I arrived early at my local Gap expecting a crowd for the Victoria Beckham collaboration. Instead, I found mall walkers — and later, clothes that were as cute as they were hard to wear.
It wasn’t until nearly 10 a.m. at my New Jersey mall that five shoppers (myself included) formed a makeshift line and gazed through the store’s windows for an early look.
“They don’t have everything in stock,” I heard a few say.
Still, these fashion fans were ready. T-shirts, trench coats, and denim jeans were quickly pulled off racks once we got inside.
After snagging a few to try on myself, I was left feeling equally impressed and disappointed. Everything was cute, but nothing fit on me.
Victoria Beckham makes her mark on Gap
The former Spice Girl might be known for her high-fashion style and namesake designer brand, but she still embraces casual apparel brands.
Speaking with Vogue, she said Gap felt “distinctly American, fresh, and unlike anything else available at the time” after discovering it in the early 90s.
So a collaboration with Gap — a brand that’s recently partnered with trendy designers like Dôen and Sandy Liang — made sense.
Beckham’s line features jackets, branded sweatshirts, cargo pants, dresses, and more, with prices ranging from $34 to $328 per item.
The store I visited had about a third of the collection in stock. Among the missing items were the capris, pleated shorts, a denim shirt, and a tan minidress.
High quality, chic designs, and frustrating sizing
There wasn’t time to be choosy. Customers were calm, but grabbed multiple sizes of the same garments so they could try different fits.
I wear a medium in most things, but that size seemed to disappear the fastest. I was mostly left to choose between extra small and extra large clothes by the time I got through the crowd.
The $38 branded T-shirts, available in gray and white, were among the most popular items at the store I visited. Initially, there was only an extra large left, which had too much fabric at the sleeves and back for me.
An employee later handed me a medium that another shopper had put back. Unfortunately, that one was too tight for my liking.
I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect white T-shirt, so this was disappointing. I loved the boxy cut and its thick fabric. I probably would have bought one if the store had my size.
I had similar issues with the $158 bomber jacket and $98 maxi dress. I loved the fresh styles of both pieces, but I couldn’t make either work in the available sizes.
I also tried three pairs of pants: $128 cargo pants, $118 denim jeans, and $118 white jeans.
Though they all fit my waist nicely, they were far too long for my 5’2 frame. I was upset, but not surprised. I usually have to buy short-cut jeans online. Still, shorter options aren’t available with this line.
Then I heard other shoppers struggling with sizing in the dressing room next to mine. “This is hideous,” one woman said about a dress. “I’m 5’10 and I’m drowning in it.”
Others seemed torn on which size coats and T-shirts they should choose.
Again, this was unfortunate. I would have loved to buy the blue jeans I tried on. They were the ideal wash and cut I’m looking for, and they felt expensive — not overly stretchy or tight.
Now, I don’t know how to feel about the Victoria Beckham x Gap collection.
On one hand, I’m impressed. Every piece I tried felt heavy and high quality. They truly looked and felt like elevated Gap pieces, embellished with Beckham’s stylish flair.
I just can’t look past the sizing. I couldn’t justify a $34 T-shirt that didn’t fit perfectly, and I wouldn’t want to spend extra money to get any of the pants tailored.
So while I applaud her designs, I’m not sure I’m the target body type for this line. Beckham seems to have designed her Gap collection with taller people in mind.
As I prepared to leave the store empty-handed, I saw excited customers checking out at the registers with arms full of Victoria Beckham pieces. Many seemed particularly excited about buying the $168 parka, which is sold out online.
Business Insider reached out to Gap on the line’s sizing, but didn’t hear back.
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