GQ x Gap: Best New Menswear Designers in America

Yesterday, I did something I haven’t done in awhile.

I raced with excitement to Gap.

To the Gap? I never know… ANYWAY:

While normally the store that’s known for its reliable-but-kind-of-boring basics draws me in with the promise of tees and serviceable jeans on sale, this time I had a mission. On the men’s side of the store.

I wanted to be one of the first to check out the GQ for Gap Best New Menswear Designers in America collaboration. The exclusive, limited edition collection features the men’s magazine’s top picks for – you guessed it – new menswear designers here in the good ol’ U.S. of A.

Saturdays NYC, Mark McNairy, Todd Snyder, Ian Velardi, Ovadia & Sons, and BLK DNM were all chosen by the mag and mall store to bring their design aesthetic to mass retail prices.

{Gap x GQ Mark McNairy Wool Cargo Trousers, $78}

For me, I love when designers do high-low collaborations. I have not one, but two dresses from Lauren Conrad for Kohl’s (okay, she’s not really a “high-end” designer, but her other line is wa-a-a-ay more expensive), and I try to nab a piece from the womenswear designer collections at Target whenever I can.

{Gap x GQ BLK DNM leather bomber, $348}

It’s why I got so excited when I found out Tar-jay was getting you fellas in on the action with NYC menswear boutique Odin’s capsule collection at Target (ps, it just launched, and the reviews of the line in person are pouring in. See Dappered’s review here)

Personally, and this might be a girl thing, but I really like being able to capture the aesthetic of a luxury designer at prices I can actually, you know, afford. It’s better than buying knockoff designs, and wa-a-a-y better than incurring credit card debt just to trick out your wardrobe.

I also like the limited edition-ness of it. Clothes in collections like these feel more special, with more of a story behind them.

What’s more, all the designers that took part in the Gap x GQ collaboration are legit cool guy designers, one or two of whom I’ve mentioned here on Style Girlfriend before.

{Gap x GQ Todd Snyder crewneck sweatshirt, $58}

 

Check out my picks (and the whole collection over on Gap’s site), then tell me:

What do you think? Is a designer collab something that will get you into the store?

Have you heard of any of the designers involved in this collection?

Will GQ’s stamp of approval cause you to ‘fall into the Gap?’