Here's our long-due third instalment of Shop Spotlight, featuring three stores all owned by the same company (fun fact!) Now, since Vicky works at Banana Republic and Ali works at Gap, we may be just a tiiiiny bit biased towards the Gap Inc. franchise, but we've tried to be as fair as possible in our assessment of them. Enjoy! And happy shopping :-)
http://www.brandsoftheworld.com/logo/banana-republic-0?original=1
Background: Founded by Mel and Patricia Ziegler in Mill Valley, California in 1978; bought by Gap in 1983.
Where: 600+ stores in North America, the Middle East, Asia & the UK.
Price Range: $$$
Pros: Well-made clothes in classic styles; frequent sales and promotions; Petites section.
Cons: May be a bit conservative/mature for some tastes.
Great For: Quality workwear items (skirts, trousers, blouses, cardigans, etc.)
Not So Great For: Unique, quirky pieces.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gap_logo.svg
Background: Founded by Donald and Doris Fisher in San Francisco in 1969.
Where: 3000+ stores worldwide.
Price Range: $$
Pros: A one-stop shop for all ages; have really re-vamped their somewhat drab image of the past few years.
Cons: Some of their items (ie. dresses, shirts) aren't very petite-friendly, as their XS is roughly equivalent to a Medium elsewhere. (Though if you're dainty, it's worth checking out the Kids' section - their XXL size is generous and they often have fantastic stuff at a fraction of the adult price).
Great For: JEANS! Also sweaters, tees, and active-wear.
Not So Great For: Cutting-edge trends.
http://blogs.trb.com/features/consumer/shopping/blog/2012/08/coupon_25_percent_off_at_old_n.html
Background: Founded in 1994 as a less-expensive offshoot of Gap.
Where: 1000+ stores across North America.
Price Range: $
Pros: Cheap and cheerful basics for all the family.
Cons: Some of their stuff can be a bit bland/frumpy.
Great For: Bright tees, sweaters, sundresses, shoes, and, their latest addition - jewellery.
Not So Great For: Long-lasting, high-quality items.
Background: Founded in 1977 by the Silverman brothers in Pittsburgh, this mall staple now has over 900 stores, primarily in North America.
Where: Canada, US, Middle East, Asia, Russia & Poland
Price Range: $$
Pros: Not that much more expensive than other young demographic, big-name clothing brands, but offers a nicer shopping experience and better-quality clothes.
Cons: Some of their stuff can be a bit bland and "young" (ie., anything with their logo prominently displayed).
Great For: Casual wear - jeans, t-shirts, sweaters, pretty dresses & skirts.
Not So Great For: Unique pieces; anything too formal.
Background: Founded in LA in 1981; renowned for its ad campaigns featuring supermodels.
Where: Worldwide, but its 484 stores are primarily in North America.
Price Range: $$$
Pros: Flirtatious, trendy clothes.
Cons: Some of their stuff can look a bit "cheap" despite the fact that they're pretty pricey.
Great For: Form-fitting dresses, watches, stylish outerwear.
Not So Great For: Conservative workwear; classic basics.
Background: Founded in Sheffield, England, in 1964, this British retailer now has over 440 stores in 33 countries.
Where: UK, Ireland, mainland Europe, South America, South East Asia, Australia & New Zealand
Price Range: $$$
Pros: Trendy yet quirky clothes.
Cons: A bit on the pricey side; clothes are not long-lasting.
Great For: Interesting, bang-on-trend pieces; good jewellery & accessories.
Not So Great For: Basic, neutral pieces; wardrobe staples.
Images:
http://www.bgr.com/2010/07/08/american-eagle-offers-a-free-smartphone-for-trying-on-a-pair-of-jeans/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guess_(clothing)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topshop
In our Shop Spotlight feature, we'll be focusing on 3 different high-street/mall stores at a time, providing some basic background info on each as well as giving our personal take on their pros and cons.
Background: Originally known as Hennes & Mauritz, this Swedish-based retailer has a massive 2629 stores and counting in over 43 countries.
Where: Canada, US, UK, Ireland, most of mainland Europe, Asia & Middle East
Pros: Cheap, on-trend clothes; fantastic variety; often have designer collaborations; have a complimentary magazine in store.
Cons: Quite a lot of their stuff can be shoddily made (loose buttons, doesn't wash well, etc.), so you do get what you pay for; chances are you'll see several other people wearing the same top/dress/whatever you bought; stores are usually insanely busy.
Great for: Trendy items you don't want to spend too much on; basic tees; often have pretty skirts, sundresses and blouses.
Not so great for: Their cardigans generally do not wear well (although they do have a great variety of colours and patterns); accessories are often cheap-looking and poorly made; outerwear is hit and miss, but usually bland and not made to last.
http://www.hm.com
Background: This Montreal-based retailer was founded in 1977, and currently has over 100 stores primarily in Canada.
Where: Canada, Massachusetts.
Pros: Affordably-priced clothes in classic styles; well laid-out stores; good customer service.
Cons: Some of their stuff is a bit bland & "corporate".
Great for: Workwear (pencil skirts, blouses, cardigans, etc.); classic outerwear; often have great dresses, especially in summer.
Not so great for: This wouldn't be the place to look if you want bang-on-trend styles.
http://www.jacob.ca/
Background: Founded in Somerset, England in 1969; now has over 1000 stores internationally.
Where: UK, Ireland, Belgium, France, Netherlands, Malta, Poland, Singapore & UAE.
Pros: Cheap, trendy & colourful clothes.
Cons: Not fantastically well-made; will see numerous people with the same clothes.
Great for: New trends; summer holiday/festival wear; tights, leggings, socks; also has a great shoe selection.
Not so great for: Cardigans, jumpers and coats tend to be poorly-made - their stuff is better geared towards summer wear.
http://www.newlook.com/
Images:
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:H%26M-Logo.svg&page=1
http://www.renaissancequebec.ca/ang.php?idn=11
http://www.whizz-kidz.org.uk/getinvolved/corporatepartners/waystosupport/
