3 Mall Brands We Stopped Shopping 20 Years Ago Are Suddenly Great Again
We’re back baby.
by The Candidly Team
Nothing will ever replace the mall. At least not in its heyday when we easily strode our 10,000 steps just looking for a first date top.
That said, I think we all noticed for several years (errrr … decades) that the mall and many of the heartbeat stores in it started to lose some of their shine.
But a few things have changed of late. So rather than wax poetic about how we spent the 90s buying up all the denim shirts Janeane Garofalo folded at The Gap in Reality Bites, we’ll just run through what’s gone on recently.
Zac Posen took over as creative director at Gap. And well, things are happening.
Abercrombie (yes, Abercrombie) started making some of the best jeans for the curves of 40+ women that we haven’t stopped writing about.
After seeing no fewer than 2 dozen ads online for pieces we desperately wanted from Banana Republic, we walked into a their bricks and mortar and found it so chic we thought we’d taken the door to a designer boutique. Or a time capsule to the Banana stores of yore. I mean…
Interior to Banana Republic
The dressing rooms … by God!
All of these mall brands are, of course, online now and so is their full incredible stock of flattering, interesting, lustworthy items that we are, once again, ogling.
Here are the 3 brands that are really and truly back, and a shortlist of some of our favorite items from them:
1. GAP
Ever since Zac Posen started at Gap, they’ve been producing designer-looking, staple items at Gap prices. There’s smart tailoring, loads of creativity, and collabs that sell out in seconds like THIS ONE"* they did with DÔEN. Long story short, they remain as much the classic-but-cool-girl brand today that they were in the 90s.
1. These Viral jean sweatpants they can’t keep in stock
WHAT: Heavyweight Easy Baggy Sweatpant Jeans*
We don’t question the wizardry behind making a literal sweat pant look like a classic pair of jeans, but we will be buying them in every color (whenever we see our size back in stock that is).
Price: $71
2. This Chic Blazer Dress
WHAT: GapStudio Tailored Blazer Dress*
This is the most flattering, chic way for women of all ages to wear something on the shorter size. The way it skims the waist means we’ll be wearing it to every winter cocktail party we attend.
Price: $198
3. This Shrunken Cardi
WHAT: GapStudio CashSoft Shrunken Cardigan*
When we want to show our oh so carefully chosen top or dress but are also always freezing and not in love with showing our arms, we wear this, and it’s a bit of magic. Also comes in black.
Price: $94
4. This Gorj Top
WHAT: Eyelet V-Neck Peplum Top*
This is the kind of top we can pair with anything at all and look perfectly styled. The cut is ultra flattering, not too tight but nice and skimming. We love it in white for the day and black for dressing up at night.
Price: $44
2. BANANA REPUBLIC
For years and years, Banana was the “nice” store we saved and saved to buy a dress or bag from. They curated beautifully and the quality was chef’s kiss. This is exactly how it is today. There are so many smart, lifetime pieces, not to mention some of our favorite, flattering dresses.
5. This Dreamy Reversible Winter Coat
WHAT: Double-Faced Top Coat*
Having a coat this relaxed, layerable, and understated be reversible, so we only have to pack one coat for cold-weather travels is the stuff of genius.
Price: $210
6. This Curve-Complementing Dress You Will Smolder In
WHAT: Asymmetrical Hammered Satin Draped Maxi Dress*
The answer to getting our lumpy, bumpy bodies to look smooth, and stunning and lithe in a dress like this is ruching. This dress also has the added benefit of making us look 6ft tall. And it’s wildly on sale at this moment.
Price: $150
7. The Single Most Skimming Sweater In Existence
WHAT: Cotton-Silk Flare-Sleeve Cardigan*
Wearing a tailored sweater as a top is like the instant noodles of chicness. This one is gives us a stunning hourglass. Consequently, we want it in every color.
Price: $84
8. The Button-Down That Looks Great Without Tucking
WHAT: Cotton Poplin Ruffle-Back Shirt*
We wrote a whole article about how deeply sick we are of tucking and retucking our shirts 25x a day to look good. This crisp, poplin button-down stays perfectly and flatteringly in place without being tucked. The back is also the sort of thing that makes us look like we have a distinct French woman’s level of sophistication. Just look*.
If you prefer a more oversized style, we’re equally obsessed with THIS* one
Price: $72
3. ABERCROMBIE & FITCH
We can still smell the perfumed entrance of an Abercrombie storefront just typing out the word, but Abercrombie has seemingly matured right along with us. They now make some of the most flattering jeans for curvy women and have gorj-fitting and affordable going-out tops.
9. The Most Useful And Flattering Going Out Top
WHAT: Long-Sleeve Asymmetrical Wrap Bodysuit*
This off-shoulder bodysuit got loads of attention after being seen on-screen in Nobody Wants This (a wardrobe we found in its entirety by the way HERE). With dark jeans and a belt, it’s become our staying out post 8pm uniform.
Price: $37.50
10. These Very Special Embroidered Jeans
WHAT: High Rise 90s Relaxed Heart Embroidered Jean*
There are far too many jeans we could write about here, including THIS curve-fit pair* we always talk about, but this pair has the perfect fit along with that clever placement of embroidery, which means we can wear any t-shirt and look classic and original .. and maybe a touch younger.
Price: $76.50
11. This Cozy-Chic Sherpa
WHAT: Sherpa Full-Zip Jacket*
Like we said, we’re freezing 82% of the time. So we have to find clever ways to make coziness cuter and chicer. This is one of the ways.
Price: $93.50
12. This Base Layer Bodysuit Every Woman Who Hates Retucking Desperately Needs
Bonus: The Accessories
This Perfect Hat*: The quiet luxury one that looks good on everyone. Truly.
This Show-Stopping Necklace*: Show. Stopping.
This Leopard Belt*: So we can wear boring black and denim and still excite.
This Gorj Bag*: The strap turns everything into an outfit.
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
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