Abercrombie and Fitch does not want their brand on fat people

[FergieTCat]

Thank you! Sometimes it just isn't worth the points.

 

[dawnhaze]

I could have sworn this exact same topic was being discussed about 10 years ago? I remember going into A&F at my local mall when I turned 16, looking for jobs to apply for, and I was outright told by a manager that I was too fat to wear their clothes so I shouldn't even bother applying for the job. It's definitely not the only clothing chain where people feel this way, the CEO was just stupid enough to say it out loud where people could hear.

It makes me quite glad I've never cared about fashion, even as a teenager. I can buy jeans pretty much anywhere, and department stores sell better work attire anyhow.

 

[robinb]

But a size 10 today is really not a true size 10, it's more like an old sized 14/16, and once you get into size 18, that was Women's Department. So I can understand them stopping at 10.

You know what ... I am thoroughly sick of "vanity sizing" comments. It says: "Hey average-sized-12/14-woman ... DO YOU KNOW HOW FAT YOU REALLY ARE in "real" sizes from the 50's & 60's?" Who cares if a size "10" today would be a *gasp* 14 in the 50's? That was TWO generations ago. Let it go. Just listen to the CEO and you should be able to figure out why A&F stops at size 10 ... and it's not because a size 14 in the 50's is now a size 10.

 

[Sgt Mickey]

You know what ... I am thoroughly sick of "vanity sizing" comments. It says: "Hey average-sized-12/14-woman ... DO YOU KNOW HOW FAT YOU REALLY ARE in "real" sizes from the 50's & 60's?" Who cares if a size "10" today would be a *gasp* 14 in the 50's? That was TWO generations ago. Let it go. Just listen to the CEO and you should be able to figure out why A&F stops at size 10 ... and it's not because a size 14 in the 50's is now a size 10.

thank you I always think this.

 

[Liberty Belle]

And then there's this:

http://jezebel.com/5289492/abercrom...reroom-because-she-doesnt-fit-the-look-policy

Abercrombie "Banishes" Girl With Prosthetic Arm To Storeroom Because She Doesn't Fit The "Look Policy"

 

[suzanna1066@comcast.]

I don't care how cool my daughter is or wants to be but I will never, ever buy one stitch from A & F. I hope my child has the character to understand why when she reaches their target age.

The dumb CEO should have realized that offending the people with the money (parents) was a moronic thing to do.

 

[Ciao Mickey]

You know what ... I am thoroughly sick of "vanity sizing" comments. It says: "Hey average-sized-12/14-woman ... DO YOU KNOW HOW FAT YOU REALLY ARE in "real" sizes from the 50's & 60's?" Who cares if a size "10" today would be a *gasp* 14 in the 50's? That was TWO generations ago. Let it go. Just listen to the CEO and you should be able to figure out why A&F stops at size 10 ... and it's not because a size 14 in the 50's is now a size 10.

Whether you are sick of it or not, it's something that has been going on for decades and it's misleading.

And I don't know about you or anyone else, but it confuses me that as I've gained weight over the years, my clothing size keeps getting smaller. What size am I really?

Men don't have this problem.

As far as the CEO of A&F- he's a moron. Does anyone really care what he says or who he labels as cool? He looks like he sounds.

Like people have said, certain stores target certain buyers. If you don't like what he says, then don't buy from the store.

 

[StephMK]

I don't care how cool my daughter is or wants to be but I will never, ever buy one stitch from A & F. I hope my child has the character to understand why when she reaches their target age.

The dumb CEO should have realized that offending the people with the money (parents) was a moronic thing to do.

He looks slightly like Gary Busey and sounds almost as crazy.

ITA. My oldest could not fit in their clothes. She is 5'11" with birl girl curves. She couldn't fit in some other stores too and that's the way it goes sometimes. But for them to say the reason is about their image and being "cool" is just sad. She hated not being able to shop like her friends.

My younger DD does fit their target size and is tiny. But I hate that she is so proud of being "skinny" because that is so favored. She is too thin and all these messages that thin is best aren't helping. We try to emphasize being healthy, not super thin.

DS is normal size, would fit their clothes, but is not part of the "cool" crowd - his words. He is part of a close group of goofy gamer friends. How do they prevent the funny nerds from ruining their image?

Kids have to endure so many body image issues already, it's a shame that a retailer is knowingly contributing to those issues.

 

[robinb]

Whether you are sick of it or not, it's something that has been going on for decades and it's misleading.

And I don't know about you or anyone else, but it confuses me that as I've gained weight over the years, my clothing size keeps getting smaller. What size am I really?

Why is it "misleading"? What are you comparing today's sizes to that would make you say they are false? Sizes from 1950? 1960? 1970? They are what they are and it really doesn't matter what size the same measurements would be in the 1960's. And what is to say that today's sizing isn't the "real" sizing and the sizing from the 1950's was misleading large?

Men don't have this problem.

Sometimes they do. Although their sizing is generally measurements (pants is waist size and inseam length & dress shirts are collar and sleeve length) they still have fit variations like "European Cut" or "straight", "relaxed" or "skinny". I would bet that a grown man that would fit in a 32x32 "relaxed" cut pants may not fit in a 32x32 "skinny" cut pants because their butt or thighs may be bigger than the high school boy the jeans are marketed to. A European Cut shirt won't fit a man with a belly even through the neck and cuffs fit properly.

 

[LSmith]

He looks slightly like Gary Busey and sounds almost as crazy.

ITA. My oldest could not fit in their clothes. She is 5'11" with birl girl curves. She couldn't fit in some other stores too and that's the way it goes sometimes. But for them to say the reason is about their image and being "cool" is just sad. She hated not being able to shop like her friends.

My younger DD does fit their target size and is tiny. But I hate that she is so proud of being "skinny" because that is so favored. She is too thin and all these messages that thin is best aren't helping. We try to emphasize being healthy, not super thin.

DS is normal size, would fit their clothes, but is not part of the "cool" crowd - his words. He is part of a close group of goofy gamer friends. How do they prevent the funny nerds from ruining their image?

Kids have to endure so many body image issues already, it's a shame that a retailer is knowingly contributing to those issues.

Are you sure that your daughter is "too thin" or is this your standard of weight? I think we blame the wrong people for our weight issues. It's almost always friends and family commenting on the kids weight ("too heavy" or "too thin"). I don't think that the free market is as influential as people think. In other words, society sets the tone.

Many people are naturally thin or just eat to live not live to eat.

 

[sunshinehighway]

Why is it "misleading"? What are you comparing today's sizes to that would make you say they are false? Sizes from 1950? 1960? 1970? They are what they are and it really doesn't matter what size the same measurements would be in the 1960's. And what is to say that today's sizing isn't the "real" sizing and the sizing from the 1950's was misleading large?

Sometimes they do. Although their sizing is generally measurements (pants is waist size and inseam length & dress shirts are collar and sleeve length) they still have fit variations like "European Cut" or "straight", "relaxed" or "skinny". I would bet that a grown man that would fit in a 32x32 "relaxed" cut pants may not fit in a 32x32 "skinny" cut pants because their butt or thighs may be bigger than the high school boy the jeans are marketed to. A European Cut shirt won't fit a man with a belly even through the neck and cuffs fit properly.

The thing I don't understand with all the talk of vanity sizing is why does it matter? It seems like people often use it as a way to put other people down, like "well you are not really a 10. Its just vanity sizing. You are really a 14". Nobody ever seems to say "you're not really an 18. Its just vanity sizing. 30 years ago you would have been a 22". What difference does it make?

 

[Ember]

And then there's this:

http://jezebel.com/5289492/abercrombie-banishes-girl-with-prosthetic-arm-to-storeroom-because-she-doesnt-fit-the-look-policy

Abercrombie "Banishes" Girl With Prosthetic Arm To Storeroom Because She Doesn't Fit The "Look Policy"

I have no words for this. How anyone could shop there after learning about this company is beyond me. People may not care about what sizes a store chooses to stock. Or that they are sexist and discriminatory when it comes to women's vs. men's sizing. But this is just disgusting.

 

[WDW in Pearls]

Are you sure that your daughter is "too thin" or is this your standard of weight? I think we blame the wrong people for our weight issues. It's almost always friends and family commenting on the kids weight ("too heavy" or "too thin"). I don't think that the free market is as influential as people think. In other words, society sets the tone.

Many people are naturally thin or just eat to live not live to eat.

100% agree. I hate how people somehow think its okay criticize people for being "too skinny" (which isn't true half of the time anyway) but cry fowl whenever someone comments on someone being overweight. It goes both ways, and the pressures rarely come from the market or even society, but the people they surround themselves with daily.

 

[Pikester]

I've seen the term "vanity sizing" mentioned a few times on here and have found it interesting. Do you feel that vanity sizing plays a roll in how we see ourselves and feel about ourselves today? Is too much emphasis placed on that number that is found on the tag? "I'm not overweight if I'm wearing a size______ but if I'm in a size _____then I am".

I remember the big uproar in Hollywood about how thin and sickly some of the actresses were looking. The news rags had covers of actresses looking all skin and bones and proclaiming that they wear a size 0 or a size 2. I went through a period of time where I lost some weight and weighed around 128lbs. That is really thin for me and the sizes in what would be considered an "upper" clothing line (DNKY, etc found at TJMaxx) would not fit me. 2s were huge! I wasn't sick. I wasn't treating my body bad. I think those companies want women to buy there clothes so they have changed the way they size clothing. I think many women look a that number on the tag and want to be a certain size and if the clothing item fits, looks good and has a small number on it they will buy it.

 

[Colleen27]

And I don't know about you or anyone else, but it confuses me that as I've gained weight over the years, my clothing size keeps getting smaller. What size am I really?

Men don't have this problem.

You are whatever size fits in the clothes you want. I haven't experienced my size getting smaller as I get larger - quite the opposite, actually, as I'd have to be much smaller than I was when I wore a 9/10 in high school to get into a 9/10 from a company like A&F that targets a "skinny" market. I guess maybe I'm just not old enough to remember sizing that pre-dates so-called vanity sizing?

My younger DD does fit their target size and is tiny. But I hate that she is so proud of being "skinny" because that is so favored. She is too thin and all these messages that thin is best aren't helping. We try to emphasize being healthy, not super thin.

My DD is that way too and it has opened my eyes to just how messed up our culture is in terms of body image. She's very thin, right at the border between underweight and normal on the BMI scale, and being that small there aren't many brands she can't wear (there are some... because they don't make 00s or 0s and 1s are too big). But you know what? Even being naturally tiny isn't "good enough" - she worries about her weight, has talked about dieting, etc. just like every other girl her age. Her first response to developing hips and breasts wasn't "I'm growing up" - it was "I'm getting fat".

Are you sure that your daughter is "too thin" or is this your standard of weight? I think we blame the wrong people for our weight issues. It's almost always friends and family commenting on the kids weight ("too heavy" or "too thin"). I don't think that the free market is as influential as people think. In other words, society sets the tone.

Many people are naturally thin or just eat to live not live to eat.

Friends and family comment directly, but the image of beauty that we internalize comes from a much broader base. Look at what is held out as beautiful to our girls, even from a young age. You don't have to look far... Heck, Disney even gave Merida - the first princess with a realistic rather than idealized body type - a makeover before officially crowning her a princess. Now she's got a Barbie-tiny waist and Marilyn Monroe curves rather than being the girl-next-door tomboy that her character was in the movie. We got in the car one morning to a couple of DJs talking about how fat Jennifer Lawrence looked in her gown at some awards show. Girls do internalize all of these things, even moreso sometimes than the opinions of family and friends (which are easy to write off as "Of course you think I'm pretty, you're my mom/dad/grandparent/best friend").

And I think the "eat to live, not live to eat" theme is way off the mark. I think a big part of the problem with American diets is that we do "eat to live"... in the sense that preparing and consuming food are given all the time and attention of an unpleasant chore. We aren't fat because we "live to eat" and enjoy fine culinary experiences; we're fat because "eating to live" has come to mean wolfing down prepared, convenience, or fast foods in between more important or more enjoyable tasks.

 

[StephMK]

Are you sure that your daughter is "too thin" or is this your standard of weight? I think we blame the wrong people for our weight issues. It's almost always friends and family commenting on the kids weight ("too heavy" or "too thin"). I don't think that the free market is as influential as people think. In other words, society sets the tone.

Many people are naturally thin or just eat to live not live to eat.

Yes, per her doc, she classed her as "underweight" and should gain some pounds. She is at the very bottom of the weight chart for her age/height.

My DD is that way too and it has opened my eyes to just how messed up our culture is in terms of body image. She's very thin, right at the border between underweight and normal on the BMI scale, and being that small there aren't many brands she can't wear (there are some... because they don't make 00s or 0s and 1s are too big). But you know what? Even being naturally tiny isn't "good enough" - she worries about her weight, has talked about dieting, etc. just like every other girl her age. Her first response to developing hips and breasts wasn't "I'm growing up" - it was "I'm getting fat".

Friends and family comment directly, but the image of beauty that we internalize comes from a much broader base. Look at what is held out as beautiful to our girls, even from a young age. You don't have to look far... Heck, Disney even gave Merida - the first princess with a realistic rather than idealized body type - a makeover before officially crowning her a princess. Now she's got a Barbie-tiny waist and Marilyn Monroe curves rather than being the girl-next-door tomboy that her character was in the movie. We got in the car one morning to a couple of DJs talking about how fat Jennifer Lawrence looked in her gown at some awards show. Girls do internalize all of these things, even moreso sometimes than the opinions of family and friends (which are easy to write off as "Of course you think I'm pretty, you're my mom/dad/grandparent/best friend").

And I think the "eat to live, not live to eat" theme is way off the mark. I think a big part of the problem with American diets is that we do "eat to live"... in the sense that preparing and consuming food are given all the time and attention of an unpleasant chore. We aren't fat because we "live to eat" and enjoy fine culinary experiences; we're fat because "eating to live" has come to mean wolfing down prepared, convenience, or fast foods in between more important or more enjoyable tasks.

Exactly, and that's why I'm concerned. I've seen how much my older DD has struggled with being heavier than her friends. Now I'm seeing how much younger DD enjoys the attention of being "super small" and fear if/when she reaches a normal weight, she is going to have a hard time accepting that change. Body image is such a huge issue and I hate how much it affects the way kids (and adults) view themselves and their peers.

 

[JapanNerd]

The last time I wore anything Abercrombie and Fitch was when I was in 7th Grade. I'm 22 now and a size 16. Before any of you take a crack at me for my weight, yes I am working on losing all that weight. Point being. I don't see what is with people and their obsession with being size 0. I understand the standard of wanting to be a healthy weight. But honestly, it's too harmful to have the mentality of being size 0. I understand if some women are just that way. My friend is very thin as well. But she doesn't obsess over being constantly thin. I think the idea of being skinny is too stupid. I want to lose weight for my health. Especially considering my family's history of health issues. I don't want to wear Abercrombie and Fitch, because honestly... their clothing are tacky and meant for people trying to impress other people. I wear whatever I think looks cute on me. I don't worry about name brand stuff. It's just too silly.

 

[okeydokey]

Saw a video online today of a guy passing out A & F clothes to a bunch of homeless guys on the street.

 

[JapanNerd]

Saw a video online today of a guy passing out A & F clothes to a bunch of homeless guys on the street.

Awww, that's nice of him. Especially considering how expensive it is.

 

[powellrj]

Awww, that's nice of him. Especially considering how expensive it is.

He bought them at Goodwill.