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Original poster

Gap & J Crew in trouble

98 replies

FrugalFashionista · 15/06/2015 22:18

Reading fashion / business news - these are tough times for midrange brands...

Gap

J Crew

OP posts:
Bearleigh · 15/06/2015 22:41

Can't say I am surprised - both are over priced to my mind. I don't mind paying for well made and stylish clothes like from Joseph or Agnès B, and I like the good value of Uniqlo, but Gap and J Crew fall between 2 stools.

Gap seems deliberately pricy so they can reduce in sales. I used to buy a lot of things there but haven't seen anything I fancy for ages - it's not so much the cost of things for the quality; I just don't like what they sell any more.

J Crew seems priced to give cachet but IMHO the quality and style aren't good enough to support the prices.

chanie44 · 16/06/2015 06:39

I quite like gap, although the sizing makes absolutely no sense.

I work not too far from a j crew stores and it was hideously expensive. I gather that in America, they do frequent discounts so the prices are more reasonable, but not here in the UK.

Original poster
FrugalFashionista · 16/06/2015 07:01

I stood for almost an hour in a J Crew store in the US, looking at everything, then walked out empty-handed. I have a couple of Madewell items that I love but regular J Crew is a combination of astronomical prices and not-quite-there quality. And their European prices are just insane.

I think that places like H&M have slightly improved their quality while places like Gap and J Crew have slipped considerably. I used to give H&M a pass because everything for adults was too shoddy but shopping there very selectively I have found great, well-made items from them and their sister stores recently. Some of my H&M tops have bias-finished seams, now that's a high end detail! Their jeans are particularly competitive.

OP posts:
Glitteryfrog · 16/06/2015 07:30

Gap should be amazing basics,
Jeans, tops and cotton summer dresses.
I don't mind £45 on a dress, but not when I know they'll send me a code for 30% off.

cathcustard · 16/06/2015 07:42

I used to love Gap for basics, cotton tees with a tiny bit of stretch, jeans with a massive selection of styles & lengths, great PJs.
I went to my local one & it looked like a jumble sale; racks of odd looking stuff & completely disorganised.
Quite like Crew though.

lavendersun · 16/06/2015 07:47

I lived in the US, J Crew and Banana Republic are relatively cheap there. I still have clothes I wear from 12 years ago, so they can be well made/last.

I would buy trousers for $45, linen shirts for $35 when the offers were on. Banana Republic quality is better than J Crew generally imo.

I can't believe the prices here to be honest.

I only ever buy jeans in Gap.

SophieHatters · 16/06/2015 08:01

Gap used to be brilliant about 10-12 years ago and I bought loads of baby stuff there for ds1, which has lasted to ds3.

Mind you I only bought stuff from the sale rail...but everything in there was wonderful, to me. Grown up clothes and especially the children's clothes.

Shortly after it went weird - loads of poorly made, badly fitting, generic pale pastel coloured stuff and trousers in static-type material that everything stuck to, and vest tops that were far too low cut, it was like a market stall.

I have avoided it since. Bought some school trousers online which were more like formal suit trousers for DS and the quality was excellent, but I don't like much of the stuff on their website for adults at all.

I don't know what happened Sad

SophieHatters · 16/06/2015 08:02

Oh and our store closed down about 8 years ago? Really sad. It's a Jack Wills now. Bleee.

Glitteryfrog · 16/06/2015 08:05

I love their smart trousers. They're designed for people who are straight up and down.
If they go bust I'm going to buy all their trousers!

Original poster
FrugalFashionista · 16/06/2015 08:31

I bought a banker type BR shirt for work last year and the cuff unraveled the second day I wore it. The seam allowance was just 1mm so it was impossible to fix. Not impressed.

I'm pretty straight up and down too and have some lovely J Crew items from past seasons. But I've bought everything from US eBay massively discounted. I bought a Gap parka last autumn. I loved its warmth and comfort but it is looking quite scruffy now - they chose a fabric that is not hardwearing.

OP posts:
stevienickstophat · 16/06/2015 09:16

Shit. I'm going to have to become a naturalist.

I buy everything from Gap.

pictish · 16/06/2015 09:19

Bought ds1 a pair of GAP jeans to the tune of £40 a while back, and both knees were split in a matter of weeks. Certainly won't be buying another pair. The quality just isn't there, though the price tag remains the same.

Hadron21 · 16/06/2015 09:24

Gap has gone seriously downhill. Our local shop is awful. Clothes look like they are taken out of storage and hung up without seeing an iron.

SophieHatters · 16/06/2015 09:30

Don't you mean a naturist, Stevie? Grin

David Attenborough is a naturalist.

Yamahaha · 16/06/2015 09:32

I buy all my trousers from Gap- their cropped length are perfect in Mr as I am super-short. I agree that 15 years ago their quality was superb (I still have work shirts from then as I tend to buy multiples if items that fit well once I have found them). Nowadays it is very hit and miss.
The children's clothes 6-8 years ago were suberb quality- girls' stuff especially. Great designs and virtually indestructible, like Gymboree were. Now I struggle to get anything for the children, the exception being lived in khakis for boys which are superb.

Bunbaker · 16/06/2015 09:34

"I love their smart trousers. They're designed for people who are straight up and down."

I hate their trousers and jeans - they are not made for women with waists and hips, and they are too low rise. I used to like their scoop neck T-shirts, but they never have any in store now and the material is so thin and flimsy. I can never see anything I like in Gap any more.

ZaraW · 16/06/2015 10:05

I've never seen the appeal of GAP usually I walk straight in and back out again.

However, love J Crew but only buy in the US or get a friend who lives over there to send me stuff over. A couple of months ago purchased 2 silk blouses and two merino sweaters for less than a hundred pounds.

Quality is great I am wearing a pair of chinos and one of their stretch blouses wore them lots and they still look good and fit well. However, would never buy in the UK prices are ridiculous.

Oly4 · 16/06/2015 13:29

I love Gap and especially their kids' clothes. Really soft cotton

AmberNectarine · 16/06/2015 14:51

The Gap true resolution jeans are incredible. I have a huge collection of high end jeans (J Brand, Paige, Goldsign, MiH etc, you name it, I've got it) and these Gap ones are far superior. If they go bust I will be stocking up.

J Crew I like but their quality is crap. I bought a shirt recently, just a standard cotton plaid scenario. Cost me £90 which I'm fine with paying if it will last but there are loose threads everywhere and it's starting to look like a dishrag after a handful (maybe 4) wears. Not cool J Crew.

TeaAddict235 · 16/06/2015 16:32

I too buy nearly all of my new things from Gap, but they need to stop with the initial high prices. yes, I wait for the sales, but if the prices were genuine from the beginning then I would probably buy a lot more and more frequently. I am of the opinion that they have started to follow clothes trends more now. Back when I was at uni ~10 years ago, they were very dated and office like, on a par with Next. whereas now their clothes are more trendy and practical. Also I wish that the stores would stop trying to purport this serious and snobby ambiance when you go in. If they need cash, they need to make the ambiance more welcoming and friendly.

Twinklestein · 16/06/2015 17:35

I've always hated Gap I've never bought a single item from there.

J Crew I like but they've gone off the boil stylewise recently. It's a bit square American.

faustina · 16/06/2015 17:42

Gap are fantastic. Not a fan of actually going into their shops because they never seem to have much in them but their website is brilliant, and delivery and customer service are right up there among the best. Totally agree about the quality and cut of the jeans - especially the girlfriend ones at the moment. ALSO - it's a very big deal to me that they have loads in their petite section. I'll be battling with amber nectarine to stock up if they are going down.

JCrew prices here are silly and the quality doesn't match. I am looking forward to Madewell shipping to the UK in August though!

Cranagh · 16/06/2015 17:44

Also love Gap true resolution jeans and have abandoned J Brand and the like for them. I buy most of my kids' clothes there too. I find J Crew poor quality and it pains me to pay the prices here after having lived in the US.

lilivonshtupp · 16/06/2015 17:48

Gap used to be good for excellent, well made basics. Their white cotton t-shirts were thick soft cotton and lasted ages.

Now, their quality has dropped enormously, but there is competition from (say) Joe Fresh who do equally good poor-ish quality t-shirts but for far cheaper.

I think they lost it when they went poorer quality.

CatOfTheGreenGlades · 16/06/2015 17:56

I like Gap, it's not exactly cool design central but I do use it a lot for basics, sportswear, pjs, jeans etc. And I have a couple of nice print dresses from there, though things like that are very rare. Lots of nice kids stuff too. Recently went to the sale with DD and got her shorts, t-shirts, leggings etc. all well made and good value.

I don't think of J Crew as mid-priced though, I think of it as eye-wateringly expensive.