New gap denim

[Ohhai]

Originally Posted by nonissue

nooooo wayyy.... there's one every 2-3 months now.

Officially, F&F is Feb/March and July/August.

There may very well be one in holiday. Additional F&F (Give and Get is the new name with the 5% charity donation program) are done based on business.

Unless you are buying $1000 worth of stuff, there is no point in waiting though, various coupons are all over the place right now. Heck, jeans are $20 off in-store and online all week.

If you are really holding out for F&F, for what amounts to an extra $5 off already cheap stuff, I am not sure what to tell you.

 

[nonissue]

Originally Posted by Ohhai

Officially, F&F is Feb/March and July/August.

There may very well be one in holiday. Additional F&F (Give and Get is the new name with the 5% charity donation program) are done based on business.

Unless you are buying $1000 worth of stuff, there is no point in waiting though, various coupons are all over the place right now. Heck, jeans are $20 off in-store and online all week.

If you are really holding out for F&F, for what amounts to an extra $5 off already cheap stuff, I am not sure what to tell you.

Yah, that was the schedule until the recession hit, and then gap leveraged what used to be an employee perk as a merchandising tool, hence give and get.

 

[spidernight]

Ohhai and Finsen, thanks a lot for the replies about the fit of the skinny dark selvedge. Sucks that it stretched for one of you and not the other because now i have no idea if i should get my size or size down.

 

[allcapitan]

Thanks for the insider info. My question is this:

Who is Gap trying to market to? I have no idea. I remember a decade or so ago, the clothes were stylish, inexpensive, and reliable as you could get. Young adults and teens loved this brand, and with good reason.

Since then, sizing has ballooned to the point where you were obligated to size up two inches in the waist on any pair of pants you bought.

I know Americans have gained weight, but the cuts changed so radically, to boxy and loose, it became embarrassing to buy there.

Is Gap moving back in the direction of fitted clothing? Is it's target demographic still college students? What is the direction?

Originally Posted by Ohhai

I'm a long time Style Forum reader. I have never had any reason to post but since the Gap jeans topics keep coming up (with lots of good and some incorrect info) I figured I'd chime in.

I've worked for Gap for six years in a non store role after working at a store in college.

I'm not going to spam for Gap by any means, as I know full well that would be beyond pointless here. I work for the company and don't wear all that much, especially after finding SF. For those of you that do want info on the denim or other random junk, I'd be more than happy to give you what I know.



The line for the most part is heavily focused on women's jeans since they outsell men's by a fairly large margin (upwards of 3.5:1 I believe). The women's line was completely redone from scratch. No jeans or fits exist from prior to the relaunch. My only experience of any length with higher end women's denim is Current Elliot and Paige, and I would say that the women's stuff compares pretty favorably. Considering the price point it's got a lot going for it. The whole line is ring ring/double ring spun denim (I believe the men's new stuff is as well but I cannot say that with certainty.)

Men's had several jeans carryover after the relaunch. The leap in quality IMO is higher and much more noticeable in the women's jeans but the new men's fits are a step up from the old stuff at the exact same price. The two brand new fits with no carryover and probably the two most pertinent to SF interests are:


Authentic - I have one pair at the moment (I bought predistressed jeans! GASP!) and I am waiting on the selvedge and selvedge buckleback's to come in. They, according to Gap, are the same rise as Standard Fit, although I believe they are higher. They are what would be considered here a mid/high rise. In my normal non vanity size of 31 I found them to run large. I could get into a 29. At 29 they are a midrise straight leg that I found a bit awkward in fit. I ended up with a 30 which I wear slightly low which results in a slight drop crotch look but nothing slouchy or emo looking. These fit me very similarly to my LVC 1947 STF. A throwback 501 was almost certainly the aim of these.


Straight - This replaces the low rise straight (yellow tags) which had replaced the slim straight (silver tags). basically Gap has had a straight fit for over 3 years but has to rename it because unfortunately a lot of it's customers are frightened by scary words like "slim" and "low rise". I size down 1 in these.


I have yet to lay hands on any of the limited edition selvedge stuff so I will refrain from commenting too much until I can speak with more clarity.

I do know that the raw selvedge (one wash is assuredly a better term here) pair is not in stores at the moment. There is a dark rinse authentic selvedge in stores but there is a Rigid coming in the not too distant future.

 

[tonio028]

I couldn't agree more. It is amazing how I used to wear smalls and even medium in the past at gap and now fast forward years later and smalls fit me like a box. I need XS and even that doesn't cut it sometimes. It's a shame as I used to enjoy incorporating some of their basics into my wardrobe but it's not even worth it for me to look in there anymore except for the occasional khaki purchase.

Originally Posted by allcapitan

Thanks for the insider info. My question is this:

Who is Gap trying to market to? I have no idea. I remember a decade or so ago, the clothes were stylish, inexpensive, and reliable as you could get. Young adults and teens loved this brand, and with good reason.

Since then, sizing has ballooned to the point where you were obligated to size up two inches in the waist on any pair of pants you bought.

I know Americans have gained weight, but the cuts changed so radically, to boxy and loose, it became embarrassing to buy there.

Is Gap moving back in the direction of fitted clothing? Is it's target demographic still college students? What is the direction?

 

[ispace]

Originally Posted by nonissue

nooooo wayyy.... there's one every 2-3 months now.

They had a Give & Get campaign in mid-November 2008, so maybe mid-November 2009.

B.

 

[BOF]

I think that it's likely they're just taking sizing cues from other stores to try and avoid confusion. I can't comment on what they used to be like, but I was just in there about 2 weeks ago and wear a large in pretty much everything (medium on some items), just like everywhere else I go.

 

[Barrylicious]

Ohhai, I picked up a "workshirt" at the Gap on Michigan Ave the other day that I really like. It's a slubby chambray(ish) fabric, pullove with about a 4 button placket, and a really nice navy. Basically a complete ripoff of an RRL piece from a season or two ago, which I'm sure was a complete ripoff of something else. I like it a lot and got it for ~$30. The only thing I don't like is the buttons, but I don't dislike them enough to actually go through with switching them out with something that isn't cheap plastic. I can't find any info on the net to share it with other people though, know what I'm talking about?

 

[Ohhai]

Originally Posted by allcapitan

Thanks for the insider info. My question is this:

Who is Gap trying to market to? I have no idea. I remember a decade or so ago, the clothes were stylish, inexpensive, and reliable as you could get. Young adults and teens loved this brand, and with good reason.

Since then, sizing has ballooned to the point where you were obligated to size up two inches in the waist on any pair of pants you bought.

I know Americans have gained weight, but the cuts changed so radically, to boxy and loose, it became embarrassing to buy there.

Is Gap moving back in the direction of fitted clothing? Is it's target demographic still college students?What is the direction?


That's a loaded question if I have ever seen one. CEO's don't even make statements about who they are marketing to demographically so I am certainly not going to surmise. I'll give you a hint however, I mentioned something about who shops Gap in my first post.

As far as sizing goes, I think you covered part of it with 'Americans have gained weight".

Also, I am a bit confused about your comment on sizing UP in the waist as that would imply the pants got SMALLER. If I wore a 30 and remained the same size but then had to start buying a 32, that would mean the clothing got SMALLER. I assume you meant it vice versa.

I will say that Patrick Robinson has done a ton to really step up quality and cohesion of the brand. It is much more evident in the women's line but men's is making steps as well. Entire segments of clothing are getting rebooted one by one. Men's underwear got completely redone and relaunches next week. Not a huge deal but it's a sign that things are happening.

If the denim relaunch goes well (Which right now, it is going VERY well) I think only good things can happen.

 

[Ohhai]

Originally Posted by spidernight

Ohhai and Finsen, thanks a lot for the replies about the fit of the skinny dark selvedge. Sucks that it stretched for one of you and not the other because now i have no idea if i should get my size or size down.

Theres nothing even remotely unwearable about mine now after 8 months. I think depending on the fit you want, either choice is fine. Aren't they like 40 bucks now? Order both and make the decision by trying them on.

My advice would be to hold out washing as long as possible. I waited 5 months with about 4.5 months of real wear for my first wash which was fine and I saw lots more fading after that wash but I had to wash them again soon after and the second wash has really slowed the fading down a lot. They are also fairly soft compared to a lot of rigid denim so no dryer and starch is your friend after the first wash.

 

[Ohhai]

Originally Posted by Barrylicious

Ohhai, I picked up a "workshirt" at the Gap on Michigan Ave the other day that I really like. It's a slubby chambray(ish) fabric, pullove with about a 4 button placket, and a really nice navy. Basically a complete ripoff of an RRL piece from a season or two ago, which I'm sure was a complete ripoff of something else. I like it a lot and got it for ~$30. The only thing I don't like is the buttons, but I don't dislike them enough to actually go through with switching them out with something that isn't cheap plastic. I can't find any info on the net to share it with other people though, know what I'm talking about?

That popover was a flagship only piece from Summer 2 that I never even saw on the website so I am not sure if you are going to find it anywhere. I knew it existed but I haven't even seen it in person.

 

[spidernight]

thanks for the help with the sizing Ohhai

 

[stylesmurf]

Originally Posted by Ohhai

That's a loaded question if I have ever seen one. CEO's don't even make statements about who they are marketing to demographically so I am certainly not going to surmise. I'll give you a hint however, I mentioned something about who shops Gap in my first post.

As far as sizing goes, I think you covered part of it with 'Americans have gained weight".

Also, I am a bit confused about your comment on sizing UP in the waist as that would imply the pants got SMALLER. If I wore a 30 and remained the same size but then had to start buying a 32, that would mean the clothing got SMALLER. I assume you meant it vice versa.

I will say that Patrick Robinson has done a ton to really step up quality and cohesion of the brand. It is much more evident in the women's line but men's is making steps as well. Entire segments of clothing are getting rebooted one by one. Men's underwear got completely redone and relaunches next week. Not a huge deal but it's a sign that things are happening.

If the denim relaunch goes well (Which right now, it is going VERY well) I think only good things can happen.

I think GAP, like many stores, became a victim of its own success. It started out as a small, hip, and niche brand (hmm.. sound familiar?) and as you sell more and more and put stores all over America, things that appeal and fit to a small demographic (like SF) will not work, and you need to start producing clothing like mad and make things to work well for the general population

Are how did you know that the denim relaunch is going well? (just curious)

 

[pseudonym]

The F/W '09 line looks much better than past lines.

The grey denim looks good, but if GAP keeps to their ways, it'll fit horrendously.

 

[g transistor]

I have the old low-rise-straight-selvage denim and it fits pretty well, so maybe it won't be too bad.