Banana Republic vs Old Navy: is the pricier sweater worth it?
The Old Navy Cotton-Blend Crew Sweater runs $35; the Banana Republic Merino Crew Sweater is $90, about 2.6× the price ($55 more). Here is the side-by-side, and what that gap buys.
| Old Navy | Banana Republic | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $35 | $90 |
| Material | Cotton/acrylic and cotton/poly blends, light-mid gauge. | Extra-fine merino wool (cotton-cashmere blends available), fine-mid gauge. |
| Fit | Standard casual fit, true to size. | Clean slightly-tailored fit, true to size. |
| Quality | Budget — lightweight blends that pill and lose shape sooner than wool. | Solid mid-tier — genuine merino, clean finishing; pills at friction points over time. |
| Best for | Low-cost everyday knits, a wide colour range, and filling out a wardrobe cheaply. | Office layering, smart-casual wear, and a clean tailored merino knit. |
| Care | Machine wash cold and tumble low; shave pilling as it appears. | Gentle wool cycle or hand-wash and lay flat; shave any pilling. |
A $35 cotton/acrylic crew against a $90 extra-fine merino one — this comparison is really synthetic blend versus actual wool. Old Navy sells colour variety and low cost; Banana Republic sells the fiber upgrade, with the caveat that even genuine fine merino pills at friction points.
- The case for Old Navy
- At $35 (often under $30 on promo) the Old Navy crew comes in a wide colour range, machine-washes without ceremony, and lets you fill out a knitwear rotation for the price of one merino sweater.
- The case for Banana Republic
- The BR Merino Crew is genuine extra-fine merino with clean finishing and a slightly-tailored fit, which means better drape and an office-appropriate look that light cotton/acrylic blends can't fake.
VerdictWhat the extra money buys
Buy the Old Navy if you want cheap seasonal colour and accept that the blend pills and loses shape sooner — it's wardrobe filler, and at this price that's a legitimate strategy. Step up to the Banana Republic if you layer knits over collars at work; real merino is the visible, wearable difference the $55 markup buys, and no amount of acrylic gets you there. Two honest caveats: the merino demands gentler washing, and it still pills at cuffs and elbows over time — so buy it on promo, where reviewers agree the value actually lands.
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