shopping at GAP?

[mr.loverman]

I go to school in a city that is not particularly fashionable. What do you guys think of purchasing casual wear at the GAP?

I feel if matched with some high-quality accesories and nice shoes gap stuff can be very stylish.

i aim to look sharp and stylish. hip, but not too trendy.

what do you guys think of the GAP for a college student looking for stylish casual wear?

are there any other stores or brands that you'd recommend for a college student who doesn't have a huge budget but likes to dress well? right now i can spend maybe $500-1000 a year on clothes and accesories.

the only problem i see is that everyone shops there and you can see people with gap stuff on. in highschool, kids who tried to dress well would end up wearing the same sweaters from the gap. is their stuff too common? should i rule out the gap because of this?

 

[sho'nuff]

mr. loverman, welcome to the forum.

i run across lots of threads like these coming from sincere individuals like you wanting to know if Gap, Banana Republic, macys, etc is all right to wear. especially for college and for young persons.

I personally believe it is ALL RIGHT to wear clothing from any of these establishments. lot of these places have some sensible wear , decent quality , and some decent style.


the only warning SF and I will give to you will be the value you get for your money issue.
be vigilant on the pricing. brand new retail prices for lot of these merchandise is too expensive for what they are actually worth. lot of Gap wear is made in China and India and the items do not in itself cost more than a few bucks if even that. of course, you won't be able to purchase at that price, but a decent discount is always wise to look for.
get these certain items on sale or look for them in outlets or find deals here or online or find discounts to be applied.

that is the only advice i have to you. it is a bit painful to buy a button up shirt at the Gap for $39.99 when a month later you find the same shirt at $19.99.

yes, maybe you need the shirt NOW as opposed to a month later. what I am saying is have the vigilance , know what possibly can be on sale and when the sales occur. and what sizes /colors usually get depleted. all this is experience so the first couple of years buying full retail may be a necessary evil to learn the nuances of bargain hunting later.

just know this, i bought a full-retail Mani suit

 

[TCN]

I haven't been to a Gap in years, but frankly I would think it odd if a college student DIDN'T buy some stuff there.

Here's a hint on buying stuff at J. Crew, the Gap, and all of those places. Don't buy the pieces that everyone can tell came from the Gap or page 37 of the J. Crew catalogue, from 50 paces away.

 

[sho'nuff]

also , personally for me, i dont really concern too much about an item somebody at school or work may wear that is same as mine.
i mix it up a bit , with accessories and stuff so even the same shirt and color would look different a bit because i dress more clean and sharp and modern while the coworker next to me dresses shabbily just thrown on and without any ownership.

i do like to avoid something that is obviously ubiquitous, but those things cannot really come out to play until after the fact.
i cannot really predict what is going to be ubiquitous or not, but after some time with experience i tend to know generally what items and what stores usually will carry possible ubiquitous items.


but ubiquity sometimes is a complement to the item, proclaiming a sense of quality and value which is what makes it so popular.
in that case , i dont mind owning and wearing such item.

in the other hand, a ubiquitous item because it is claimed by media as 'hot' or this is 'in' or everybody gotta have it or you are weirdo , than i dont buy into that.

 

[robin]

Shop during sales.

Some stores also offer discounts if you're in college, such as J.Crew.

 

[VMan]

Know your measurements well and you can buy items at a good discount on Ebay (good sellers will provide all the measurements you need in the auctions, or you can message them if they don't).

 

[Tarmac]

The quality on Gap is fine but let me tell you this, I've actually run into people wearing the exact same shirt as me only 3 times in my life. Twice was BR and once was GAP. And I've only owned about 5 shirts from these makers, total. 60% odds, that's not good. This is my main reason for avoiding them now.

 

[nmoraitis]

I think a better choice than the GAP would be J.Crew for casual clothes. They always have a sale section on their website with many decent shirts and pants.

 

[HomerJ]

I bought 2 new shirts last week from Banana Republic marked down to $5 each. Nothing wrong with that. If you're paying $50 then that's not so smart so I agree with shoe that the product is alright but think about value.

 

[Holdfast]

Gap's overpriced at full retail, considering where their clothes are made and how banal most of it is in terms of design.

I went in today, to pick up some little items (I like the plain Ts; so sue me). I got sticker shock looking at their shirts. Ridiculous, considering the quality.

If you get them in the sales, they're fine.

 

[AlanC]

You can pick up a lot of GAP stuff at thrift stores. It's worth a look.

I still use BR as a source for boxers and socks on clearance, and I have various pieces from BR and GAP from years back that I still wear. Never pay retail at any of those places, though.

 

[SantaCruzGuy]

I'm with the Holdem on this one:

The ONLY thing I buy at The Gap are the short sleeve, no pocket, cotton t-shirts in Black, dark charcoal gray, & white.
If you buy several, they'll give you a break on the price.
Keep your horse blinders on & don't buy anything else in there.

NOTHING ELSE.

I've had so many unsatisfying experiences from buying other things there such as khaki pants, denim jackets, etc.

Every time I go in there they try to sell me a pair of jeans.
I'm a 501's guy.

 

[DocHolliday]

I think Gap is fine for basics, especially on deep markdown. I have some ringer Ts I got there, for example. As for the other stuff, it takes a selective eye. I find it hard to imagine paying retail for any of their stuff.

I don't really hold J. Crew in any more esteem than the Gap, and have found the employees at the Gap more helpful than some of the snobby/unpleasant folks I've encountered at J. Crew.

 

[Wvillager]

Don't buy a shirt on sale at the Gap and wear it out that same night! You will run into someone wearing it, especially in a smaller city.

I learned this the hard way after buying on deep discount at Urban Outfitters in Houston, tx and two other guys at the bar that night had the same shirt!!

 

[Holdfast]

Originally Posted by SantaCruzGuy

I'm with the Holdem on this one:

The ONLY thing I buy at The Gap are the short sleeve, no pocket, cotton t-shirts in Black, dark charcoal gray, & white.
If you buy several, they'll give you a break on the price.
Keep your horse blinders on & don't buy anything else in there.

NOTHING ELSE.

Exactly.

The (very nice) shop assistant tried to get me to buy lots of other stuff today, but I managed to hold the line and escape with just the Ts I wanted.