Going outside to buy a pair of jeans is a lot like going to Home Affiars, in the sense that you have a fairly high chance of failing miserably in your mission. And jeans, like the kind of documents that you get at Home Affairs, are a crucial addition to one’s modern life. If you don’t own a pair of jeans, you’re probably the kind of person with obvious and crucial items missing from your life at every turn – tooth brushes, sunscreen, a good pair of slops, shades, an oven. We know you don’t own at least one of these things.
The problem then, is that buying jeans is difficult, and you know why. The fit is a frigging lottery. Those sizing indicators don’t mean a damn thing. And would you believe it, this problem has been around for almost 50 years.
Don Fisher founded Gap in San Francisco along with his wife Doris, in 1969 to combat this exact problem.
Back then, Don was a 41-year-old real estate developer. He had no retail experience. One day, he bought a handful of jeans from a Levi’s salesman. When he tried on the pants, none fit. So Don visited two department stores in San Francisco to exchange the pants. No one had his size.
Don was frustrated, but also inspired: What if someone put a full range of pant styles, colors and sizes into a single store?
So that’s just what he and Doris did. And The Gap was born.
And that’s where we’ll be going to buy jeans the next time we need a pair. Because no one has time for unsuccessful missions.
Here’s a gallery to get a handle on their style:
Check out their website, here.
