They haven’t run 40% off since March.
For those of us who are long time Banana Republic customers, 2022 hasn’t just been weird, it’s been a paradigm shift. BR used to always be 30% off their MSRP. 40% off was always coming in the not too distant future. Friends and Family events were half off. And then the calender turned to 2022, and… crickets.
Mostly. They ran a 40% off Friends & Family deal in the Spring. And here’s another (THEE other) just in time for fall.
Maybe they’re trying to re-position BR as a higher value, more luxury leaning (but still attainable for many, not all) brand? Or maybe this is how they’re tackling inflation. Maybe it’s a little of both. One thing’s for certain… it’s uncertain when they’ll run their next significant sale.
Off we go with the picks. Note that if you get above $175, you can get free 2-3 day shipping with the code BRSHIP at checkout. Nice little bonus.
The best stretchy jeans well under $100 in the rare event they actually go on sale. WHICH THEY ACTUALLY ARE. On sale, that is. Size shown above is a slim fit 33—30 on 5’10″/190. Something a lot of us wear a ton from September – May. The rinse, dark wash, is the ideal dark dark blue a lot of us look for and lean on in the cooler months.
Button down collar keeps your points in-line (unless you’re a styled BR model with them purposely unbuttoned… yay). Supima cotton + Coolmax poly blend is made to be breathable and easy to wear. And a little spandex for stretch. This may be the official shirt of “don’t overthink it, clothes are meant to be worn.” Full review here.
Finally, a bit of a break on the price for their legendary traveler five pockets. Super soft, Italian milled, high-recovery yet still stretchy cotton. All the colors you’d expect, with a few curveballs thrown in. Fabric mix is 58% organic cotton, 32% modal, 7% polyester, 3% elastane.
Also available in a dark blue. Been waiting months for these to go on sale. Six hundred bucks is too expensive for these suit separates, thanks to the competition, which is Spier and Suitsupply running $368 – $499. But when BR (actually) goes on sale for 40% off? Terrific.
Sold as separates so you’re not stuck with a “nested” jacket and pants. You pick the size of the jacket, you pick the size of the pants, bang there’s your suit. All season wool from Italy’s Reda mill. Softer shoulder and sleeves designed for ease of movement. Suit, overall, moves super well with just a hint of natural stretch. Very subtle “nailhead” visual texture makes it interesting but still all-occasions appropriate. Would excel in all three scenarios from our “Versatile Medium Gray Suit – 3 Ways“ posts. Size shown above is a 36R jacket and 31 trouser on Ryan who is 5’9″/160 although he did eventually exchange the 36R for a 36S because the sleeve cuff buttons are functional and thus, difficult to tailor. Note that the trousers come in three lengths, with the intention you get them dialed in (if need be) by a tailor. Short length trousers = 29.5″ inseam, Regular = 31.5″, Long = 33.5.”
Hopsack! Wasn’t expecting that. Like the famous Bonobos blazers, this is made from micro-honeycomb like textured wool. It leans a little more casual, but not so casual that you’d look out of place with sleek dress shoes and a tie. A little more structure than the Bonobos jackets though. Fully lined. Not a mega-airy summer suit. All season appropriate. 99% responsible wool standard (RWS) wool, 1% elastane.
Not wool. All cotton. Which is preferred by plenty, even though wool or wool blends usually get the recommendation. Some people have allergies, some prefer the feel of cotton over wool, and some prefer the fact that cotton often costs a bit less.
Uh. Okay then. Another shawl collar, again in Organic Cotton, again $140 full price, but a slightly deeper ribbed stich and welt pockets at the sides instead of patch.
Something to pair with their new suits? Got in person with one of these and it was pretty nice. 120s cotton poplin really does feel nice and smooth. Not stiff or itchy or scratchy (fight fight fight) like some truly cheap dress shirts. Lots of colors too, including a medium blue that almost looks chambray like, gray, black, pink, etc.
AKA their “perfect pant.” British Banker Style, cut from soft Italian wool flannel. It’s getting harder and harder to find dress trousers like this, especially in a cool/cold weather flannel, for under $100. These feel like a steal for the traditionalists, as well as those who like taking traditional fabrics and garments and mixing them in with more contemporary stuff.
Not a fan of the “untucked” shirt thing, unless they’re a style of shirt that’s almost always worn untucked. Like flannels. Because tucking a flannel in gives off an Al Borland vibe.
If you’re someone who wants to wear a trucker jacket, yet never does because most of them are denim and you wear jeans all the time… then corduroy is your answer. Especially in a color like black, which looks like it leans a little more dark charcoal thanks to the wale. Just don’t wear it with cords. You’ll set off every retail scanner looking for a bar-code in a three county radius.
Not as lightweight and airy as their Core Temps. More of a “True” chino feel to them, yet still more engineered-for-movement. 90% cotton/8% poly/2% spandex blend. Lots of colors to choose from. Also a reminder that these are their pants that come with the rectangular label/branding over the back right pocket. That’s a dealbreaker for some guys, but BR has stuck with it over the years.
Size Shown above is a Medium on 5’10″/185. BR’s flagship, super smooth, refined feeling and looking, all cotton polos. They’ve slapped a “performance” moniker on them lately. Why? No idea. They’re still 100% cotton, which is the opposite of what most of us think the word “performance” means. Seems to be unchanged from years past. All cotton, yet somehow manages to be almost glass smooth, stretchy, and soft. (As if there’s some silk in there.) They’re so smooth they’re almost cool to the touch. There does seem to be a catch for some though. Many have reported shrinkage problems with these. Especially when it comes to the length. I don’t have this issue, and I can’t tell you why. I wash on warm or cold and dry on medium or cool. Do they shrink up a little in the wash? Maybe. But not to the extremes that I’ve heard. If you’re 6′ or over, consider ordering a tall instead of a regular.
BR’s heavier wool coats aren’t in yet, and who can blame them. Summer hasn’t relinquished everywhere quite yet. But this wool-blend melton shirt jacket is just in. 50% recycled wool, 40% polyester, 10% other. That’s a LOT of “other.” WHAT IS THE OTHER. Know that it’s a relaxed, boxy fit… which is having a moment. But like stuff being silly skinny tight, boxy ain’t everyone’s cup of earl grey either.
Ta-da. Stripes. Still wearing “just” a t-shirt, but the stripes make it look like anything but a forgotten old rag from the bottom of a drawer. Being a little more intentional, even when you’re in a t-shirt and jeans, can go a long way.
More t-shirts. BR’s take on the “luxe”/dressy t-shirt thing. Smoother. A neckline that’s not as ragged as worn/washed/”broken in” looking like some other tees. Comes in the colors you’d expect, as well as a couple you might not.
How very Belstaff looking. May not impress some local hog riding biker gang, but the recycled poly shell and wool lining combine for something modern in fabric and classic in interpretation. Who needs leather, right? Hop on your electric murder-cycle and let’s all look tough getting pumpkin spice lattes! And don’t laugh, I know for a fact the big tough rugged beer-bellied-bearded-dudes love themselves some sweet drinks. Living in a mountain recreation town for a while (which still somehow had a Starbucks), all you’d see in the summer is side-by-sides zooming by with wrap-sunglasses wearing ‘MURICA-men slurping Frappuccinos through their goatees.
A breton-stripe style sweater, with a twist. Stripes hang a hard right (or, uh, left?) after the shoulder before continuing down the sleeves. 70% merino. 30% cashmere. That’s a hefty dose of cashmere. Nice.
We live in a world where these exist. What a time to be alive. 100% Italian wool flannel. The plaid option will set you back the extra money.
It’s henley season. 100% organic cotton fabric really is pretty great. Something about an enzyme process that makes it feel broken in but also brand new at the same time.
Part sweater, part blazer. Knit, 70% responsible wool standard (rws) wool, 30% nylon. Casual but still put-together.
And something a little less expensive. Because, cotton! Same idea though. It’s a sweater no doubt. It just happens to be cut into the shape of a blazer. Swazers are great for those days when you want to dress up, but don’t want to look dressed up. They’re also great for those days when you don’t want to dress up, but need to dress up at least a little. I know. Profound. And confusing.
Some of us struggle with just what to do with the belt on a classic trench. Yes, the style “experts” would tell you to tie it behind your back or casually overhand-knot it up front… but that just doesn’t seem to work for a lot of us. Therefor… a lot of us prefer a mac style jacket, simply because it’s more simple. Less doo-dads and what not. But if you want the full Bogart, here’s your coat.
Oh! Well. There you have it. Not sure if the belt has loops or not, but even if it has a couple at the sides, you could always ditch the belt if that’s not your thing. Waxed cotton/nylon exterior. Corduroy collar. Flannel lined. That’ll all do nicely.
Dark gray jeans are weirdly versatile. Probably more so than the lighter/beachy washes that have been having their moment the last few years. Great for monochrome (as seen above), and gray with a navy t-shirt and sneakers on your down time.
Morrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrre Strrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiipes. 100% cotton with this polo. Short sleeves.
Warning: VERRRRY Limited sizes. Dang, looks like these haven’t been restocked in time for this F&F deal. The fabric blend percentages are still the same as always: 55% cotton, 39% recycled polyester, 6% spandex. A real favorite for many of us. A basic that doesn’t look, feel, or move like a basic chino in the least. Sure the Lululemon Warpstreme Commission and ABC pants are now the pinnacle. But those Warpstremes cost twice as much when Core Temps go on sale like this.
Odd that at post time, there don’t seem to be any Italian Merino V-necks available. Crews though. They’ve got crewnecks in all the basic solids as well as a couple of striped options.
The Banana Republic 40% off Friends and Family event ends Tuesday September 20th. No idea if they’re gonna do more promos moving forward, but it could be until Black Friday/Cyber Monday until we see something else. Maybe. Who knows.
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