Women’s Dresses

Sold only in the Spring 1988 Catalogue, the Yukon Dress seems a little late in coming. The sibling to the Yukon Shirt, which dates back to 1982 seems a logical choice for a company that loves its shirt dresses. From the Spring 1988 Catalogue: “This is the tale of a shirt that grew into a […]

To see a relic from the founding moments of Banana Republic is a really special thing. So much so, at one point I mentioned to Patricia Ziegler that I’d “KILL to find a Spanish Paratrooper Dress”. Months later, she sent a message: Patricia HAD one in her collection. She asked if I wanted it! Days […]

There’s the famous Correspondent’s Jacket, Correspondent’s Bag, Correspondent’s Dress and now, in the Spring 1986 catalogue, the Correspondent’s Skirt. “Female members of the working press must dress for the practical demands of the job as well as for situations that require more finesse. Our Correspondent’s Skirt offers a neat compromise: slim and flattering, it’s also […]

From spring 1988: “We were dazzled by the natural wealth of East Africa’s landscape; brick-red earth, tawny golden savannas, the faded green of endless tea fields stretching further than our eyes could see. And so we set out to capture Africa’s ancient earth tones in this skirt of airy Indian cotton. Deep of pocket and […]

The Corduroy Bush Dress replaced the Cotton Bush Dress in the Fall and Winter of 1985: “Cord du roi is the cloth of kings, but nonetheless we make our corduroy bush dress equally available to women whose blood runs less than blue. Indeed, the most red-blooded adventurer will appreciate its comfort and practicality: the hefty […]

The Bush Dress was sold in Spring and Summer 1985. In the Fall and Winter it was sold in corduroy. From the Spring 1985 catalogue: “In the bush, it swings cool and loose, barely touching the body, yet protects thighs from a punishing sun. In the mountains, layer it over a Yukon Shirt (as shown); […]

From the Fall 1988 catalogue: “Eager departures, ecstatic arrivals, and all connections in between wear equally well on this soft yet purposeful dress. Made of tightly woven, lightly brushed ventilated cotton, with collarless necline, capacious gored skirt, unfitted button-up bodice and yoke back, buttoning cuffs, and elasticized waist.” Blue version Bronze version modeled by Kimberlee […]

From Summer 1988: “The halter neckline made its 1930’s debut on the beach, but it was not for another 20 years that it found its way onto a dress. Our soft cotton knit version has a modestly self-lined bodice, comfortably wide ties that don’t cut or bind, and a flowing bias-cut skirt that channels many […]

From the Summer 1987 Catalogue, the Gandhi Dress is made of the same fabric as the Kasuri Shirt although the catalogue copy does not describe the fabric. “At the turn of the century, Mahatma Gandhi entreated his supporters to resist the Raj by devoting daily time to spinning and weaving–as he himself did. The populace […]

From the Fall 1985-Spring 1986 Catalogue, the companion to the Naturalist Shirt and Naturalist Skirt. “A woman may be outstanding in her field, but she can’t stand out there forever; sooner or later, she must come inside and dress for the occasion. For her, we’ve designed the Naturalist’s Dress: elegant as physics, yet down-to-earth as […]

Debuting in the Spring 1985 Catalogue: “Like the gentlewomen of the British Empire, who dressed in similar garments, the Serengeti Skirt is stylish yet very nearly indestructible. It’s rather full, for taking important strides, but not so billowing that it catches between the legs. Cool on the Serengeti itself, it can also conceal layers of […]

Available from Fall 1987 through Summer 1988 in Dark Khaki, Ivory, and Faded Blue . “With character as variable as the weather (or your travel plans), our Trekking Jumper is made of lightweight canvas Expedition Cloth that spurns wrinkles and welcomes a change of seasons. Wear it over a flannel shirt for clams at the […]

The 100% Cotton Twill and Leather Savanna Skirt. Note they created entirely new illustrations between Fall and Holiday so as to pair them with different tops they wanted to highlight. From Fall and Holiday 1987: “Rugged performance with a civilized soul: The shapely silhouette of our Savanna Skirt comes from its eight-gore construction (dressmakers know […]

From Summer 1987, this cotton dress was made in the US. “A minimal dress in a most practical fabric: wide rib knit that skims rather than clings for hot-weather comfort. The neck and armholes are bound in a fine rib kit; the back vent lets you move unhindered. Stuff it in a tote (it resists […]

Sold separately in purple, black and natural, this cotton knit set was offered in the Fall 1988 Catalogue. Pictures from Depop

From the Fall 1988 catalogue: “Among the many virtues of cotton twill are strength and soil resistance. Our cotton twill further distinguishes itself with a luxurious hand, as soft and velvety as doeskin. We consider this the perfect fabric for a traveling skirt: It washes well, rarely wrinkles, and can be worn over and over […]

Spotted on eBay, this rare 1986 Cotton Twill and Leather Six-Gore Skirt. Six gore is a particular cut of skirt made up of triangular “gore” panels to form a A line. Sold in Pewter and Ivory in Fall 1986 and Dark Khaki and Pewter in Holiday 1986. From the catalogue: “Cut long and wide enough […]

A simple drawstring skirt, the Naturalist’s Skirt was sold in 1985. From the catalogue: “We dyed the raw cotton, dyed it again, then washed it and washed it again. Then we constructed a skirt as simple and unaffected as a bed of Busy Lizzie–just four gores, three pockets, and drawstring elastic waist.”

From the Fall 1985 catalogue: “A skirt rather like the women of today–smart, sophisticated, ready for absolutely anything, tough, and soft at the same time. The velvety pigskin suede gives and conforms to the body, doesn’t easily wrinkle, doesn’t show dirt, can’t tear or snag–in short, boldly withstands the travails of time, the dramas of […]

This shirt confused us for a few reasons. First, it wasn’t found in the catalog because that page had accidentally not been scanned into the archive (we make no guarantees!!). An astute fan pointed it out (Thanks, Gary!). Secondly, the buttons are on the traditionally “male” right side (we are easily confused by this tradition…). […]

Sold in Khaki and Black in Fall and Holiday 1987 with some striking exaggerated artwork. From the catalogue: “Easygoing yet elegant, this is a dress to be lived in, worked in, traveled in. The luxuriously soft flannel is consoling company during late-night layovers or bracing breakfast meetings. The top is pure shirt, the skirt long, […]

From the catalogue: “When we first discovered this drapy, silky fabric in a British trenchcoat, we knew it had other lives to live–offering, as it does, the combined virtues of wool and cotton. And so we reincarnated it in a slim, smooth walking skirt, as elegant or as laissez-faire as the accessories (and the attitude) […]

The Leather Walking Skirt was offered in the Fall and Winter catalogs in both 1986 and 1987. From the catalogue: “Unpacking in a strange hotel room, what could be more inspiriting than to find some cherished bit of luxurt among the knits and khakis? Our leather Walking Skirt, made of New Zealand lambskin, turns storm-tossed […]

The Lamu Dress was featured three times and offered different colors and patterns each time. Still, the first photographic evidence I’ve seen is in a different color and pattern, but is definitely a Lamu Dress. From the catalogue: “East Africa’s Lamu Island enchanted us with its wonderful islamic architecture and lack of cars, but posed […]

A Safari Dress was a staple of the women’s wardrobe for a long time. As you can see in the catalog gallery at the bottom of the page they switched from the fine Egyptian Cotton of the Safari Jackets to a slightly heavier “Naturalist’s cloth” later in the run. The photos on this page are […]

From the catalogue: “A skirt to satisfy even women who normally shun skirts: slim, spare, absolutely fuss-less.Traditional jean styling–including a coin pocket–and deep 13-inch slits before and behind for making great strides. In tandem with our Denim Jacket, and outfit to range from Wyoming to Weisbaden.” Photos from an Etsy sale

I love the marketing for this wonderful suit. It’s all classic Banana Republic, with a great spread of artwork with background art that inspires the imagination and catalog copy that manages to namedrop both Isak “Out of Africa” Dinesen and St. Tropez. It really makes you want to be this person. From the catalogue: “Mombasa,” […]

Available from Spring 1985 through Spring 1986, this dress came in Natural and Black and was as versatile as advertised. From the catalogue: “Put it in your purse when you go to work on Friday. On your weekend getaway wear it over pants like a big t-shirt; belted at the waist; belted at the hips; […]

The Correspondent’s Dress is the fair companion to the Correspondent’s Jacket, made of the same material and possessing the same details. The belted dress came in Ivory and Pewter and is easily distinguished from the Safari Dress by its angled lower pockets. From the catalogue: “She won’t reveal her sources, but her dress speaks for […]

Featured in Fall 1986 through Spring 1987 in black and khaki. From the catalogue: “Italian cotton knit is one of our favorite fabrics for travel: reasonless, wrinkle-shedding, flatteringly drape, it looks as fresh over a midnight grappa as it does over morning cappuccino. Our Traveler’s Dress has side slits to liberate your legs, deep side-seam […]

Khaki version This version seems more Olive Drab than “Black Olive“.

The Ventilated Shirt was a staple of the catalog from Spring 1983 until 1988. The Ventilated Tropical Dress debuted at the same time but was discontinued in 1985. From the catalog: “A civilized way to survive in a scorching desert, a steamy jungle, even a humid metropolis. We can attest to this because our short-sleeved […]

As advertised: “Patterned after a turn-of-the-century riding habit, our 100% Egyptian Cotton Safari Skirt is equally at home sidesaddle or astride (simply unbutton the front buttons for more legroom). Smoothly tapered over the hips, the skirt flares gently into a wide, mid-calf A line that’s ample yet not voluminous, a practical choice whether sitting or […]

From the Spring/Summer 1986 catalogue: “Not to be confused with Ginger Rogers’ madcap costume for the Carioca scene in Flying Down to Rio, our version is a logical (yet also playful) extension of our extremely popular Carioca Shirt. Same slithery-cool fabric, same mischievous stripes; same extroverted spirit. Not the same: the length, (just below the […]