Abandoned Republic

[feltfan]

At the prices on that RRL page, I could have that stuff made custom. There is a RRL store in London, but I admit that's still
a long way from Euskadi.

Hoping to see some of that at cut rate outlet stores some day.

 

[dhermann1]

Never has a brand been so thoroughly and completely been eviscerated, immasculated and ruined than when BR was bought out by the GAP. Utter bland crap.
I remember the BR store in Greenwich Village very well. It was a neat old shoe store that was classy and vintage to begin with. You walked in, and there in the front of the store was a whole Jeep. The walls were covered with neat safari photos of all sorts. Yes, it was all artificial and staged, but the stuff was all authentinc, and the merchandise was great. I got my brother an EXCELLENT pith helmet there, and I got myself a great blood red with macaws and flowers Hawaiian shirt, that my wife immediately grabbed. Looked too good on her to take back.
Anyone remember this spoof of Banana Republic, "Items From Our Catalog"? It was a classic. The front cover featured a "dog camping bra".
http://www.amazon.com/Items-Our-Catalog-Alfred-Gingold/dp/0380816954

 

[Aerojoe]

There is a RRL store in London, but I admit that's still a long way from Euskadi.

Not that long actually By sea, England is just in front of Euskadi (this is the name of the Basque country in basque). You can go straight to Stansted or Heathrow by plane in a matter of a couple of hours or you can take a ferry to Porstmouth. It is a one day trip by sea;

http://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/f...ry_spain_bilbao&AdGROUP_K=f_bilbao_portsmouth

The Aero shop at the Coven Garden is a classic

 

[mattp]

Which Aero shop in Covent Garden? I didn't think there were any there any more.

 

[Aerojoe]

Which Aero shop in Covent Garden? I didn't think there were any there any more.

There used to be a shop where they had a lot of Aero jackets, here two local guys talking about it;

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/show...on-Stockists&p=1416255&viewfull=1#post1416255

I really can't tell if it is open now because I haven't been there for ages [huh]

 

[Grizzly Adams]

Here is the latest update on the Abandoned Republic site. It includes my BR collection and some great shots of my grandson - 3rd generation BR man!

 

[RBH]

This book may be of intrest.
Wild Company: The Untold Story of Banana Republic
Coming out in October.

 

[2jakes]

I don't know in the rest of Europe but here, there must be a Ralph Lauren shop in every mall market of the country and none of them carry this kind of vintage line.

http://www.ralphlauren.com/shop/ind...5=19552828417&006=15139202377&007=Search&008=

Only modern suits and modern cloths. Same happens with other shops like Schott NY. There are a bunch of branches but they offer almost nothing of their vintage catalog, only a modern line which it is actually quite unpleasant to the eye.

Every shop in the malls from Ralph to Schott NY have "buyers" who determine what items to carry based on sales /demand .I remember the last time I visited the Banana Republic store…the jeep was gone & there was a bland look to the clothing.
The clerk told me that the Gap had bought out BR. I remarked…"What a pity…now this shop looks like any other shop " !
So sad !

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Every shop in the malls from Ralph to Schott NY have "buyers" who determine what items to carry based on sales /demand .I remember the last time I visited the Banana Republic store…the jeep was gone & there was a bland look to the clothing.
The clerk told me that the Gap had bought out BR. I remarked…"What a pity…now this shop looks like any other shop " !
So sad !

Without a doubt, BR had definitely "fallen into The Gap."

 

[2jakes]

Without a doubt, BR had definitely "fallen into The Gap."

It's good….but you took too long ! Gotta be quicker !

 

[Memnon]

This book may be of intrest.
Wild Company: The Untold Story of Banana Republic
Coming out in October.

Interesting, I might have to take a look at that.

It's very puzzling why that particular niche of adventure clothing retailers (BR, Abercrombie, Willis and Geiger) are unable to survive without being completely transformed from their original image/market. There's plenty of demand for that type of clothing.

 

[2jakes]

Interesting, I might have to take a look at that.

It's very puzzling why that particular niche of adventure clothing retailers (BR, Abercrombie, Willis and Geiger) are unable to survive without being completely transformed from their original image/market. There's plenty of demand for that type of clothing.

I also wondered about this . Reading the History of Banana Republic Inc.-FundingUniverse , explains that BR sold a concept
as well as clothing; the look was unique,& trade dress identity strong. The company's original catalogues …the theme of
travel and adventure. All items were constructed of natural fibers. In '83 the Gap acquired BR.

 

[ThesFlishThngs]

Ah, the nostalgia. I had a great pair of straight-legged adventure pants from BR - still do in fact, but the seat and one knee have ripped due to decades of wear. Also, in my closet is one of those 'pocket for everything' vests that my mother bought for me just before I set off on my one-way, standby ticket to the first day of the rest of my life adventure.

 

[2jakes]

I have 3 or 4 of these BR catalogs I received in the mail long ago

They're selling for around $15 online now ! I had more , I should've taken better
care of them ! :eusa_doh:

 

[armscye]

Early BR stuff was often military surplus-- which means the sizes ran from about XS to about M by US standards. Getting large corporate scale would have been impossible for the new owners without moving into commercial contract-produced merchandise. America has also become about 25% fatter since the Eighties (in terms of proportion of population that qualifies as overweight), during the same period that BR became a mall staple. Mall profit margins and volume need to be very high-- since malls take 5-7% of the gross volume against a hefty monthly minimum. So the decline and Fall of BR was an inevitable result of simple arithmetic.

 

[GoodTimesGone]

America may be 25% fatter but I'm 13.08% fatter than I was in the '80s.[huh]
____________________________________________________________________
Tom

 

[IXL]

Ah, the nostalgia. I had a great pair of straight-legged adventure pants from BR - still do in fact, but the seat and one knee have ripped due to decades of wear. Also, in my closet is one of those 'pocket for everything' vests that my mother bought for me just before I set off on my one-way, standby ticket to the first day of the rest of my life adventure.

Just wanted to say "hi" to a fellow Okie! I too have a BR million-pocket vest.

Sorry for the hijack. Carry on.....

 

[loosebolts]

(former employee of BR, i )
the clothing these days is more hipster oriented and not so much geared for utility.
its just another 99.99 jeans store like the other in the mall, but that said there are jewels to be found in the place.
their khaki trench coats are good quality and pretty durable (wont need to be buying one next year.)
the $40.00 Leather belts are single piece of heavy solid brass buckles, the Italian made ones are better quality. i remember the Chinese made ones are laminated layers of leather that are sewn together, frequently returned.
the shoes they carry are often a bit hit and miss, a brand called Clarks they carried were thick leather a good quality, never hear a complain. well made and fit the 30's era.
the khakis are pretty good, not often returned but i would wear them for a formal even not so much every day usage unless i could afford it. very "retro" they are made in the middle east of all places. But none the less were good quality.
steer clear of the pea coats, just my opinion, not a good cut to them. often ill fitting around the neck and around the chest. too tight. (for the record im 145 LBS.) but they were reasonably warm, but for the price its more economical to get an actual pea coat.
the leather jackets can be hit or miss as well, often made in pakistan or pacific islands. its some thing you have to actually hold in your hand before you buy. some would put up with use and abuse, others are more of just pretty things that would not stand up to heavy use.
however the most fun was watching the women sort of A2 bomber jackets fly off the shelves. two years ago ever hipster woman had to have one. very revealing cut to them and fleece lining, almost like an A2 a nose art woman would have on.