The 12 Best Things to Buy from Gap's Blowout VIP Sale

Welcome to Add to Cart, a (semi)regular segment that spotlights the best pieces of menswear to buy at a bargain from across the web.

You probably remember Gap (there was a "the" unofficially tacked on at some point long ago, though the brand itself always favored the simpler moniker) from back-to-school shopping trips to the mall with your long-suffering mother and her endless reserves of patience. Well, you might not be going back to, ah, anywhere at the moment, but Gap is still a force to be reckoned with this time of year. The brand can't stop—won't stop!—doing everything in its power to entice customers to walk through its virtual doors, often in the form of some truly eye-watering discounts.

I'm not going to lie, it's always a little bittersweet to see prices slashed this low, even temporarily, but it's also a welcome reminder of how much heat the retailer still stocks. In the years since those formative trips, Gap might not have stayed top of mind when it came to meeting your everyday menswear needs. But it remains a veritable American institution, the place to go if you're looking to stock up on basics at "Um, is this correct?" prices, or not-so-basics at prices that belie how damn good the product looks.

Speaking of sweet, sweet discounts, right now the retailer happens to be taking 40% off almost everything, along with an additional 20% off that, and if you move fast, you can still get in on the action. So why not take the opportunity to get to know Gap once again? And then say sorry to your mother. I'm not sure for what, precisely, but chances are you owe her one.