I love the Critical Shopper column in the New York Times. Specifically I love when the people who pen the column, who are obviously used to shopping upscale, take a trip into some of the City's more common offerings. This week, the Critical Shopper falls into the Gap, which has apparently been taken over by excessively eager Euro-spenders.
Much has been made of Patrick Robinson's attempts to rescue the ubiquitous retail chain from its recent khaki doldrums. The Critical Shopper agrees that Robinson's (pictured above) arrival has precipitated some vast improvements, but laments the presence of "gross familiars from yesteryear" including a pair of cargo pants with what he calls "lumpy thigh pockets".
While Patrick's pieces are upping the store's cool quotient, there are still a few too many boring basics to be found. The cuter offerings seem to have been priced out of my usual Gap spending allowance. Also, I couldn't agree more with the Critical Shopper's reprimands for the store's practice of pin-tuck tailoring all of the items featured on the display mannequins. That should be a crime punishable in Misled Shoppers' Court.
If I were the judge, I'd sentence them to finally properly air my favorite Gap advert that never was. It's a friggin' hilarious commercial from the very special mind of Spike Jonze. It was pulled from the air after a limited run in select cities, but will live forever in the YouTube universe.
I've always wanted to do that.
Image: Popsugar.com
1 comment:
ok the Gap used to be my go-to. When I was between the ages of 16 and 24. I haven't shopped there since. For one thing, I swear their styles are constantly recycled. For another, you are right--they have priced themselves out of what I would want to spend for clothes that often just seem too unspectacular to me. When they opened up the low-rent old navy, I started going there for basics, such as tights or camis, or even basic pants. But... their sizes are weird, I think, and I often hate the materials they use. so I rarely go there either. Plus I hate the way old navy is always disgustingly disorganized.
But I may have to step into Gap just to look?
Also, the pinning back of the clothing on the models is, I agree, irritating.
It makes the clothes look tailored, though, and I suppose that it just reminds me that if I buy something from a ready-to-wear collection, it's not really ready to wear. I need to find me a good tailor.
(i've learned this from watching what not to wear. :) )
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