GAP

 GAP,is a one syllable name of a clothing store that everyone is familiar with.  Maybe you at one time owned a logo sweatshirt or perhaps a pair of jeans.  This clothing store was originally founded by Donald and Doris Fisher in 1969 because they could not find pairs of jeans that actually fit...I feel their pain (and thanks Wikipedia for the information!).  I even found out that one of the first few stores was in the Echelon Mall in Voorhees, New Jersey, pretty close to home!  A store mainly founded because of the hunt for the perfect fitting jeans became a phenomenon including rainbow colored scarves, skittle-colored sweaters and corduroy pants that were very cool in the 90s despite the annoying rubbing sound they would make.  I chose to write about the GAP because of the resurgence of the 1990s fashion and during this time GAP dominated the mainstream fashion industry.  Frankly any clothing chain that has its own SNL skit (who remembers GAP girls with Adam Sandler, Chris Farley and David Spade?) is famous in its own right.  All kidding aside, consumers would wait for the GAP to tell them what color was in, what sweater to buy and would dictate what "Everybody" would be in that season.  This was done through very clever marketing strategies.  There was endless catchy commercials, with GAP models covering noteworthy songs from "Mellow Yellow" "Just Can't Get Enough" and "Dress You Up", the closing to the commercial would have a tagline such as "Everybody in Vests" or "Everybody in Leather".  The catchy tunes faded away however well into the 2000s and currently, GAP still relies on celebrity endorsements.  Some of the celebrities that have donned GAP attire include Michael J. Fox, Katie Holmes, Sarah Jessica Parker and Audrey Hepburn in an unforgettable commercial which epitomizes what GAP stands for.  Audrey Hepburn was seen wearing a plain black turtleneck and black cigarette pants.  This look will never go out of style and though GAP's commercials are no longer making headlines and in fact there was a recent article stating GAP will be closing stores and having major layoffs, it still will shy away from trends and stick to classics.  GAP Inc. is now a clothing conglomerate including the likes of Banana Republic and Old Navy.  If Old Navy and GAP were sisters, I'd have to say Old Navy would be the Elizabeth Olsen and GAP would be the Mary Kate and Ashley...meaning Old Navy is younger, newer on the scene and maybe a bit more current, but you still look to the GAP to see what it has online or in the windows.  They will be the ones who's outfits will stand the test of time more so than Old Navy.  They stick to their brand and won't even change their logo.  Once they tried changing their logo and received numerous complaints so they reverted back to the original.  GAP's clothing is a tad more understated but that is the appeal for many.  Decades ago jeans were the reason many would flock to the nearest mall offering customized sizes and more variety; many clothing lines have taken a cue and offered more choices for denim realizing it is such a staple and consumers are willing to pay more for jeans.  Again, with the 1990s being immersed in todays' fashion maybe there is hope that the GAP will one day be telling us what "everybody" will be in next season!



 
 
 

 

 

 

 



assignment #4

The popular brand that I chose is Abercrombie & Fitch. I actually learned a lot about the brand that I didn't know.  I chose this brand because when I was in high school, I was obsessed with A&F and Hollister (which is another store from their company), because that's what all the cool girls were wearing. I still remember the first shirt I bought from both stores. Abercrombie & Fitch began in 1892 in Manhatten, NY, originally selling outdoor equipment such as fishing rods and tents. That lasted until 1976, when they filed bankruptcy. Another sporting store took over in 1978 for ten years, then it was sold to the clothing chain The Limited & slowly began producing young adult clothing and more stores. Abercrombie now hold 3 lines ; A&F, A&F kids, and Hollister. Hollister is aimed more towards teens where as A&F is more toward young adults like college kids. Their image slowly proceeded to become popular but hit it big when they opened a store next to Prada in 2005, but not all good things last. In 2013, they took a 15.6 million dollar lost. They are the most expensive brand amongst stores aimed for young adults and competition like H&M are hurting their sales with their cheap clothing. A&F refuses to lower prices stating it would cheapen their clothing.
Their clothing image is upscale casual luxury. They have fine cashmere, pima cotton, high quality leather, and exclusive denim.

They use to use celebrities as ad models, some before they really became famous such as Lindsay Lohan in 1998 and Karlie Kloss in 2007. Some other celebrities who modeled for A&F were Ashton Kutcher in 1998, Chaning Tatum in 2001, Sienna Miller in 2002, Olivia Wilde in 2004, and some others.

 There weren't many celebrity models. I couldn't find any recent celebrity ad's either. However, I did find a funny fact. In 2011, A&F paid Jersey Shore's Mike Sorrentino, "The Situation", to not wear their clothing on the show feeling that his trashy image would hurt their brand and sales.
They actually use store employee's as models for their advertisements, they hold casting calls. They wouldn't call them employee's, they called all store employees 'models' because they were meant to model (look good) wearing A&F clothing rather than act like an employee and help customers.

There have been legal issues over these practices and they have recently been reinventing their image. They've been known for their racy photography of their models in advertisements, pictures in stores, even on the shopping bags.
As of May 2015, these shirtless models have been taken off the shopping bags and stores. They are aiming to reduce their sexualized advertising and improve their customer service in hopes that it will improve sales.

Closet Inventory- Blog 3

For the purpose of this assignment, I have left out clothing in my drawers, and focused solely on items hanging in my closet. The items in drawers are things such as undergarments, cold weather accessories, work out clothes and pajamas. All together I have cataloged 267 articles of clothing that hangs in my closet. To break it down, I have counted 47 sweaters, 4 vests, 8 flannels, 37 long sleeve shirts/blouses, a combination of 106 short sleeve/sleeveless shirts and blouses, 21 dresses, 19 pairs of blue jeans, 13 pairs of black pants and 12 black leggings. These garments originated from a variety of places which I have listed below. I cannot say that I wear every item in my closet often, however I do like to think that I wear the majority of my clothes. With that being said, there are definitely items I wear more often than others. For example, I would say that my most repeatedly worn items are my black pants and neutral colored sweaters. About 80% of my clothing is new that I bought myself. About 15% is new, but given as gifts. About 5% is used from places such as Ebay and yard sales. 

Countries of Origin:

Cambodia

China

Guatemala

India

Indonesia

Italy

Mexico

Pakistan

USA

Vietnam

I cannot say that I was surprised at the amount of clothing that I own. I love to have a variety of clothing to choose from. This may sound silly, but I feel as though I have different styles depending on how I'm feeling or what the occasion is. For example, somedays I love to wear all black and dress more boyish, where as other days I like to dress in flowery dresses as if I'm going to church. I cannot say that I am completely satisfied with my consumption patterns at the moment, but they have certainly improved. About 6 months ago I was reading a magazine and came across an article titled "20 Things I Wish I Knew in My Twenties." Number one on the list was something along the lines of "I wish I paid more for my clothing", which really threw me off at first because...bargain shopping! I began to read and the author was explaining that she would buy tons of clothes at store like Forever 21 and H&M and either wear them once or not at all. She also explained how much more she loved the items in her closet that she invested in. That stuck out the most. I then thought about my wardrobe and the items that I spent the most money/time on, and voila! Those were the items of clothing that gave me the most satisfaction. Since that read, I honestly looked at clothes shopping completely differently. Now, I did not go out and just buy extremely expensive clothing or stop shopping all together, however I did take my time to think about the purchases I was making and if I would actually get use out of them. Since taking this course, I have learned so much more about the fashion industry than I ever could have imagined. This has forced me to dig even deeper into my own shopping/spending patterns. I can proudly say that my shopping habits (or lack there of) have significantly improved in the past few weeks. I have learned to "shop" in my own closet before going out and buying unnecessary items that I most likely already have. Recently, when I was looking for a dress for my birthday, I bought one used instead of new. I am not in the process of strategically going through my closet and trying to only keep what I know I will wear. Although I have made improvements, i still believe there is always room for more (improvements). One main reason why I would like to continue to consume responsibly is the impact that fast fashion is having on the planet. I love the idea that I can reduce my carbon footprint through better shopping habits.