Bastard Barracuda

[Pictured: Gap Barracuda Jacket available for $79.50.]

Sorry for the excessively harsh title, but what can I say...I am a slave for alliteration.  My brother just put me on to this new offering from Gap and at the very least it is an interesting take on the original Baracuta jacket.  I won't deny that this is pretty much a straight steeze bite on Gap's part, but with the price (and just flat out coolness) of the original I can't really blame them.  Baractua rip-offs are nothing new, but this is by far one of the better ones I have seen.  The details aren't really all there, but according to my brother, who ended up buying one, the jacket is pretty awesome in person.  This version apparently swaps out the traditional plaid lining for something of the cotton/chambray variety, which is a nice way to try and differentiate itself.  Also of note is the zippered detachable collar, though I am not sure why anyone would want to change up a pretty essential detail to the whole jacket.

While the original is something that has been on my wishlist for a long time I am not sure if I can find it in myself to drop the coin usually required to snag one of these.  Even scouring the annals of eBay will still turn up some pretty pricey numbers so this might be the way to go.  For whatever reason (saving a shred of credibility?) Gap decided against producing a firetruck red version, which would normally be my first choice as far as colorways are concerned.  The Gap jacket comes in both a khaki and navy version and could easily be your go to outerwear in the moderate temperatures of both fall and spring.  I guess at the end of the day while this jacket is the red headed step child of a classic it doesn't necessarily deserve to be handcuffed to the furnace in the basement.

-L.A.S