Одежда Аксессуары

Banana Republic. Stylish republic

Banana Republic is clothing, fragrances, accessories, and home goods. Items for travelers and everyday wear, formal and evening outfits. And it all started with a jacket. More precisely, with three jackets in the style of British colonial troops in Burma, which journalist and traveler Mel Ziegler picked up in Sydney.

16.05.2025

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Military surplus, low prices, jungle and jazz

At the dawn of Banana Republic. Military surplus, low prices, jungles, and jazz

Mel was skeptical of decorative buttons and zippers, and also категорически did not want to wear the then-popular bright shiny polyester. In Australia, he liked a more understated fabric, which he showed to his wife, Patricia.

Pat resewed and recut the fabric, reinforced the elbows with patches, added horn buttons, and the final touch was a stylish wooden fastener. Mel was pleased, but it turned out that the new jacket appealed not only to him, but also to a whole bunch of his friends and acquaintances.

Pat and Mel were surprised to discover that even without a “fashion label,” high-quality and comfortable clothing could have a very, very broad audience. This discovery gave the couple the idea to buy up leftover military uniforms, of which quite a lot had accumulated in London, Madrid, South Africa, and even African countries. Then alter all of it and resell it.

At first, altered vests and military tunics with the collars removed were sold at flea markets and swap meets, and when the business gained momentum, a little shop appeared in Mill Valley.

The Zieglers had no extra money, so they painted the walls “like zebra” and arranged the interior themselves. The shop’s signature image was a post office in the depths of the jungle, and the background was records with jazz from the 40s and 50s.

The catalog turned out the same way as well: Patricia hand-drew the clothing, and Mel composed original descriptions for each item with information about its origin and recommendations for wearing it.

In 1978, the Banana Republic brand appeared. The men’s clothing from the Zieglers of that period attracted travelers, tourists, and that sort of crowd. Everything changed when the Zieglers sold the business to The Gap, focusing on the art side of the business.

Banana Republic now. From a little shop to a chain and website

Although The Gap managed to buy Banana Republic while it was on the rise, both the Zieglers and Gap management understood that the fashion for military and safari style was not eternal. This led to the “great restructuring” of the stores and the emergence of a broader assortment — Banana Republic for women. Now the brand offered clothing for work, casual, luxurious cashmere and suede models, festive and formal outfits. The clothes took on brighter colors, and the Banana Republic assortment was supplemented with perfume, eau de toilette, and underwear. Later, home goods also appeared, for example:

Bed linen
Candles
Picture and photo frames
Pillows with embroidery and prints

Perfume from Banana Republic first appeared in 1995, and the fragrances are updated regularly (the latest was released in 2020).

Buy Banana Republic handbags and accessories in the USA at a great price

Banana Republic for women

Cardigans and sweaters, pullovers and jackets made of viscose, wool, and cashmere. Shirts and blouses in a classic design. You will find all this in the women’s section of the official Banana Republic website.

We recommend taking a look at the New Arrivals section with all kinds of current new items. There are discounts in the section too, for example this merino wool cardigan is now available for $39 (2 900 rubles) instead of $76 (5 500 rubles).

The seasonal trend is a pastel palette — ochre, nude, brown, white, beige, and so on. For example, this hooded sweater made of merino wool will cost you $110 (8 100 rubles). By the way, at the bottom of the page there is a section of ready-made looks called Wear it with, selected by Banana Republic experts with the price of each element of the outfit indicated. There, in a special tab, you will also find discounts.

Sweater dresses will also be relevant, for example this one will now cost only $49 (3 600 rubles) instead of $129 (9 500 rubles). And of course denim. On the “Banana Republic” website there are these types of jeans:

Legging
Skinny
Slim
Straight
Farle
Wide

Of course, it will not be possible to cover everything in one article, the site’s assortment is too rich, and there is so much we would like to describe — accessories, jackets, coats, outerwear, shoes, clutches, glasses, jewelry. They are also worth a look.

Banana Republic for men

Classic and casual shirts, fitted and loose shirts, polos, T-shirts, sweaters, tank tops, sweatshirts, cardigans, jackets, coats, vests, and down jackets. Jeans, chinos, and casual trousers. Blazers, cashmere sweaters, and classic suits, trousers, and ties for lovers of business style at a pleasant price. And of course shoes, glasses, belts and straps, scarves, hats, caps, gloves, wallets, and bags — you will find all this in the men’s section.

For example, this elegant Italian Sharkskin suit you can buy for $400 (30 000 rubles, excluding duty), and the more casual SUPIMA blazer will cost $150 (1 100 rubles). In our opinion, it is worth taking a look at the section with casual trousers and chinos. Available there: