(I try not to get on my soap box very often, but I read an article this morning that struck a cord with me. Please bare with me if I begin to ramble.)
I do not hide it that I have been a "bigger boned" girl my entire life. There were times during my younger years that I really struggled with it internally, but as I have gotten older (and wiser) I have accepted my uniqueness and went on with my life.
As a teenage girl, I went with my friends to the mall. Of course, many of them were shopping at Abercrombie and Fitch. They could fit into the small sizes that A&F market. If you ask me that awful strong cologne smell always got to me. For many years I tried my hardest to squeeze into some size Large A&F clothes. Some of the t-shirts had suggestive sayings, and since all my thinner friends were wearing them I thought I needed to as well. Of course none of these clothes made me feel good about myself because I always felt like I needed to suck it in.
Recently, the CEO of Abercrombie and Fitch, Mitch Jefferies has made statements against "large women shoppers" at A&F. He has also made comments that A&F hires "good looking" people to work at their sale, and that is who they market to. Stating, "We don't market to anything other than that." According to A&F, fat chicks will never be apart of the "in crowd." I thought I did just fine.
Perhaps even more disturbing is that Jefferies doesn't think he has said or done anything wrong.
These comments have obviously struck a cord with shoppers, both male and female alike. Which, I, too was bothered by. With the amount of bullying that goes on in our society - no person should be made to feel bad about themselves - ESPECIALLY from a clothing company. Our schools and society are hard enough to live in with the amount of negativity, peer pressure, and stereotypes that surround us. No clothing company has the right to make a person feel bad about themselves. I personally think that shows the improper morals and down right meanness that the company and the CEO possess.
In the article I read it named Jefferies as one of the bravest and most successful brand builders. Because he sells sex and skinny. If these are the two things that you think you need to be pushing to teenagers than maybe you have some moral problems personally and professionally. Abercrombie and Fitch is known for their scandalous advertisements with naked to semi-naked models.
I could encourage you to not shop at Abercrombie and Fitch, but it really is not my business. I would just ask before you do go shopping or walk into their store you think about the morals of their company, and what they are teaching our youth today.
(I hope my soap box wasn't too high)
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