Chaps

Shop Chaps

The Chaps brand is one of the many subsidiary lines owned and manufactured by the Ralph Lauren Corporation. These clothes are sold exclusively at a number of department stores across the country, including Kohl's, Belk, Bonton, and Stage. Lauren's fashion empire began in 1968, when the designer created his first line of ties under the Polo label. After finding quick success, the new Ralph Lauren Corporation began to diversify its offerings so that they included a variety of clothes for both men and women. Additionally, Lauren licensed out his name to a number of other manufacturers and retail outlets.

The 1980s symbolized the height of the Ralph Lauren movement, and the company grew exponentially during that decade. After going public in the late '90s, the manufacturer began spinning off several of its lines into unique brands, including Lauren, Polo, Club Monaco, and Chaps. In addition to apparel, the company's many divisions also specialize in home décor, footwear, fragrances, and furniture. Today, the Chaps brand is available in more than 1,200 Kohl's stores as well as 300 Belk locations, 275 Bonton department stores, and 850 Stage Stores (which operate under the names of Bealls, Palais Royal, Goody's, Stage, and Peebles).

Babies & Kids Merchandise

Products

Chaps' line of clothing for babies and kids is currently only sold at Kohl's. Products for babies (aged 0-24 months) include coveralls, bodysuits, and rompers for both genders. You'll also find tops like polos and button-down shirts for boys as well as jumpers and dresses for girls. Jeans, leggings, and shorts are among the most popular bottoms for babies.

The Chaps kids' collection includes a much wider selection of clothes--most of which fall within the prep style. The boys' category features garments like dress pants, pleated shorts, blazers, oxford shirts, polos, and full suits. It also includes a few more casual options such as logo tees and hoodies. You can choose among accessories like ties, belts, and suspenders to round out these outfits. For girls, you'll find dresses, cardigans, pleated skirts, tunics, rompers, and more. Chaps also puts a major emphasis on school uniforms for both genders. Plain polos, shorts, slacks, sweaters, skirts, vests, and more are available individually and sold as sets that you can mix and match for a little variety. These clothes are designed to blend in rather than standing out, and they fit the uniform requirements of most prep schools.

Swap.com's Rating of Chaps

Most parents will have specific occasions or purposes in mind when shopping for Chaps clothes--whether it's to send your little one off to cotillion or to help build up his or her school wardrobe. The brand offers semiformal and formal styles at a relatively affordable price (often made even more budget-friendly because stores like Kohl's tend to feature frequent sales). The quality of these clothes isn't going to match other Ralph Lauren brands, but these outfits will certainly still be comfortable and durable enough for your child to wear frequently. Clothes are available in several different colors and patterns, so you can give your tot some freedom to pick out favorites. On the whole, we give Chaps 4.5 stars out of 5.

Women's Merchandise

Products

The Chaps women's collection runs the gamut from everyday casualwear to dresses for special occasions. Tops include short-, long-, and three-quarter-sleeved tees, henleys, and thermals. You'll also find a range of sweaters, cardigans, vests, and hoodies. Casual button-down shirts are available in plaid and other prints. Chaps bottoms include corduroys, twill pants, yoga pants, slacks, and a relatively limited selection of jeans. In addition to buying individual pieces, Chaps also gives you the option of shopping for full outfits--known as "Chaps Looks." These sets of garments might combine pants or a skirt with a number of layered tops so that you can achieve a specific style without trying to figure out what items go together. In terms of formalwear, you'll also find a number of cocktail dresses and evening gowns.

Swimwear is another category of women's clothing, and it includes one-piece swimsuits in addition to bikinis. The brand doesn't have much in the way of intimates, but it does offer a number of different sleepwear options--mostly knit or satin pajama sets. Beyond clothing, you'll find accessories like scarves and belts as well as a jewelry selection that includes bracelets, earrings, necklaces, and more. Purses and handbags are available in a number of different sizes and designs to complement your outfits.

Swap.com's Rating of Chaps

While the Chaps collection of apparel and accessories for women is certainly designed to be worn casually, the line has a certain air of elegance that separates it from other everyday wear. Echoing its Ralph Lauren influence, Chaps achieves a look that is almost preppy without being stuffy, and these clothes are perfect for a casual workplace or for women who want their daily outfits to simply make them look a little more grown up. Though the clothes are trendy, they aren't overly flashy, so even options like formal gowns won't cross the line into being too bold. One admirable trait of the Chaps women's line is the fact that it offers so many designs in plus sizes without sacrificing style. The brand treats women of all shapes and sizes with equal respect and endeavors to make them all feel beautiful. We give Chaps 4.5 out of 5 stars.