Wardrobe Rebuild 002 | Back to Gap
Turning impulse into intention
A few weeks ago, I was watching a Jenn Im video and noticed she was wearing a Gap tee with a logo on the pocket. I immediately looked it up online and was seriously considering buying that same (or very similar) shirt. I freaking love the classic Gap logo (it conveys low-maintenance elegance to me) and was attracted to the loose fit and light blue color of that particular tee as well.
While looking up that shirt, I also came across another logo tee I found really appealing — it looked boxier, heavier, with a much larger logo, in a striking forest green color (Gap called it “june bug green”).
I was torn about which one to potentially buy, so I polled the Ode IG group.
The green one “won”. And it’s the one I ultimately decided to go with.
Thinking about my wardrobe needs, I knew I didn’t need any Gap tee. But I did remember that over the summer, I kept wanting a “fun, loose but structured, outfit-making t-shirt” that I could throw on with some sort of bottoms and head out the door. (I currently have one item in my closet that fits this use case — a men’s NASA graphic tee — so I know how conveniently throw-on-able it was and wanted another option).
Although I loved both Gap shirts, the blue pocket tee felt “softer” in general, more suitable for lounging around (it’s filed under PJs & Loungewear actually) or layering under other garments (in which case the logo I love might be hidden!).
The green one, on the other hand, felt like a bit more of a “statement” — especially the exaggerated logo and that shade of green. I could wear it alone or layer it on top of long sleeves.
After doing this thinking, I was mostly convinced to buy it.
Then came the part that I always feel a little guilty about: looking around the site to see what else I might buy to hit free shipping.
In this case, I browsed through some sweaters (I haven’t bought new sweaters in a few years) and jeans (I decluttered a couple of old, ill-fitting pairs this year so my options are now few).
I didn’t find any particularly interesting sweaters but I did see a pair of jeans that looked promising. One thing I know I can rely on Gap brands for is their petite sizing, so I looked through their petite offerings for the jean attributes I was looking for: a slightly lighter wash, high-waisted, not-too-skinny leg openings. I saw this one with plenty of good reviews and decided to give it a try.
Here are my early impressions of my 5th and 6th clothing buys of the year.
The logo tee: Love! I was surprised that I initially gravitated toward the green colorway but am really loving the shades of green IRL. This is one of the few unmistakably green items in my wardrobe, which is why I put it slightly more toward “experimental” on the matrix.
The jeans: Gap’s petite sizing has done it again. The fit is 💯 (for reference I’m about 5’0 and got the 26P). The one con is a strong chlorine-ish chemical smell right out of the bag. It got better after washing but not completely (I’m going to wash again with some vinegar and then air dry). This does give me some qualms about the production process. And it’s what keeps me from wholeheartedly recommending the product. On that note, if anyone has petite-friendly, investment-worthy denim recommendations, I’d love to hear them 🙏.
Until next time ~
— Jenny
