American Apparel Is The New Talbots

American Apparel Skirts and Lace

It looks like American Apparel is making a radical new style shift that leans more favorably towards high school villains from eighties teen movies than neon baby hooker. Cool I guess? But they also have an employee ban on tattoos, heavy facial hair and all indicators of "alternative lifestyles" or cocaine habits. Take a look at their new style book which some brave informant passed on to Gawker. (Seriously - Dov Charney threatened to sue the shit out of whomever's been leaking their new hiring policies.)

What's with the complete overhaul? A few ideas:

The brightly-colored workout outfit look can only go on for so long
AA is trying to legitimize its presence in fashion (by co-opting Ralph Lauren 1985, apparently)
Charney is trying to resurrect the corpse of Ronald Reagan
Charney wants to sleep with real models now
No one wants to see dudes' pits anymore
Tennis skirts are always favorable
The badass/nerd dichotomy is getting too hard to pull off anymore, so they've just gone full nerd

Comments ( 9 )

I am so tired of AA. I can't wait until they go under.

Bealzebub commented on Jun 25 10 at 4:04 pm

does that mean talbots will be the new AA? or what about charlotte russe? neon blouses with ruffles!

noodlekid commented on Jun 25 10 at 4:10 pm

F*ck AA. It's a pseudogap for pseudohipsters.

noodlekid commented on Jun 25 10 at 4:14 pm

That it is now cool to denigrate the only major company producing affordable clothing in the U.S., much less downtown L.A., is so sad. Even if you don't like the personalities or the aesthetic, then you should at the very least appreciate that this business is hiring thousands of people who needs jobs and is treating them humanely in a city and country that desperately needs jobs and humane business practices.

Ian commented on Jun 25 10 at 10:53 pm

i completely agree with ian. it is WAY too hard to buy clothes that weren't made in a sweatshop...i'm glad AA offers some options, even if i don't always go for their style.

md commented on Jun 26 10 at 12:55 am

@Ian and md, I agree with you -- what AA does in terms of its business structure is commendable. But that doesn't mean you must give it a pass on its own discriminatory style rules. Support their successes, yes, but that shouldn't mean you can't point out the areas in which they can still improve. It's simply holding them to their own progressive standard.

JamesBradyRyan commented on Jun 26 10 at 2:00 am

Is it progressive to refuse to stock some styles in sizes above a 6?

Name commented on Jun 27 10 at 11:42 am

yeah, if you no one buys them and you realize that you'd lose (even) more money by making them then by not making them

name2 commented on Jun 27 10 at 1:35 pm

then = than

American Apparel Is The New Talbots

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