Baby Gap (Gap Kids/Baby Gap)

Member Name: Mrs-LT

Product:	Gap Kids/Baby Gap
Date:	04/02/09 (554 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good quality clothes

Disadvantages: Styles are boring, poor choice for baby boys

I do not live anywhere near a Baby Gap (or a Gap at all for that matter)...the one nearby closed a few years ago. However everyone has heard of Baby Gap and I have heard nothing but good things about the shop...the clothes are expensive but excellent quality etc. etc.

Well I happened to be in York at the weekend and noticed that they have a Baby Gap shop, so I could not resist going in with my husband. I expected to spend an absolute fortune, as before we even entered the shop I was priming him for how much cash I was about to splash. I had him all but convinced that it was an unrepeatable opportunity to stock up my son's wardrobe with the best baby clothes ever, so we needed to buy in bulk. I went in ready to spend hundreds...after all who knows when I would get to another Gap (and they don't have a UK website).

As I write this, I am not sitting surrounded by Gap carrier bags, nor is my husband out working overtime to pay for my many purchases. In fact, we left the shop empty handed. I honestly do not understand what all of the hype is about! The clothes were rubbish - yes the quality was lovely but that is no good if there is nothing you actually like the look of!

The baby girls' department was really nice - very pretty little outfits (although the new range with ladybirds on looks more suited to boys but for the little flower that is embroidered on the denim dungarees) and a good, wide choice. However this is the first shop for babies I have come across where they have a lovely girls' range and no equivilent for boys. All you could buy for older baby boys (not newborn) was plain dungarees, no nice pictures or anything on them. Totally boring, and fit the stereotype of how boys' clothing was a few years back before shops started introducing lots of choice for both sexes.

I was so disappointed, I could not find a single thing I wanted to buy! Oh actually that is a lie, I found an 'OK' white sun hat that I was going to buy just to say I had bought LO something from Baby Gap, but they only had one size left (which was not his).

The shop was laid out well and the prices are not half as bad as I had been led to believe (£19.50 for embroidered denim dungarees, £16.50 for plain dungarees, £7.50 for a long-sleeved body suit to give a few examples).

I really dislike the babygros with 'BABY GAP' emblazoned across them though, as label flashing is bad enough on adults never mind little babies, but each to their own I suppose.

There was a huge range of long-sleeved bodysuits (vests) in all different colours and patterns which is very unusual as most places sell them in packs. The only other place I have seen sell them singly is Pumpkin Patch and they do not have anywhere near as wide a range as Baby Gap. So for this it is great...however since baby would be wearing a top to cover the vest anyway it is hardly worth going out of your way to find trendy vests (nor is there any point spending £7.50 on one). I guess they would make a cute present but personally I would rather you got baby something from M&S where £8 would buy almost a whole outfit.

I really don't have a good word for Baby Gap - it was a bitter disappointment and I wish I hadn't bothered going.

Summary: The clothes may be lovely quality, but they are really boring!