🍌 Banana Republic Travel & Safari 🍌

"In Surplus We Trust"

Jan 20, 2024

It was summer and I found a heavy knit vest that zipped up the front. I walked past it a couple times and finally decided to try it on. I thought it might sit in the closet for a few months, but sit it did not! I have worn it nearly every day since, and we are in love.

I get compliments on it ALL THE TIME. To which I reply, “Thanks! It’s vintage Banana Republic. Can you believe…?”. I knew I needed to investigate this logo further – I had never seen these bananas!

It didn’t take long to find the ultimate resource (I still cannot believe this exists, I love the internet) – an entire site dedicated to the history of Banana Republic.

On Abandoned Republic, the owner Robyn Adams says about the site:

“In 1988, the wildly innovative and beloved Banana Republic Travel & Safari concept was scrapped by it’s corporate masters at the Gap. This site is a tribute to that abandoned dream. My goal is to understand the history of the company, to present an archive of the classic 1978-1988 Banana Republic Travel & Safari Catalogue…”

Images curtesy of Robyn Adams from her amazing site Abandoned Republic

You should spend some time browsing through Robyn’s archive, but the quick history of Banana Republic is that it was started by Mel Ziegler and Patricia Gwilliam Ziegler in 1978.

Inspired by a surplus Bush jacket Mel brought back from a work trip to Australia, the couple eventually left their jobs and began buying bulk surplus vintage clothing–often altering it with new buttons or elbow patches and the like–and selling them at the Marin County Flea Market.- Abandoned Republic

Images curtesy of Robyn Adams from Abandoned Repubic

They set up shop in Mill Valley, CA and ultimately sold to The Gap in 1983. If you want to find more original pieces from this time period, I would suggest going through the catalogues and searching on Ebay or Etsy with the style name.

I’ve done a couple different searches, but I hand picked some of my favorites for you! There will likely be more BR posts in the future, so don’t fret if you miss out on any of these.

🍌 Banana Republic Travel & Safari 🍌

"In Surplus We Trust"

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