Once, I nearly bought my step-daughter a gift card for Abercrombie and Fitch. As of this moment that company is off my radar forever more, and here is why.
I don’t give a tinker’s damn about their super-sexy catalogues that look more like Maxim Magazine. They’re targeting the youth market and that’s how it goes. Sex sells. Whatever. But their CEO has further illuminated his business philosophy and it stinks. A and F doesn’t carry anything bigger than a L in women’s clothing. Their largest pant size is 10. 10! The average female size in North America is 14. Even H and M goes up to size 16. But CEO Mike Jeffries doesn’t want “fat chicks” buying his brand. (Men’s sizes go up to XXL because he wants big male athletes in his stuff.)
Late last year I wrote about Mike – I’m sorry, Michael Jeffries’ demands while on his personal plane. Now there’s a new book out called The New Rules of Retail and in it, the author says Jeffries only wants the hot and cool kids buying his clothing and being seen in it. He doesn’t want regular, ordinary kids as customers. Just the elite. Jeffries himself told Salon, ‘A lot of people don’t belong in our clothes, and they can’t belong. Are we exclusionary? Absolutely. Those companies that are in trouble are trying to target everybody: young, old, fat, skinny. But then you become totally vanilla. You don’t alienate anybody, but you don’t excite anybody, either.”
It should be noted that Jeffries, a 68-year-old who sports a plastic-surgery-face and lives a Peter Pan lifestyle, is one of the top 10 highest paid CEOs in the US. His approach is working. And it’s working because it feeds on the insecurities and inherent shallowness of teenagers and very young adults. I used to think it was harder in my growing up years because we didn’t have as many good role models or access to them. But I think I was wrong. It’s harder now with more pressure, 24/7, right in your hand on a smartphone. Jeffries I wish you business failure and a thyroid illness that bloats your middle to Fat Albert proportions that no amount of diuretics or exercise can eliminate. But I have a feeling you never were one of the cool kids and that’s what you’re trying desperately to become now, as you approach the age of 70. It’s too bad the customers don’t know any better, but their parents and step-parents do.
Let’s end this on a high note, shall we? A Ryerson fashion communication student has launched a new online magazine called Dare. It’s about and for curvier women size 12-plus, who are not depicted in mainstream fashion publications unless it’s a one page feature that’s titled something like, “look at this giant and yet somehow she’s still kind of pretty!” Remember, size 14 is AVERAGE. But I digress. I wish the creators of Dare much success. You can visit them HERE.