Oh, friends…it’s been probably years since my last visit to Banana Republic. And that’s not to say I’ve turned into a snoot (though it may be true)…it’s just that once you’re no longer trudging to an office every day, your need for generic workplace separates diminishes considerably. And that, of course, is what we know and love Banana for, right?

But yesterday, I had occasion to pop inside, and there were actually a few goodies mixed in with the usual suspects. Plus, as always, everything is 40% off today (seriously, we all know to never, ever pay full price at BR, right?) – this week’s code is BRRAIN (through 4.29). My favorites?

   

This little red crossbody is exactly – exactly – what I was shopping for last year, but infinitely cheaper. Sleek, simple, the perfect red, and in that indestructible saffiano-style leather that makes it awfully convenient for kicking around on weekends. (I’m also quite a fan of this tote – the linen would surely be destroyed by the end of summer, but at this price, no one cares.)

Quite a few excellent oversized gold link necklaces to be had, but I loved that this one was slightly off from the norm. It’s bold without being too much. Also, you could turn it around and wear it with that lovely clasp showing for a two-in-one sort of thing.

I can never seem to make cotton button-downs work for me, but if they work for you, this navy gingham is exactly the sort of thing I imagine living in all spring (Also, the words “non-iron” are music to my ears.) I’d order it a size up for a bit of slouch.

And as a bonus, I stopped in at Gap, which is having the world’s craziest sale in-store – the same 40% off sitewide (code is LUCK) includes sale goodies, which are already marked down 60%. In other words, all but free. These raw-edge skimmer jeans are a little edgier than I’d normally go, but my usual denim standbys are boring me to tears these days, so I was happy for a bit of a shake-up. And the fit was surprisingly good – well worth a try-on, I’d say.

Have you found anything worth loving at BR or Gap lately?

 

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