Every time I walk into American Apparel I look around and this is what I see:
1. Basic cotton clothing items
2. Price tags that scream "Yes, we're over charging you but, let's face it...we can get away with it."
3. Unassumingly attractive youth decked out in hipster gear (i.e. AA clothing and sometimes even, what I like to call, the "hipster headband")
4. Models reminiscent of the kiddie porn images Calvin Klein got in so much trouble for in the 90s
Now, don't get me wrong, this is not a "holier than thou" entry. As I write this I am wearing an American Apparel hoodie, which I do like very much; I just don't know why I paid way more than what it's worth for it and I don't know how I feel about supporting this company and its image anymore.
When it first opened I liked it because everything is made in the USA sans-sweatshops, and the models had normal bodies (like the kind that make anyone think they could model.) It felt different: basic, normal, laid back. There was no hype, but now it's all hype! What really gets to me though are the pictures all around the store. It's all girls with their legs spread open, or with shirts showing their breasts (or just take a look at the image I posted. Does anyone
really like their socks that much?) The male models aren't any better, they look drugged out and have their pants/AA briefs slung super low. I can't say I know how it makes men feel, but I know that as a woman I just think: "For real? Do you have to make her look like that/do that?" I almost feel cheated by American Apparel. I thought when they had healthy looking models it was an "upgrade" for women and fashion, but now it's just overly sexual...so what difference does it make? We're still being objectified, and sex may very well be what sells those simple hoodies and t-shirts (oh, and the shiny gold spandex.) Sex seems to sell almost anything these days, I just wonder when I'll stop supporting it.
