Have You Seen Zac Posen’s GapStudio Collection? (That Trench!)

I’d love to shop this collection but as a size 18 there are only 2 items that were made available in my size. This is seriously disheartening.

I have been buying undies form GAP since the late 90s. Please never stop carrying the cotton hipsters. That said, I have also been asking myself since the late 90s why they always offer clothes in black, white, navy, and then some absurd shade like this orange. It’s always the e orange! And then once every five years neon yellow. These items mostly skew super feminine and what I loved about gap back in the day was the preppy somewhat more gender utilitarian oxfords and non stretch denim. Who is wearing silk slip dresses w short stilettos IRL?

Just gorgeous. Every piece. Zac is so talented. Beautiful designs. Should have brought him in ages ago!

Gap is SO good right now!!!!

Huh. These styles and prices are a real “good for her not for me” vibe.

The price tag is just for Zac’s name on it. There’s nothing quality about these pieces, from fabric to wearability. Who above the age of 25 is wearing cropped sweatshirts and mini skorts? Gap’s marketing strategy is, “If we put Zac’s name on it, they’ll come running.” And they’re right, hence this blog post. Personally, see through the brand name and just see more fast fashion and less sustainability.

Oh I have such a mixed relationship with Gap these days. I LOVE that they are upholding DEI values, I love that they are trying to make basics more elevated and cool and I will always appreciate my own history with the brand. It was my first job ever – I was 15 and my Dad had to drive me to every shift! – but I learned how to fold denim like nobody’s biz. When I came back to work there one summer to subsidize my unpaid internship, I was placed at Gap Body and was genuinely moved by the power of a new and correctly-fitting bra to help someone with low self-confidence, or to help a postpartum mom feel better. It might be weird to say, but Gap was a hugely supportive place for a suburban teen getting a little taste of independence and learning how to work. All that said, the pieces I bought with my staff discount back then are MILES better in quality than what they sell now. I have cable knit sweaters and button downs that have weathered years of washing and dry cleaning flawlessly and I still wear them! When I’ve gone in recently, I feel like I’m in a fast fashion shop, which breaks my heart (not to mention my bank account.) The quality and price are not – at all – commensurate. Gap used to be spendy, but it was worth it. And if they were to increase their quality, manufacture well (maybe in America even?!) I’d come running back so fast! Hiring Zac Posen is a step in the right direction, but without meaningful change underneath, it feels like lipstick on a pig. Or pleats on a trench, as it were.

Quality just isn’t the same as it used to be and the style is pretty much the same as it always was. Trying to avoid fast fashion big American companies these days!

Smart move for Gap. This capsule collection is a great way to breathe new life into the brand while still offering its fundamentals for less adventurous folks.

Very specific body type on these. Gap clothes were either too big or too small on me. I bought socks on sale there years ago. Denim was mind boggling.

I would love it if they’d bothered to take ONE photo of a model in the maxi shirtdress wearing it like a normal human being. They don’t really think we’re all going to live our lives with one shoulder just hanging off constantly are we? I find it aloof and out of touch. Come on, Gap.

I wouldn’t ordinarily write a comment like this, but I’m feeling vulnerable. I can’t justify buying a $158 dress when our economy is in free-fall and I’m debating whether or not to buy eggs. Everything is so expensive. My spouse and I both have advanced degrees, both work more than full-time, but it feels like we fall further behind every year. Buying one of these articles of clothing seems far-fetched for me right now…never mind the cost of a house, healthcare, and all of the other things that so many of us (myself included) have taken for granted.

What kind of body are these designed for? Disappointed to see every model look the same (tiny size). I don’t think these clothes are designed to fit everyone well. It’s a no for me!

These items aren’t really my vibe. Banana Republic Factory has a bunch of beautiful spring pieces that I love right now tho, if money and closet space and spending on things i don’t need were no object. Just in case someone out really does need new things, on a more reasonable and wearable budget.

Maxing out at a size16 is certainly a choice (::insert middle finger to GAP here::)

The orange is lovely! Can’t swing it right now though.

Gap was one of my first jobs in high school (could only afford their clothes with my 50% discount, and even then mostly shopped the sale racks) and became a customer again in my 30s – so for about the last 10 years. I see all these influencers hyping Gap’s big comeback, but honestly, I don’t see anything different. Overall it looks to be the same as they’ve had on offer since the late 90s. And no way are all these separate influencers coming up with the same lines on their own about very normal fast fashion clothes; it’s so obviously a marketing campaign.

Amazing trench coat. I got the black sweatshirt…love it.

Oh, that’s quite a stunning trench! 🥰 As a small-framed adult, I’m so grateful that I can reliably get something that fits me in their kids section. I highly recommend other petites check them out for classic pieces. The rare time I don’t shop secondhand, it’s with them. Most of the time, if I get a compliment on my outfit, it’s a combination of Gap and vintage.

The sailor skort is a piece I had in 1998 from Gap. Exact design. I wore them with high platform wedges. Loved that piece of clothing.

When I was 12, my mom and I were shopping in a freezing mall, and she bought me a simple zip-up hoodie from the Gap to stay warm. Already being over 5 feet, it was an adult small. 25 years later that sweatshirt is still in my parent’s front closet and is the “family sweatshirt” that everyone grabs when they need to make a quick run to the car!

While it’s cool that Gap has tapped a more fashion-forward designer to take creative leadership, I’m not overly impressed by any of the pieces. They still feel awfully generic, trying to appeal to the masses rather than offering something unique. What’s more, I know the materials Gap uses are lower quality and produced in big factories with questionable labor standards. I’ll continue to invest my money primarily in second pieces, interspersed with slow fashion

I love the new GAP commercial starring our fav Parker Posey! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzL96mYzl4o The striped top + wide-leg denim + trench feel both classic and modern. Now I’m sad we no longer have a GAP in the town I live. I used to work there during my college days :)

Sorry, but not shopping at the Gap while the current US regime is actively trying to destroy my country’s economy… which is an admitted bummer on all fronts.

I love the maxi shirtdress!

whoa. zac posen designer for gap? these are strange times indeed.

This looks too “high fashion” for me. None of it seems wearable by a real person who doesn’t live in NYC?

Disappointed to see you promoting the Gap. The owning family, the Fishers, did so much unnecessary harm to the Bay Area community when they moved the A’s from Oakland. John Fisher is truly a greedy, unconscionable man and I no longer buy things from his brands.

A lot of this looks great but $78 for a knit tank top that is a rayon/nylon blend!? It can’t even be cotton!?

underwhelmed

When I saw that maxi shirtdress, I got excited. I have been looking for one for years, but the price was too much for me.

Gaps marketing team has also been killing it. This ad with Troy Sivan and CDK is everything https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_l-ps0Hrv4

If I weren’t pregnant I would be adding ALL of it to cart. Sometimes these designer hi-lo collabs are a few amazing things and then a lot of meh stuff. But the amazing thing about Zac’s design tendencies is that they are so well suited to elevating simple details. The CUFFS on some of these shirts! The simplicity of the color-ways. The versatility. It’s all so gooood.

That trench coat! Amazing!