Anyone remember/miss the old Banana Republic? (light, look, afford)

[Bakeneko]

spin-off to my q about j. peterman...

Anyone else remember shopping at the old BR when it was a travel store?

I lived out "in the country" as a child. In middle school, our church group took a shopping trip into the city at Christmas ..... I fell in love when I saw the BR store with the Jeep in front. They had these cool paper catalogs with exotic descriptions and all these clothes for traveling, plus a book store! My mom scrimped and saved and I got this long safari skirt and one of their graphic t's under the Christmas tree. Man, I wore them out!

Anyway - I often wonder if that trip to the mall lead to my lifelong love of travel (along with Out of Africa and the Indy Jones films)

[hart4july]

I remember the tropical print theme and more casual look and especially I remember when the clothes were affordable!

[DewDropInn]

I bought a lot of things there. Including a pith helmet which I still use. It was a fun store to shop in.

[hart4july]

wow I missed the pith helmets! Just the palm print hi waist linen shorts!!

[Tracysherm]

I loved the old catalog with the illustrations instead of photos. I had an awesome khaki flight suit from them which I loved, and someone stole it from my laundry in the college dorms.

I worked for the Gap in high school & college, and Banana changed when the Gap bought it. I think they decided they were "improving" it. but aside from making the catalog have photos instead of drawings, they should have left it alone. It would be doing great today. Now you have to shop LL Bean, Orvis, and maybe REI to get half the selection of cool "safari" stuff Banana Republic used to have.