LE v Gapkids for Clothes That Can Be Passed Down

[Kindra178]

I am starting to get more kids' clothes at Gap due to my credit card/ability to get rewards. I have never really done that in the past for various reasons (sweatpants get holes no matter what brand, etc). I have stuck with HA and LE for long sleeve plain tshirts, used for layering in cold weather and LE rugby shirts. These have help up really well and are easily passed down to both brothers for an additional 2-4 years of wear. Can Gap compete in terms of quality?

[tg_canada]

I pretty much buy only Gap and I've got many items on their third child. I like to have my kids in current styles though so I've also sold or given away a lot and bought new Gap items for each child.

[hillview]

IME no Gap doesn't hand down well. HA and LE do as does LL Bean. Gap usually gets 2 seasons use but that is usually one kid for me and then they get holes or stains that won't come out. Gap quality is ~to Target quality IMO.

[arivecchi]

IME, Gap clothes last but look worn after 1 season of use whereas Boden and LE clothes for the most part look good after multiples seasons of use. My kids love their undies though. They are super soft and fit them well.

[BabyBearsMom]

IME no Gap doesn't hand down well. HA and LE do as does LL Bean. Gap usually gets 2 seasons use but that is usually one kid for me and then they get holes or stains that won't come out. Gap quality is ~to Target quality IMO.


IME, Gap clothes last but look worn after 1 season of use whereas Boden and LE clothes for the most part look good after multiples seasons of use. My kids love their undies though. They are super soft and fit them well.

:yeahthat: I agree. I find that stuff I buy from the Gap shrinks and fades quite a bit, so while they can wear it, it doesn't really look great. OTOH, I find that the stuff that I get from LE, HA, LLB and Gymbo have gone through two children and still look brand new. I only buy Gap if it is on sale as I don't think that I will get two kids worth of wear out of it.

[tg_canada]

Gap is nothing like Target IMO. I would say it's comparable or a step up from Gymbo. Difference being my Gymbo stuff has shrunk, my Gap kids stuff never does. I've never had Gap kids fade. Maybe I just have a different wash routine than everyone else. LOL

I also only buying it on sale (online or store coupon typically for 25-40% off), not because I don't think it's worth more, but because they almost always have a coupon going on so no need to pay full price.

[WatchingThemGrow]

When I buy Gap stuff 2nd hand, it usually has faded and broken down quite a bit. The material is thinner so the items don't hold their shape quite as well.

[ett]

Gap is nothing like Target IMO. I would say it's comparable or a step up from Gymbo. Difference being my Gymbo stuff has shrunk, my Gap kids stuff never does. I've never had Gap kids fade. Maybe I just have a different wash routine than everyone else. LOL


I find Gymbo to be better than Gap. Our Gymbo items have held up well after 2 kids, but some of the Gap stuff have not. I do agree that it is better quality than Target, but you're paying more for it, so unless you're getting it deeply discounted it may be the same value.

[happymom]

I agree that GAP will usually last but look somewhat worn (although I don't find that it shrinks, just kinda fades). I buy a lot of GAP on sale and it has been passed on to my 2 nieces who have worn it happily- their moms don't mind if its a bit faded. In my experience, Gymbo has held up beautifully. Target lasts just the one season. Old navy is somewhere between GAP and Target. LE is def at the top in terms of quality in my opinion. So I guess my order would be- LE, Gymbo, GAP, Old Navy, Target.

[crl]

I have had good luck with Gap jeans for ds. I have also had good luck with open bottom sweatpants for him, although that's been a couple of years ago. Otherwise Gap has not held up particularly well for us. Our Gap t-shirts and the like have generally faded and just looked worn. Dd's coming home outfit from Gap looks terribly faded and it was only washed two or three times. I'd say LE has been better and Gymboree has definitely been better. I can usually get a better price on t-shirts and such from LE as compared to Gap and they have generally held up better so LE has been a better value for us. I only buy Gap t-shirts if I happen to be in the store and they happen to have a fabulous deal (like $2-3 for a shirt).

Catherine

[georgiegirl]

DS has ripped through every pair of gap jeans he's owned for the past 1.5 years.

[Kindra178]

DS has ripped through every pair of gap jeans he's owned for the past 1.5 years.

My ds has ripped every single pair of pants he has ever owned, even double kneed stuff, from every single brand.

[new_mommy25]

Both my kids LOVE Gap underwear. DS will only wear their boxers. DD really likes Gap because the designs are cute, but I do agree that Gymboree, HA, etc tends to last longer. Gap has the tendency to fade/pill. I personally rarely buy Gap for myself, with the exception of underwear, because the pilling issue. I buy it for the kids because they outgrow their clothes quicker and with one boy and one girl passing down isn't really a big deal. I too have a CC (BR) and agree that the deals are very good with all the promotions and coupons.

[Mommy_Mea]

I have been pretty happy with the quality of Gap clothes I have bought for DS1 (with the intention of passing down to DS2). I also have a fair amount of Lands End and Gymbo. While the Lands End might hold up much better, and the Gymbo might be a little better, I like the fit of Gap so much more. Both Lands End and Gymbo tend to be very boxy and wide, especially at the older ages. Gap is a slimmer fit, and just looks nicer on DS1...

[mommylamb]

I've had very mixed experiences with gap. Some things hold up well and others seem like they put a gap label on old navy stuff and sold for gap prices.