence the increasing popularity of mall brands like J.Crew and Urban Outfitters that do a better job of offering attention-grabbing items. Men are also more aware of cooler alternatives like Band of Outsiders and Gant. For what it's worth, Gap is still good for basics, but I totally get why everyone prefers shopping elsewhere.

Originally Posted by LA Guy

1. It's pretty spot on.
2. It's a ***** move - so easy to criticize The GAP.

I want to see The Critical Shopper take on some of the heavies, either fashionista darlings (Atelier - looks like someone never got over reading Goethe in the 11th grade,) uptown stalwarts (Bergdorf Goodman - where trophy wives go to buy their husband's Borrelli sweaters and Incotex trousers so that they can look the same as they did when they were still middle management and wore Alfani and dockers, just with a larger gut.) The best would be if they reviewed a place like Saks - stuck somewhere between middle class and upper middle class - a good place to get a Canali suit, and Dolce&Gabbana leather jacket to match the Seven jeans - because the buyers haven't bothered to follow trends since 2002.

Actualy, the Critical Shopper series does mix up its reviews of high end boutiques and mass market places. They've done reviews of small shops like Unis and Self Edge, department stores like Bergdorf and JC Penney, and chains like American Eagle and A&F. The last bunch is the most fun to read since the writers can be so merciless.

 

[thatguymj]

Went to GAP for the first time in probably 10 years as I my GF wanted to check out a sale there and had one of those 40% coupons. To me, it looked just like it did last I was in and the products seemed similar as well, but with a little better cut. Not impressed at all.

I did pick up a t neck cardigan in a linen/cotton blend that I am VERY pleased with given it cost me something like $11.32 on clearance. They also had a great dip-dyed oxford that I would have bought had it not be full retail. My GF made fun of me buying $200+ shirts all the time but scoffing at the $60 price tag since it was full priced.

 

[LA Guy]

Originally Posted by TheDroog

Actualy, the Critical Shopper series does mix up its reviews of high end boutiques and mass market places. They've done reviews of small shops like Unis and Self Edge, department stores like Bergdorf and JC Penney, and chains like American Eagle and A&F. The last bunch is the most fun to read since the writers can be so merciless.

I know, but they tend to go after the easy kill, while there are lots of high flyer boutiques that are due for a hard landing, imo. I mean, really, in NYC, there are, I'm going to peg it at a dozen, boutiques in Manhattan and Brooklyn that are pretty much interchangeable, and their buys have been stale since about 2007, but that get nice writeups in GQ and Esquire regularly.

 

[Trungtastic]

When I was in tokyo their gap was pretty badass

 

[*#..]

I've bought some blank shirts from them and they fit me pretty well. Come sale time before Christmas, their blank t's were going for $5-6.

 

[pimpmystyle]

It's unfortunate, but The Gap just can't seem to get anything right these days. I bought a few items back in their late 90's heyday, and I was pleased with just everything about the experience. The prices were right, quality high, the store was very clean and organized, and the staff helpful.

For the price, quality was high. What happened is that they went after the biggest market possible
(in more ways than one), quality dropped more quickly than seemed conceivable, they raised prices sharply, and lost whatever leadership was responsible for their success in the first place. In other words, they got greedy and lazy.

Originally Posted by Meis

Is it just me or is their underwear really bad? I picked up some boxer briefs there last year and they were pretty horrible, fabric was ****, I mean markedly worse than merona(target) or hanes.