The Banana Republic That Was

[ysabetwordsmith]

Here is a rare glimpse of Banana Republic as it once was.  They sold durable traveler's clothes -- things you could cram in a suitcase without wrinkling, things you could wash by beating against a rock, things you could wear in hot weather without dying.  Pockets everywhere, even on the women's wear.  Most of the stuff would mix-and-match well, although it was tricky for me with my coloring because a lot of it was muted khaki, olive, coral, etc.  But they had some colors I could wear, and I loved the comfortable clothes.  Despite the reputation for "safari" clothes, they also sold basics that would blend in with anything else, some of the most truly nondescript and classic garments I've ever seen.  Here's an example of a complete catalog so you can contrast the distinctively safari items with the basics.

I was heartbroken when it turned into just another fashion store, and I've never found anything else as good for travel wear.

Of course, it's still going in T-America, but they're a lot more practical.  As long as people go outdoors for work or recreation, this stuff stays relevant.

Comments

[tree_and_leaf]

Ah, they used to be the American Rohan!

https://www.rohan.co.uk

[seleneheart]

Back in the day, I shopped at Banana Republic if I was going south, and LL Bean if I was going north. LL Bean seems mostly the same. I could probably recreate my exact college wardrobe from them if I tried.

[tozka]

Oooooo, I LIKE this old BR style! It reminds of Romancing the Stone, one of my favorite movies. I'd also love to be able to find practical, wrinkle-free travel clothes that I could wear at home as well, honestly. Modern travel clothing companies are expensive, and not as cute, and sometimes the fabric is weird.

[thewayne]

Oh, I remember them well, they were one of my favorite places to shop. Then they sold out to The Gap and their quality went to crap and they never got another dime from me.

Get off my lawn!

[mdlbear]

Gods! I miss that store. *sigh*

Re: Get off my lawn!

[ysabetwordsmith]

Well, look up today's post of why it succeeded better in T-America, if you want a raging case of fernweh.

[pshaw_raven]

Banana Republic was great. The clothes were on the pricier side but they'd last forever, so it was a good buy. I really miss their glory days - it's hard to find well-made clothing like that now, since everything is fast fashion disposable crud.

Yes ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

Banana Republic always provided the makings of what are now called "capsule wardrobe" and "travel wardrobe" sets. When you see an article recommending that you spend a little extra on timeless basics, they're talking about things like BR's basic garments. You could take a polo shirt, t-shirt, etc. out of their basics and wear it today and nobody would notice. Which is why these things still sell well on eBay.

Fast fashion is built on the premise that people don't want to wear a garment more than a few times, then they'll buy something new. Doesn't matter if it falls apart. >_< This is a horrendous waste of materials and it's penalizing creativity too.

Another cool thing about T-America is that they have several stores selling various styles (and price ranges) of basics that are meant to last. So you have Basic Babe for practical, affordable stuff and Classique for pricey, fashionable stuff.

[sporky_rat]

There's a collection of the catalogs here, too.

[mmouse15]

Man, I still have some of my Banana Republic clothes. They really do last forever.

*laugh*

[ysabetwordsmith]

Yep, I still have some of mine too. That stuff was built like a brick shithouse.