Gap & J Crew in trouble

[FrugalFashionista]

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

Gap

J Crew

There is an article about this in The Pool today.

Coasting YY I know for example George at Asda is made by the same factory as some GAP stuff.
Back on the day supermarket clothes were crap. Now they compete with high street.

Interesting article dexter73. I note that it mentions Old Navy doing well - probably because they sell pretty much the same stuff that Gap does but at a much cheaper price. I'd disagree with the author that Zara is "low cost" though - it seems to be getting pricier by the day. In the UK at least. Spotted a dress in a London store for £60 that is retailing for 50 euros on the Spanish site!

I like Gap.

I think the quality in Banana Republic is appalling. I won't even bother looking there again. My last purchase was the straw that broke the camels back. It was Primary quality for over £100. Needless to say it was returned.

In my head gap is American preppy
So it should be blazers, well cut jeans/khakis, good shirts and v neck sweaters, knee length skirts and dresses.
All made from nice natural fabrics which change colours dependant on season but maintain the same shapes.

If they sold these (and they used too when I was young and couldn't afford it) I'd prepared to pay a premium. Reduce the price and stop emailing me bloody 30% off vouchers.

Hmmm I buy LOADS of stuff from Gap with their discounts. Admittedly mainly for the children. Agree T quality not what it was, but I like their designs and my tomboy nearly 10YO likes them too. The Gap hoodie is a staple, both kids have at least 2.

I wear basics from Gap: their Bowery super soft Ts are brilliant and have lasted an age. I have loads of the things and whenever bought, quality has been consistent.

I buy a lot of J Crew when visiting the U.S. and on the whole appreciate slightly different cuts and design features, which for me, sets them apart.

Old Navy for me doesn't cut it. I wear their PJ bottoms but almost everything I've bought from there has been Primark quality and almost disposable fashion. It fills a Gap and like to take the kids (we buy quite a lot of kids swimwear there when visiting), but for me the quality is noticeably lacking.

You need to be thin and rich to shop in J Crew.

You just need to be barking to shop at GAP!

I look at J Crew and think some of their things are nice but not THAT nice ifkwim.

I look in GAP and wonder who they're trying to sell to. The quality basics have disappeared and been replaced by ... weird stuff (red half-mast trousers and short shirt dresses in olive green). I used to love their ballet tops, vests and jeans.

I disagree you need to be thin to shop in J Crew, they are some of the worst vanity sizers in the market - I regularly need a 0 in there!

I've actually found the quality and fit of Gap jeans has gone up lately (the resolution ones are excellent and as good as some premium brands, I will both cry and stock up if they're going down the tubes), though their t-shirt and dress quality is patchy: a lot of odd boxy shapes and/or thin fabric. Their gym clothes are good too. I use the 30% off vouchers a fair bit, though mostly for the kids.

Really like some J Crew stuff but agree their prices over here are insane.

I can't remember the last time I bought anything full price in Gap - if it's not on the sale rail there's always an offer around the corner so I wait. Just reduce the prices FFS !

I have never bought a thing in Gap. It is not my style at all. Never been to J Crew. Must attract a certain market. Well maybe not if it's in trouble.

Seriously - true resolution jeans people. Try them.

bonsoir, I was going to say the exact thing about jcrew in Paris, im completely puzzled by it, its too preppy/princessy ,I thought maybe its aimed at Asian tourists? ,and when compared with French mid range brands, you realise just how inferior it is.
Even the crewcuts children's line ,are a complete ripoff.
But I must admit that they used to have really good cashmere afew years ago,something has changed,I have one hoodie I got last year, that is completely rubbish, and when I compared it with another jcrew cashmere sweater from a few years back, the dip in fibre quality and finish was obvious.

I used to love gap and regularly bought lots of stuff there, mainly dresses, trousers and jeans as well as most of DS's stuff.

But totally agree that the quality has gone down hill, fast.

The baby gap pj's are so cute - the tight fitting ones with an appliqué picture on the front and mini prints on the bottoms, DS must have had about ten pairs in age 6 months - 5 years. The early sets lasted well washed and worn until outgrown but up the later ones fell apart. I actually wrote to gap with details (designs and label codes) as it was a huge change in quality and they wrote back, saying "thank you for your letter. We do not care. Yours sincerely gap"

I just ordered several t shirt dresses. I have two already and love them, ver flattering. However the ones I just recieved are awful- thin cheap fabric and much smaller made. I compared to my old ones and he difference obvious, several centimetres smaller but ordered same size that fits me perfectly. The old ones are from 2013 so quality still going down.

Plus if you return items bought online by post they take forever to refund. Apparentky it can take up to 28 working days from when they recieve your parcel. So you could wait over a month for your money! I was about to post the t shirt dresses back then remembered that do will take them back to store as even I get to town quicker than their refunds....

Wow I am amazed people have had bad experiences with Gap jeans - mine last for ages and they only go in the end because my thighs rub together just a leetle bit. I don't wash them often, perhaps they don't wear well with a lot of washing.

I hate the business model of constant reductions and offers. Yes Boden, I'm looking at you too. It just makes me feel ripped off whether I pay full price or not.

I think Gap recently hired, then sacked, a former Cos designer. This explains their recent timid attempts at minimalism. I think they have always struggled trying to balance being 'all American' vs being more 'European' and fashion-led. Personally I like gap, especially for jeans - and I also have some great biker style trousers from there. But you have to take six pairs into the changing rooms as their sizing is so insane.

Gah, I'd be doomed without Gap jeans!

They seem to sell really boring clothes in the UK, I usually find good stuff in the US though.

I love GAP sportswear. Incredibly flattering capri pants and t shirts and they all wash and wear really well. The rest of their stuff though looks crap on me. Most of the tops/shirts are so stiff and rigid they look like they'd stand up without anyone wearing them. The necklines on their tees are nearly all too deeply v necked, too round necked or too odd. Their jeans seem to go up a size by the end of the day and make my bum look frumpy. I have seen J Crew stuff online and like it but can't afford it.

Prompted by this thread I popped into Gap this evening and popped almost straight out again. It looks like a jumble sale and full price items are still massively overpriced.

This was the same Gap shop from which I bought possibly my favourite white blouse ever - they had a small designer range, the quality of which is just amazing - it's 10 years old, and still good as new. It wasn't cheap but it was more than worth the money.

Isn't that odd...I have a top that I bought from Gap -in the states that is at least 17 years old!! I still love it. The Gap in the nearest town to me recently closed. But before it actually closed there were permanent sales
Very expensive for "safe" clothes

Their t-shirts - which should be the absolute gold standard of t-shirts - are unpredictable. The supersoft Bowery ones are great, and I stockpiled in the last sale. All the others are terrible: poor quality, too thin, seams twisting, holes appearing. They all go weird under the armpits too.

The Real Straight jeans are fine, but there just isn't really anything else I want from there. And I am basically pre-programmed to buy all my clothes from Gap and M&S. Tricky times.

Love gap jeans, everything else is pretty crappy. J Crew is all hype.

Gap used to be fab quality but has gone downhill lots in the last 5 years. Their stuff used to be a good investment.