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AT ABERCROMBIE AND FITCH, SEX SELLS
By Jasmine Caccamo
Abercrombie and Fitch’s controversial advertising campaign uses sex appeal, attractive employees and models wearing close to nothing in order to sell its clothing line.
Abercrombie and Fitch has been a major retail proprietor since 1892. It began as a camping and outdoors store, and gradually turned into a major clothing chain. Its clothes exemplify what it is to be comfortable. However, during the past few years Abercrombie has come up with a better way of selling their clothes, sex.
Inside the pages of the Quarterly, Abercrombie and Fitch’s magazine, which includes pictures of nude individuals wearing hardly anything but the clothing the store is selling, stands grounds for many to boycott the store. Although one cannot purchase this magazine under the age of 18, many people feel that Abercrombie and Fitch is sending the wrong image to today’s youths.
Ted Moran, Manager of Walt Whitman Abercrombie and Fitch, feels that it is solely based on the person shopping in the store, whether to expose themselves to this material or not.
“I think it is funny,” said Moran, adding, “There is nothing they can do about the material Abercrombie is using as marketing, and there is nothing the employee’s can do about it. Customers just keep coming back into the store and shopping, but complaining. If you don’t like our store, and how we are running it, then don’t shop here.”
Abercrombie targets college students, usually ages 18-24. In doing so, the company will hire the best-looking, young individuals to represent the store. In turn, they are named brand representatives rather than sales associates. Representatives of Abercrombie feel that dressing employees in the latest styles will help entice customers to buy the clothes.
Kevin Ramstack, District Manager of Abercrombie and Fitch’s Long Island and Manhattan stores, said that the way Abercrombie markets their stores is beneficial.
“We use good looking people to attract customers because we want to show our clothes off. Basically, we want to make the clothes look good. One is more likely to notice a skirt and a sweater on an attractive, unique looking girl, rather than an everyday Joe Schmo. For people to think that the clothes look good on others and by making them attractive, customers feel they will have that appeal also,” said Ramstack.By using employee’s dress to help sell clothing, working at Abercrombie sometimes serves as the launch pad for young modeling careers. Managers will send their most attractive employee’s to auditions for Abercrombie & Fitch Television, which is an Abercrombie filmed show that airs only in the stores. In addition, they hold photo shoots for the Quarterly.
Rosaria Scichilone, secretary for the Town of Islip, also, an avid shopper at Abercrombie and Fitch, feels the customer should decide what they choose to be subjected to.
“In today’s society, sex sells. Nobody is forcing you to shop Abercrombie. Although I don’t agree with the material they are putting in the catalog’s and on the walls, this has nothing to do with the quality of merchandise,” said Scichilone. “I buy the clothes, and I leave.”
There have been many groups, especially on the Internet, put together by men and women boycotting Abercrombie & Fitch. These individuals feel that Abercrombie is not just out to sell clothing, but promiscuity as well.
Valerie Achkanian, a senior at Fairfield University, boycotts Abercrombie & Fitch. In addition, she has also started her own online boycott of the Abercrombie stores.
“By boycotting Abercrombie, and enticing people not to shop there, it gives a sense of reality to some people. Abercrombie is not reality. The world is not based on who has the skinniest bodies, or who has the least clothing,” says Achkanian. “Abercrombie is selling sex, and deceiving today’s youth’s of what our lives are really about. I started my website in order to make people aware of Abercrombie’s other message. The message of superficiality.”
Abercrombie & Fitch is aware that some people are boycotting its clothing line, however, are not deterred by it. Boycotter’s will place business cards in the pockets of pants and skirts claiming the deception of the Abercrombie line of clothing, or false advertisement and such. Despite these attempts to stop Abercrombie & Fitch’s loyal customers, it does not.
In today’s fashion society, young men and women look to magazines as a sense of style, and individuality. That is exactly what Abercrombie & Fitch is doing, expressing their sense of individuality. This sense of individuality is what separates them from any other clothing store today.