We Wore Banana Republic's Gender-Neutral Collection For A Week — Here's How We Liked It

Cardigans AND turtlenecks, baby!

Hi, we are Farrah and Christopher and we both enjoy experimenting with fashion from time to time!

@FarrahPenn / @CEHudspeth

Banana Republic recently dropped a "Wear & Share" collection — a "curation of classic Banana Republic pieces for anyone to wear in the modern world."

Banana Republic / Via bananarepublic.gap.com

So often, clothes are labeled as "feminine" or "masculine," but most of the time, something "feminine" looks great on guys, or something "masculine" looks great on women. The beauty of style and fashion is that you can wear whatever makes you feel like your best self. We were particularly excited that these clothes weren't assigned to a "gender" — they existed as really great staple pieces.

Banana Republic

The collection features over 50 items, including tees, sweaters, coats, and accessories. We couldn't wear every single thing, but we tested a bunch of items, and here are our favorite ones!

Going into this, Farrah wondered if people would pick up on the fact that these clothes came from a gender-neutral clothing line. Christopher anticipated people recognizing that the clothes were new or different from what he normally wears, but didn't think the items would be recognized as gender neutral unless they both wore the same item to work on the same day.

Water-Resistant Quilted Bomber Jacket ($134)

BuzzFeed

Farrah: This piece might be my favorite. It's such a classic winter puffer jacket! I wore it back in December when I went home for the holidays, and it kept me SUPER cozy in 30-degree weather. The quality is so nice that it's one of those items you know you'll have around for several years.

Bomber Jacket ($74–$133.99)

BuzzFeed

Christopher: This is incredibly comfortable and you can wear it with just about everything! It's the perfect solution on days when it's kind of cool outside but also sunny and you need a layer that isn't going to make you feel like you're in a sauna. I love this thing and the versatility it offers, as I've worn it with plain tees, polos, and even a button-down underneath.

Long Cardigan Sweater ($77–$129)

BuzzFeed

Farrah: Fashion is such a weird thing. Like, they make something called "boyfriend sweaters" targeted toward women, but is it supposed to emulate a man's sweater? It's confusing. Anyone can rock a cardigan or button-up sweater! All that's to say, I liked this cardigan. It's particularly great on a really cold day — or if you work in a really cold office. It's thick material (made of wool, I think?) that will keep you snug. And I think we both wear it very well.

Christopher: This is probably my favorite item from the collection! We only tried the gray and navy ones, but there are also camel and orange-red color options. It's soft and light but manages to keep you comfortably warm, and for what it's worth, I got more compliments on this than any other piece! I love it and I'll continue wearing it for as long as it holds up.

Ribbed Turtleneck Sweater ($119)

BuzzFeed

Christopher: THIS TURTLENECK IS FANTASTIC. I wore it on a chilly night with a blazer on top and it kept me extremely warm. It's a really soft, comfortable sweater and it made me wish I lived somewhere colder than LA so I could rock it more often!

Slim Tapered Japanese Flannel Pants ($68)

BuzzFeed

Farrah: I'm not going to lie. I thought I was going to HATE these pants. I was like, "GOD, THEY'RE SO BAGGY." But I styled them with a tall heel, the crew neck T-shirt, and the corduroy jacket and felt supah fashionable. They absolutely took me by surprise! I don't know if I'd style them with this outfit in particular going forward, but I'm excited to experiment.

Slim Corduroy Shirt Jacket ($97)

BuzzFeed

Farrah: I paired the crew neck T-shirt with the navy corduroy jacket when I went to Disneyland in November. It was perfect for a 60- or 75-degree day. When I was walking around with my sister, some girl stopped me and was like, "I love your jacket!" That definitely made me feel good. Regarding the T-shirt, I do think more companies need to take note of this style. So many "female cut" T-shirts dig into my underarms or are too tight in awkward places. While this was on the looser side, I appreciated that I didn't have material digging into my pits.

Christopher: The crew neck T-shirt is great because it's very fashionable, but it's also so soft that you'll want to lounge around your home or even sleep in it. A+ shirt. As for the jacket, I've not worn much corduroy through the years, but I really liked the color and fit of this one, which looks great with the sleeves down or rolled up!

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Farrah: There are some days when I come into the office and realize that I'm wearing a jean jacket or leather jacket that's very similar to what my male coworkers happen to be wearing. When that would happen, I'd think, Do I dress too masculine?! But honestly? I like my sense of style and I like their sense of style! Clothes are clothes, and people should rock whatever calls to them. I've never worn Banana Republic before this, but I like that all the pieces in the collection had a "classic" feel. The material was excellent, and Chris and I both looked good!

Christopher: I was very impressed and genuinely enjoyed everything I tried from this collection. It offers different types of clothing and color schemes for a variety of styles. So many of the items can be incorporated into countless outfits, and if there's one thing I love, it's a piece of clothing that goes with anything!

Check out the full collection here.