J.Crew and Gap both took big steps this week to turn long-hyped but little-seen comeback efforts into clothes that people can actually buy. At J.Crew, it was the debut collection of menswear creative director Brendon Babenzien. For Gap, it was the retail rollout of its collaboration with Yeezy and Balenciaga.
The two brands have a similar backstory: each had a charmed run where they defined how millions of people dressed for much of the 1990s…