The best part about living in New York City (no, I’m not going to say the bagels, but I’m sure that’s of significant value for many of the city’s residents) is the proximity to practically every brand under the sun’s brick-and-mortar stores. I like shopping online just as much as the next fashion person. Hell, I even made a career out of it. But nothing beats walking into a physical store, picking up what calls out to you, and trying it on. Even the purchase process is supreme (minus the lines, especially in SoHo). 

As such, when I decided to do a story surrounding Gap, Banana Republic, and J.Crew—three brands I haven’t, in the past, given tons of attention to—I couldn’t resist going into their actual store locations and going full-on with an entire dressing-room movie montage. Luckily, all three were but a few blocks away from each other on Fifth Avenue, making the idea of an in-person shopping trip all the more enticing. Two hours and 19 items later, I walked to my dinner plans nearby knowing everything I wanted from the trio of retailers and a camera roll of pictures to prove it. 

Below, see which items I fell the hardest for at J.Crew, Gap, and Banana Republic.