Banana Republic, not that bad

[hboogz]

Originally Posted by Oxnard

I have to disagree heartily with the OP, Banana Republic has become the epitome of BAD business casual outfits. Every 20 something who wants to look "professional" buys a tacky BR striped shirt, which they have a seemingly endless array of. Five or six years ago the stuff was a bit less tacky, the knits were nicer, but man their stuff is awful. I bought some t-shirts off their website a year ago on a whim and the cotton was seriously worse than the 3 for $5 t-shirts that they sell at wal mart. Why a thread like this gets made is beyond me.

Gonna have to agree with that..Banana Republic is solely responsible for the flat-front boot-cut trouser with cheap, scuffed moccasin look.

Zissou -- It's BR, so I'm not surprised about your experience with Heritage. Obviously, I've never really had an issue with Heritage, but i should say that I've only really wore there jackets and trousers..

 

[cchen]

I think their trousers, when on sale, are decent for work. I picked up one of their BR monogram wool trousers when they were clearing them out for $40. 100% wool, made in italy, good cut. Nothing wrong with it

 

[Robert]

^ One thing I kept from my BR days is a pair of olive Gavin khakis that are suitable for the office. I wouldn't use them for anything esle though.

 

[RyanAnderson]

Originally Posted by cchen

I think their trousers, when on sale, are decent for work. I picked up one of their BR monogram wool trousers when they were clearing them out for $40. 100% wool, made in italy, good cut. Nothing wrong with it

Agreed. There is too much BR hate on here. Yes, stuff is overpriced, yes, a lot of it is poor quality. But with discounts on the heritage and monogram stuff, I thik it's worth a try.

For the slim people out there, I've found heritage XS to be a very god fit OTR.

 

[jet]

^yes but not worth discussing here

 

[seany]

I acutally found a pair of 100% wool made in Italy dress pants (Monogram) for 2 bucks (with tags) in my local Goodwill.

30x30

I love them to death. Perfect fit.

 

[nohomo]

Amazing that the two people who claim to hate BR and this thread are the top 2 posters in this thread. It's like a little boy pushing a girl down and pulling her pigtails because he secretly likes her.

 

[thenanyu]

Originally Posted by nohomo

Amazing that the two people who claim to hate BR and this thread are the top 2 posters in this thread. It's like a little boy pushing a girl down and pulling her pigtails because he secretly likes her.

The more experience you have with Br, the more you grow to hate it eventually. I hate it very much.

 

[Naf Nasitra]

Originally Posted by jet

^yes but not worth discussing here

Says the man who's posted 5 times in this thread

 

[jarude]

Originally Posted by nohomo

Amazing that the two people who claim to hate BR and this thread are the top 2 posters in this thread. It's like a little boy pushing a girl down and pulling her pigtails because he secretly likes her.

+1

Not saying BR is the greatest. Yeah its responsible for a lot of ****** looks and Joe Douchebag can walk in there and come out thinking he's got steez, but Jesus H ******* Christ you guys are insufferable.

Nobody's forcing you to come in here and **** all over this thread. Take your smug condescension elsewhere.

 

[BB1]

Yeah, I really like the Heritage Collection with its "timeless designs and luxurious fabrics". Prove your masculinity and reveal your teenage rebellious streak by wearing this Affliction(tm) brand inspired tee...

Or for the truly sensitive man, there is the dove shirt which looks like an Affliction tee and an old lady's holiday sweater mated (with the old lady winning)....

Or a three piece suit that sticks out like it doesn't belong in the collection, just like the above tees. Who wears a three piece suit anymore other than a 60+ year old banker? Either BR designers are stupid and marsupialed or it is a sad joke on the consumer....

Over time I've noticed a pattern with the designs of the bad mainstream clothing lines. They will often error on the elderly side (as if to play it "safe") and then attempt to integrate elements of a "younger look" into their collection. Often these attempts will appear as a garish graphic tee that's the adult equivalent of A&F or Affliction, while at other times it will appear as odd details that look like they don't belong in a specific piece. The end result is frequently a hodgepodge of styles which lack any clarity as if to appeal to the largest possible audience. I don't like J. Crew either, but at least that brand has a fairly consistent style that reveals how poorly run BR's design team must be. BR is the equivalent of those spec homes you see a single builder erecting dozens of in a new neighborhood. The builder cares not if his home designs excite him, nor does he care if his homes excite his customers. He only cares if his homes will attract the largest number of consumers possible without challenging their sensibilities-- i.e. to excite the customer might challenge their sensibilities and prevent a sale! So often the homes will be boring little boxes with trivial details added to make them say "young" and "modern". Often these details will appear in the form of granite counter tops and fancy looking stainless steel appliances, but otherwise the house will be bland, cheaply built, and generic looking. BR is the same way.

 

[mshah]

Well! guys I have an experience of banana republic shop but the stuff there were so expensive that I came out empty handed.

 

[jet]

Originally Posted by nohomo

Amazing that the two people who claim to hate BR and this thread are the top 2 posters in this thread. It's like a little boy pushing a girl down and pulling her pigtails because he secretly likes her.

Yes that's it, I secretly like banana republic we've some some regular ol freuds in here.

jarude why don't you piss off to honestforum if you like swinging from banana nuts all day?

BB1 I think you have a crush on BR like these idiots seem to think.

 

[APK]

I'm amused how FURIOUS some posters get when threads such as this crop up. The thread title is not at all misleading. If mall brand discussions upset you that much, why not just steer clear when it's obvious you aren't going to like what's inside the thread?

Back on topic, my lone BR purchase was a zip-up sweater hoody that I got from the outlets at half off on Black Friday. Materials were nice, but sizing was whack. The medium felt like a large and the shoulders were huge for the tagged size. Got some good wear out of it last winter, though, and just sold it on eBay two weeks back to recoup my original costs.

 

[AR_Six]

But the thing is it IS that bad. The quality is awful. Sweaters pill like they're racing toward non-wearability.