(Mind) The Gap

[fred mertz]

I've been noticing an amazing number of locals wearing Gap clothing, mostly sweatshirts. There are no Gap stores in South America and almost none of these wearers look like they have ever been near a Gap. Why are these faux cloths allowed to be sold? What could possibly be next? Fake Louis Viutton?

 

[syngirl]

They aren't necessarily fakes.

GAP online delivers to Argentina (for ridiculous shipping, but it does)

There's loads and loads of Argentines that go to the USA and bring back stuff like that for friends, and you don't know the number of locals that have requested us to bring it back. You can hop a shuttle from Miami Intl straight to an outlet mall and pick up sweatshirts etc for cheap. A lot of people we know will load up on Christmas presents etc when they go.

Also I was in a baby shop on Arenales the other day and they sold a bunch of Baby Gap stuff.

Every once in awhile there are designer clothing sales near the Tattersall on Libertador -- there has occasionally been GAP stuff on sale (along with Calvin Klein etc)

 

[tez]

I think it's sort of a vague status thing, as it is something you pretty much have to get in the US.

If I ever want to buy someone a gift and I don't know what to get, I opt for a GAP t-shirt or sweatshirt--always received as if the only thing the person would have ever wanted!

I've actually come to resent seeing those big bold letters, lately. I went to the Chascomús airport the other day, and out of ten guys hanging around, seven were wearing GAP sweatshirts! And it wasn't a group of friends or anything, just totally coincidence! I felt like I was witness to some weird little club, and although it was probably just further coincidence, I was sure that the GAP-wearers were friendlier to each other and the others a bit left out!

 

[irina]

I'm pretty sure they're trucho sold in Once, the letters are smaller than they should be and the quality is obvio pretty sub par for gap

 

[fred mertz]

The folk that I see wearing The GAP clothes (almost) all look very poor, have never been out of South America, don't know about online shopping and don't have credit cards. All merchandise that is sold on the street, at flea markets and unauthorized (Arenales) stores is fake - contraband. The U.S. and EU have cracked down on this practise. Not so in Turkey. In the Beach towns of Bodrum and Marmaris, among others, contraband rules. Didn't the "Queen" sign a trade agreement with China, recently? "We'll send you soy and you can ship us D&G etc. clothes."

 

[Guillo]

Those are not imported, they are manufactured in sweatshops in Argentina.
100% sure they are fake, they are sold everywhere.

 

[nikad]

La Salada is what you mean. And you can get fakes of virtually every brand so no surprise.

 

[Davidglen77]

Ummmm is this really so important? Who cares if people wear fake GAP clothes here, it´s not like they are hurting the GAP sales as there are no stores of this brand in Latinoamerica.

 

[Napoleon]

Those are not imported, they are manufactured in sweatshops in Argentina.
100% sure they are fake, they are sold everywhere.

This.

You can buy them in Mar del Plata stores in the summer, Buenos Aires stores year-round, or on your trips to the States. But most of them are fakes.

Why spend ~US$100 to have one sent from the States when you could buy 4 or 5 that look exactly the same here for the same amount?

 

[Guillo]

I tend to use truchas t shirts to the gym. They are dirty cheap and if you get good fabric quality they can stand a lot.