One more reason I hate Abercrombie and Fitch

[Mermaid02]

Ahhhhh the dumbing down of teenage girls- gotta love it.

 

[Twinkles6892]

Wow, that is an amazing story. I mostly shop at their outlet and have never, ever been treated that way. The one thing that I really *do* like is that when I'm shopping, the salespeople don't constantly try to talk to me or my DD as they do in the other stores. Frankly, American Eagle salespeople drive me nuts. They are standing in the front of the store in their little "gang" and when you walk in, they all chime "Hi, Welcome to American Eagle, can we help you find something?" Well, no I say, I'm just looking. "Okay, well let us know if you need anything and don't forget to look at our relaxed fit, flared-leg, distressed, antiqued, acid wash jeans, which are 25 cents off today?" Okay...

Then as I shop, each and every salesperson is trying to "help" me as I stumble across them through the store. One day, when I was leaving, a girl shouted to me: "Awwww, you didn't find ANYTHING you wanted to buy today?" No, I was just looking. "Really, nothing?" Then I said "No, I didn't see ONE THING that appealed to me (jokingly, of course)" She looked highly insulted and I said "Just kidding." My DD was mortified and told me I had "hurt their feelings."

But when you do need something, a size from the back, to try something on, you don't feel stupid going to ask them to help you. Because that's what they're there to do, help you. Not to sit around giggling with other coworkers or douse the store with perfume a million times a day.

I <3 AE.

ETA: I have never had them once mention that something was on sale, unless it was like "All graphic tee's ar 25% off today" Something that would really influence my buy.

 

[Nancy]

Wow, that is an amazing story. I mostly shop at their outlet and have never, ever been treated that way. The one thing that I really *do* like is that when I'm shopping, the salespeople don't constantly try to talk to me or my DD as they do in the other stores. Frankly, American Eagle salespeople drive me nuts. They are standing in the front of the store in their little "gang" and when you walk in, they all chime "Hi, Welcome to American Eagle, can we help you find something?" Well, no I say, I'm just looking. "Okay, well let us know if you need anything and don't forget to look at our relaxed fit, flared-leg, distressed, antiqued, acid wash jeans, which are 25 cents off today?" Okay...

Then as I shop, each and every salesperson is trying to "help" me as I stumble across them through the store. One day, when I was leaving, a girl shouted to me: "Awwww, you didn't find ANYTHING you wanted to buy today?" No, I was just looking. "Really, nothing?" Then I said "No, I didn't see ONE THING that appealed to me (jokingly, of course)" She looked highly insulted and I said "Just kidding." My DD was mortified and told me I had "hurt their feelings."

Now when I go in A&F, they are just quietly folding their bazillions of thin T-shirts. Sometimes they will "nod" at me if I make eye contact, but they NEVER approach me. And I've never had a problem at the register. They are always super-friendly. But, this is the outlet which is not in a "ritzy" mall by any means.

I may just have to head over to the Tyson's Corner, VA store and see if they will mistreat me.

Wow, I have never had that experience at American Eagle and that is my 15 year olds favorite store, so we go there a lot. We pretty much get left alone when we shop there. Actually the only place where I get a greeting at the door and numerous times while in the store is The Disney Store.

 

[scanne]

he flat out state he doesn't make clothes for "chunky" people.

But what about those people who aren't the skinniest and squeeze themselves into the skinny clothes?

I am not in any way putting down the more curvacious, NORMAL size people - as I am one of those and could never, EVER wear A&C clothes. BUT, there are plenty of tweens and teens that don't have that guidance to help them choose something flattering and they end up buying what's in style and don't look that great in the clothes they choose. Maybe it's a case of mom or dad giving them money and dropping them at the mall and letting them shop on their own?

 

[Christine]

Wow, I have never had that experience at American Eagle and that is my 15 year olds favorite store, so we go there a lot. We pretty much get left alone when we shop there. Actually the only place where I get a greeting at the door and numerous times while in the store is The Disney Store.

Happens all the time at *my* store.

 

[florida-again]

It's bad enough they don't make anything larger than an XXXXXXXXXXXS, but now they need to rub it in people's face who can't shop there?

(To be read in your best bimbo voice...)
I like totally don't get what the problem is? This shirt is totally awesome. Isn't that like the point of fat people? If a fat person wants to stand next to me and I looked even hotter than usual then that like totally serves them right. They just totally shouldn't like eat so much right?

 

[JuliaEeyore]

Wow, I liked A&F better when their target market was preppy sportsmen and safari people. Anyone remember that?

I do! I had cute, simple khaki cargo shorts, and madras plaid button downs... a cute blue and white flowered shirt... and I'm not petite! The clothes were once sized normally and fit a range of normal people!

I admit, I haven't set foot in an A&F since probably 1997... nor SEEN one... I guess a lot has changed.

 

[phisigprincess]

This issue is actually pretty big here in Pittsburgh right now. Here's the article.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05311/601854.stm

 

[Maleficent13]

I find it interesting (and this is not a flame, just an observation) that the poster who says they currently work for A&F has yet to refute any negative thing anyone has said as of yet, including how they are instructed to ignore the "not so pretty".

 

[damo]

Do you take offense to this t-shirt as well?

How dare JC Penney claim that big people are better than small people.

 

[Maleficent13]

I don't know that I "take offense" at any of them, but they're all tacky, including the one from Penney's.

I would take more offense over being mistreated by the store staff than I would by anything the store sold. Guess that's why I don't shop at A&F.

 

[damo]

I have never been mistreated by store staff. They have always helped when I have asked and gone out of their way to look for sizes and sale items in the back. I have definitely been approached by salespeople to see if they could help me find a size. I don't find service any different here than any other store and the place smells wonderful.

 

[PneumaticTransit]

 

[PneumaticTransit]

(Brunettes never get caught - we're smarter than blondes)

 

[ducklite]

Wow, I have never had that experience at American Eagle and that is my 15 year olds favorite store, so we go there a lot. We pretty much get left alone when we shop there. Actually the only place where I get a greeting at the door and numerous times while in the store is The Disney Store.

We had such a poor experience with American Eagle 13 years ago with a pair of shoes that literally fell apart off my DH's feet the first day he was wearing them that we haven't stepped foot in the place since. BTW--it wasn't that the shoes fell apart, it was the way the return was handled.

Anne

 

[ducklite]

But what about those people who aren't the skinniest and squeeze themselves into the skinny clothes?

You've seen the muffin tops. Not only does it bother me that these teenage girls have their bellies hanging out over the tops of their jeans with cropped tee's on, but even more so it bugs me that they are overweight to begin with because in most cases they eat garbage diets and don't excercise. Twenty five years ago when I was in high school we didn't have near the obesity problem among teens that we are seeing now, and it's entirely due to poor diet and lack of excercise.

Anne

 

[Missamoncus]

Nobody in my family ( including my size 0 stepdaughter ) has shopped at A & F since they did a slogan shirt five or so years ago that said " Two Wongs Will make it White " with a very offensive cartoon of two Asians working in a Chinese Laundry . We have a beautiful daughter we adopted from China and found it incredibly offensive. So did many others and after pressure from the Asian and adoptive communities they pulled the shirt and another that had a similarly offensive cartoon of rickshaw races. The mangements response was , " We had no idea people would find this so offensive . " I'll bet.


Melissa