Four-in-One Shopping

Gap has been my favorite store since junior high, as soon as I realized the must-have oversized Guess t-shirt trend couldn't last forever. I find that the majority of my clothes come from there, especially the basics: jeans, tees, and chinos. I love Banana Republic too, but didn't become an avid shopper until college - where I would scour the clearance racks to find tons of bargains under $10. Old Navy clothes don't always fit me as well as Gap, especially the pants, but they have some great kids stuff, and I can usually find a trendier blouse there at prices I can actually afford. Gap and Old Navy carried me through the maternity days too.

Nowadays I find myself ordering more and more online, rather than take my kiddos shopping with me. And even though the prices at Banana Republic have skyrocketed in accordance with their trendier design and popularity, I still like to browse the clearance section. At the website. And now the Gap Family of stores is making it so much easier with 4 in 1 Shopping. I snagged a picture of the tabs that now appear at the top of all the websites. You can click back and forth and never lose your spot. Other benefits include $7 flat rate shipping, which is cheaper than driving to even one store. Piperlime, the shoe store, always has free shipping. And even better, free shipping on returns, with pre-printed labels. You get a combined shopping cart with one easy check-out and your order comes all together in one box (except for shoes).

I celebrated by ordering a wrap dress from Old Navy, a pair of gladiator sandals from Piperlime, and six pairs of jeans from Gap. Yes, six - they were on clearance for about $15 each and I didn't know which size and color I wanted. Since the returns are free (or I can return at the store) I ordered two sizes of three different washes. I tried them all on and am only keeping one.

Check it out and start shopping here.