The Gap. Really?

I haven’t stepped (or should i say, “fallen?”) into the Gap in over 3 years. The fact is, in terms of affordable basics for guys, J. Crew’s stuff has been blowing them out of the water for a long while now. But this post on Jake Davis blog had me thinking it might be time to give the Gap another shot.

The Gap is literally a stone’s throw from my office (half a block is achievable, thanks to my Tommy John surgery), so I took a quick lunchtime trip to see if anything besides the buffalo plaid cardigan that Jake’s touting is worth a darn. Turns out if you have a hankering for classic workwear and a budget that rules out the fancy stuff, there are a couple of nice looking finds right now.

First, the aforementioned sweater. The cut’s pretty nice (not baggy like I usually associate with the Gap) and it’s a sturdy late-autumn option. I wish it were 100% natural fiber, but at $78, it seems like a good value. I think I just might ask mom for one this Christmas–it’ll go well with the beard I intend to grow over Thanksgiving weekend. ($78)

The jacket posted here isn’t online, so I have to bring it to you via ShakeItPhoto. It’s a workwear-inspired blue chambray fall jacket that would be warm enough to wear well into December. 100% cotton shell and exterior with really nice detailing like an interior pocket and button closures. Definitely felt like a good value at $98.

A lot of my gingham shirts are in spring/summer colors, so the line of autumn-shade gingham caught my eye. The fitted cut is more appealing than the old-school boxy Gap fit, and this line reminds me a bit of J. Crew’s really nice “favorite shirt” collection (although about $15 cheaper at $44.50).