Born to...Give Gap Prizes!

Well folks, the Gap Born to Fit contest is closed. And I'm very impressed! I got a lot of great entries on last Wednesday's post. In honor of Gap's new premium line of best fitting jeans, known as the Born to Fit line, I asked you to tell me what YOU were born to do.

On the line? Two prizes: a certificate for a FREE PAIR of Gap Jeans of your choice, and a $50 gift certificate for use at any Gap store.

I got quite a few great responses, and I had to choose the top two to award the gifts.

Let's get to it. Drum roll please?

The GRAND PRIZE goes to Lisa in Anaheim, California. Her comment was just perfect - honest, smart, illustrative of her personality and very, very fitting to the denim theme. Check it out below.

shuckiduck said...
I was born to be a jean break-in specialist.

I'm not kidding. If there was such a position, I'd be a great candidate. The jeans I have have gotten broken in to such a point - and past it - that in some spots they are threadbare and far too overloved. They get love at concerts when I'm working in the photo pits, they come along for the ride and get lived in when I jump on tour vans for weeks at a time. They are there when I go to my first string of rock shows seeing my favorite band for the first time, and mark on the tag that they were there with me (yep, happened 11 years ago, no joke). The stories that are woven into the cotton threads are numerous, and I never can let them go after they're well past their prime. To a revered spot in the closet or drawer they go, with hopes that they'll be patched and sewn up for more adventures.
-Lisa

Congratulations, Lisa!

You won a FREE pair of Gap Jeans - your choice of any of the styles - Perfect Boot, Sexy Boot, Real Straight, Long & Lean, Curvy, Always Skinny or the Boyfriend. Valued at $69.50! (See, it's a designer jean at a very reasonable price.) Email me at the address listed on my profile and give me your home address and I'll send you the gift card right away! Thanks for your entry. Keep reading, and have fun shopping at Gap.

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The entry from the SECOND PLACE WINNER came in about an hour under the deadline. While much more straightforward than Lisa's response, I have to acknowledge the truth in it - she expressed an honest frustration that I heard over and over while hosting my Gap party. Girls of all heights fit great in the jeans we tried on, and I hope that you find a pair in which you were Born to Fit. (Trust me, it's not a lot easier to be 6' tall and buy jeans...you can't hem them longer, Susan.)

Susan said...
I was born to be a blog stalker, retail whore, and Petite advocate. Women 5'4 and under deserve great denim too! Can't wait to get to my local Gap and try these on. Great party!
-Susan

Congratulations, Susan!

You won a $50 Gap gift card, and you can use that towards anything your petite heart desires - a new pair of jeans would be almost paid for...in fact, right now, they are on sale, so this may be the best time to buy. I hope you find a pair that make you feel six feet tall and bulletproof. Email me at the address listed on my profile and give me your home address and I'll send you the gift card right away! Thanks for your entry, and now that you're no longer lurking, keep reading!

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Thanks to all of the attendees, and to Sarah, Carrie, Krista, Katherine, Monica, Maggie and Kristen for your clever and fun entries. Next time!

If you've not left the house in the last few weeks, you may not know that the jeans are all on sale at Gap right now for $20 off - so now may be the best time ever to try a few on and see which one fits you best. Tell 'em Colleen sent you. (They'll look at you sideways and may even murmur something funny, but it sounded like a good idea, no?)

On a closing note...

I was...........Born to tell long stories. Clearly!

Gap Born to Fit Party & GIVEAWAYS!

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I had the privilege to host a Gap Born to Fit party last night. Gap is celebrating its 40-year anniversary this year, and to celebrate, has re-engineered its 1969 jeans line in all new fits, styles and washes. And was it ever a good time!

As a Brand Enthusiast, I was able to invite quite a few lucky girls to attend - and was fortunate to have Brenna host the event. We energetically (at least in spirit!) climbed the 59 steps up to her gorgeous home (guided by my motivational signs, of course.



At the top, the girls were treated to a full spread of goodies courtesy of Gap. The guests had no idea what was in store for them...


First, I asked each girl to don a nametag, since not everyone knew each other.

In order to make it more fun, I added a "I was born to________." line for each girl to fill out. Apparently my friends are born to Eat, Shop, Laugh & Giggle, Dance, Dominate Traffic, Photograph, Give Big Hugs, Draw, and more. (I was Born to Boogie - so says my Mom - since she went into labor while at a disco. Explains a lot, doesn't it?)

We munched on appetizer treats, including "Born to Snack" popcorn (served in the darling branded bowl) and "Born to Indulge/Shop/Play/Love" M&Ms, and other enticing splurges.


The soundtrack for the evening's festivities was provided by yours truly; I handpicked and made "Girls, Denim & (No) Blues" CDs for each guest, and only slightly tweaked the song titles to fit the theme for the evening.



See below for the full playlist. No judging - the songs were chosen for their fit!


Before we dove into the jeans and the full-fledged shopping extravaganza, we gathered on the roofdeck to enjoy the gorgeous Chicago sunset.





With a roofdeck like Brenna (and her fantastic husband) owns, we were all seated comfortably around and could talk. I gave a quick, highly unprepared speech about what the party was about - and answered questions about Gap, the 1969 Born to Fit jeans, how I was selected and what was required of them (pretty much this: pick jeans, love jeans, shop Gap).





When the sun had fully set, we descended to the kitchen/Gap Jeans Bar to check out the jeans. Don'tcha just like the sound of that? Gap Jeans Bar. I know. Combines my two favorite things, too. As shown at the top of the post, there were the Sexy Boot in a medium wash, the Always Skinny in a dark wash and the Real Straight in a medium wash.


The girls and I immediately noticed - these weren't your Mom's jeans. If anyone walked into the party with a preconceived notion of what Gap jeans were like, they changed their mind pretty quickly. All ideas were changed fully as soon as the first girl tried them on. Wow! Each girl was stunned to see how long, lean, slim, stylish and, well, FIT they looked in them. Each style, each size, each wash - all the same. Perfect fits!


And the fabric, stitching, inseam, cut and general make of the jeans was far more detailed than ever before - the medium wash is incredibly soft - those jeans you could wear all day at work or to Target on a Saturday; the dark wash is perfect for a night out with heels or a casual brunch with flip flops.

Knowing my girlfriends, they are a hip bunch. They shop a lot, they like designer jeans, they love to look good (what woman doesn't?) and they will spend more if they think it is necessary to get the right quality and the right fit. I think the trying-on process proved to each girl that these ARE designer jeans - at everyday prices.

I loved watching each girl choose one or two pairs, head back to the Born to Fit(ting) rooms and come out to model their pick.



Looking good, huh? Born to Fit indeed!


Catwalking was not required, but everyone seemed happy to strike a pose.

I was the proud mama watching each girl squeal in delight to realize they fit in a smaller size, or could finally love a skinny jean!, or could even wear THOSE heels with the bootcut pair. I was proud to be able to show these girls the way. Thanks, Gap.

After the try-on session, we indulged in Giordano's thin crust pizza - a Chicago staple. Shopping works up an appetite! As an aside, I loved watching my friends, from all different circles or times of my life, mix and mingle together. All in the name of good jeans.

As the night wound down, I made sure each girl had gotten the pair of their dreams - and if not, I made sure to send them home with a Jeans certificate good for a pair of their choice at Gap. Some of the bootcut sizes were awfully long (not everyone in my life is, ahem, 5'12"), but most opted to take the pair and have them hemmed to just the right length - when they are free, it isn't much of a splurge!

Finally, each guest got to take a Born to Fit reusable tote bag for their goods - another great idea by Gap - and they were more than happy to mug for photos with 'em.



I may be born to blog, or boogie, or host parties, or tell long stories, or wear LONG jeans, or stay up late, or drink wine, or love Macs, or eat french fries, or miss Georgia...

But seriously?

My girls are Born to Fit in with one another.

Hugging their new friends, and clutching their new gifts, they embarked on the 59 steps down to leave for the night.




Thanks to all who attended, and especially to Justine from Brand About Town for allowing us the opportunity to try Gap's new jeans and enjoy one another. Check out the full set of pictures from the party here.

I certainly think we've proved to a lot of girls that Gap jeans are hip, cool, stylish, comfortable, sexy and made for every body. They are worth a second look if you've not been to Gap in awhile, and if you have, stop back in and check 'em out! You may never spend money on designer jeans again.

But wait! Don't go!

What's in it for you?

I have a contest. I have two prizes to award: a certificate for a FREE PAIR of Gap Jeans of your choice, and a $50 gift certificate for use at any Gap store.

What's the deal?

By Monday at 7 pm CT, tell me (in the comments) what YOU were born to do. I will choose, in a highly subjective, entirely random manner, the top two answers, and will re-post your answer in a special Born To blog next week, along with the prize announcements.

Ok. Got that?

What were YOU Born To do? Get creative. This isn't just "work." or "breathe." This has to be something CLEVER.

Jeans and Gap shopping is on the line, people!

All you blog lurkers (defined as those that visit but don't comment) are free to come out of the woodwork now! Thanks again Gap.

You and I? We're Born to Fit.