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Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Explains Why He Hates Fat Chicks

kenny

Super_Ideal_Rock
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I'm going to boycott A&F after reading this article from www.elitedaily.com,, "The Voice of Generation-Y" ...

Anyone who’s been to Abercrombie & Fitch in the last few years has probably noticed that they don’t carry XL or XXL sizes of women’s clothing because they don’t want overweight women wearing their brand.

According to this popular teen clothing retailer, fat chicks will just never be a part of the “in” crowd.

They take a big risk with this tactic because two of Abercrombie’s biggest competitors, H&M and American Eagle, both offer XXL sizes for men and women.

The largest women’s pants available at Abercrombie are a size 10, while H&M goes up to 16 and American Eagle goes even farther to 18.
Abercrombie’s attitude towards plus-sized women derives from CEO Mike Jeffries. Robin Lewis, author of The New Rules of Retail, spoke to Business Insider about the kind of people Jeffries wants advertising his brand.

“He doesn’t want larger people shopping in his store, he wants thin and beautiful people,” Lewis said. “He doesn’t want his core customers to see people who aren’t as hot as them wearing his clothing. People who wear his clothing should feel like they’re one of the ‘cool kids.’”
Lewis said that the only reason Abercrombie offers XL and XXL in men’s sizes is to appeal to large athletes.

In a 2006 interview with Salon, Jeffries confirmed that the communication between hot people is his primary marketing tactic.

“It’s almost everything. That’s why we hire good-looking people in our stores. Because good-looking people attract other good-looking people, and we want to market to cool, good-looking people. We don’t market to anyone other than that,” he said.

Jeffries also told Salon that he wasn’t bothered by excluding fat people. In fact, he said that not limiting his ideal demographic would make his clothing less desirable.

“In every school there are the cool and popular kids, and then there are the not-so-cool kids,” he told the site. “Candidly, we go after the cool kids. We go after the attractive all-American kid with a great attitude and a lot of friends. 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,” he told Salon.
One might wonder why Mike Jeffries only wants to be in the company of good-looking people. That curiosity will end after seeing what this freak looks like.

After seeing a picture of Mike Jeffries, it can only be concluded that he was never around good-looking people as a kid and is now making up for the glamorous youth he wishes he had.

http://elitedaily.com/news/world/abercrombie-fitch-ceo-explains-why-he-hates-fat-chicks/
 
Oh and here's the sexy cool-looking A&F CEO passing judgement on the fat chicks.

mike-jeffries-ceo-af.jpg
 
Humph. I can't stand the noise and the overly perfumed stench when I've been in w my DD, but now, even more of a reason to avoid this guys store.

How rude. But I'm old and inclusive--crazy me! :roll:
 
:lol: :lol: :lol: BIFF!!
 
His clothing is cheap quality overpriced cr**.
 
kenny|1368154496|3443819 said:
Oh and here's the sexy cool-looking A&F CEO passing judgement on the fat chicks.

Well at least in this picture he's staying true to his belief and wearing Adidas rather than A&F :bigsmile:
 
Everything about A & F is just embarrassing and trying-too-hard. I also noticed that Jeffries made these comments in a 2006 interview? I guess A & F was still relevant back then. Curious, though, why this is being brought up again in 2013...
ETA: not why it's being brought up HERE on PS, but why this particular article was written about it recently. It was showing up like mad on my FB feed a few days ago as well.
 
kenny|1368154234|3443813 said:
I'm going to boycott A&F after reading this article from www.elitedaily.com,,, "The Voice of Generation-Y" ...

Anyone who’s been to Abercrombie & Fitch in the last few years has probably noticed that they don’t carry XL or XXL sizes of women’s clothing because they don’t want overweight women wearing their brand.

According to this popular teen clothing retailer, fat chicks will just never be a part of the “in” crowd.

They take a big risk with this tactic because two of Abercrombie’s biggest competitors, H&M and American Eagle, both offer XXL sizes for men and women.

The largest women’s pants available at Abercrombie are a size 10, while H&M goes up to 16 and American Eagle goes even farther to 18.
Abercrombie’s attitude towards plus-sized women derives from CEO Mike Jeffries. Robin Lewis, author of The New Rules of Retail, spoke to Business Insider about the kind of people Jeffries wants advertising his brand.

“He doesn’t want larger people shopping in his store, he wants thin and beautiful people,” Lewis said. “He doesn’t want his core customers to see people who aren’t as hot as them wearing his clothing. People who wear his clothing should feel like they’re one of the ‘cool kids.’”
Lewis said that the only reason Abercrombie offers XL and XXL in men’s sizes is to appeal to large athletes.

In a 2006 interview with Salon, Jeffries confirmed that the communication between hot people is his primary marketing tactic.

“It’s almost everything. That’s why we hire good-looking people in our stores. Because good-looking people attract other good-looking people, and we want to market to cool, good-looking people. We don’t market to anyone other than that,” he said.

Jeffries also told Salon that he wasn’t bothered by excluding fat people. In fact, he said that not limiting his ideal demographic would make his clothing less desirable.

“In every school there are the cool and popular kids, and then there are the not-so-cool kids,” he told the site. “Candidly, we go after the cool kids. We go after the attractive all-American kid with a great attitude and a lot of friends. 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,” he told Salon.
One might wonder why Mike Jeffries only wants to be in the company of good-looking people. That curiosity will end after seeing what this freak looks like.

After seeing a picture of Mike Jeffries, it can only be concluded that he was never around good-looking people as a kid and is now making up for the glamorous youth he wishes he had.

http://elitedaily.com/news/world/abercrombie-fitch-ceo-explains-why-he-hates-fat-chicks/

I am the mom of a skinny (size zero) popular athletic teenage daughter who has begged me in the past to buy abercrombie clothes for her because every else at school has them. She is exactly the customer he wants based on this article. And this article is exactly WHY I have not bought their stuff for her. I think its over priced and I have been trying my best to raise my kids to NOT dress and feel pressured into what everyone else does. Thankfully in the past year or so she has stopped asking for abercrombie and I showed her this article today. She told me that now she will never even consider buying from there.

And as someone who is larger than a size 10, this guy is nuts to not realize that the average women is larger than a size 10, and the average teenager CAN'T afford these clothes without those average in his eyes "fat" moms giving their kids money. Not this "fat" mom. He is not getting my money!
 
Come on, wasn't A&F really "over" in 2002.
 
kenny|1368154496|3443819 said:
Oh and here's the sexy cool-looking A&F CEO passing judgement on the fat chicks.

Um YUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCk who in the world does he think he is to be passing any judgement?!?!? He made me think of the icky guy in the princess bride....
 
kenny said:
Oh and here's the sexy cool-looking A&F CEO passing judgement on the fat chicks.

:shock: Now that (A&F CEO) is what you call a HAM! That's right...a HOT A** MESS!!!
And the nerve of him to have such ridiculous beliefs about how the people that wear the A&F brand should look. Interesting, to say the least..... :nono:
 
LAJennifer|1368159606|3443875 said:
Come on, wasn't A&F really "over" in 2002.

Where I live its very much still "IN" in the jr high and high school croud. But just as many now thing its ridiculous.
 
Ladies that picture isn't really him. Its Biff from one of the Back To The Future movies :lol:

That aside, I think this is disgusting. Wasn't there also an expensive designer who refuses to dress larger ladies too? Karl Lagerfield is ringing bells. Its a very stupid & irresponsible thing to say anyway. My nieces here in the UK are obsessed with the A&F label & drag their parents to the shop in Manchester. And you'd think they'd been given a box of diamonds from the way they react when they have something new from there, squealing & jumping around. And why? Because the cool children at school all wear this brand & so now they will be more accepted :nono:
 
Is this the store at the mall when you walk in you shop almost in the dark? :confused:
 
I've never been in their stores. That's the place that ear damaging incredibly loud music is pumping out of right? Well now I never will go for sure. What an a-hole. That really pisses me off. I don't understand in this day and age of being PC and all why he would even say this (even if he thinks it despicable human being that he is). It really seems like a marketing ploy that he would come out and make a statement like that. Nevertheless I will happily continue to avoid their stores. Now for more than just that horrible music they blast from their speakers.
 
I read that article, he makes me sick. And its not like he is a prize himself ( see real pic of him below)! I hate A&F, always have. I am not even sure how they are still in business.

michael-jeffries.jpg
 
ICK!!! is he using Joan Rivers' plastic surgeon w Lisa Rinna lips???


Ya - --- *HE'S* a prize.... :knockout:
 
Enerchi|1368154552|3443822 said:
I was thinking the SAME thing! LOL!
 
A&F sends their employees around the mall to look for potential employees that fit their "look". (Hollister does this also).

One time when they approached my daughter and asked her if she would like to fill out an application to work there, she replied, "No, thanks. I don't want to lose 3 of my senses." When I asked her what she meant she told me, "If I worked there I'd lose my sense of hearing, my sense of smell and my sense of taste". Of course, she was long past wanting to wear their clothes by then. It's mostly a middle school thing around here.
 
Alex T|1368171551|3443942 said:
That aside, I think this is disgusting. Wasn't there also an expensive designer who refuses to dress larger ladies too? Karl Lagerfield is ringing bells.

I applaud Kenny for bringing this to everyone's attention just as he brought the thread on fat acceptance to everyone's attention. I find it unconscionable for some people to treat others with a lack of respect because they are heavier.

That being said, however, the stance of Abercrombie & Fitch is not news in the clothing industry. One doesn't have to search for one designer who designs for slim women. The history of all designers and retailers was always that the élite made only small sizes. When I was younger (and sizes were smaller) one could not find a size larger than, perhaps, an 8 in Bergdorf Goodman...if that. And an 8 was tiny compared to what it is now. Lilly Pulitzer didn't make any clothes larger than a size 12. I don't recall if she even made size 12 dresses, although I believe that she did. I remember that the designer who made larger sizes available to the masses was Calvin Klein. In the 1970's or so he started to make blue jeans in sizes like 16 and 18, allowing larger women to have designer jeans.

There was always cachet in having one's clothing on slim, elegant women who showed it off well, as if they were skinny runway models.

A&F is known for their hiring practices. They hire only "beautiful people" to work in their stores, as said in the interview. One is supposed to have a certain look. In fact, a clerk is told to make a not on a job application about whether an applicant has that look when the person applies. It is as if every store clerk is a model. It is very distasteful to me, but it is really all about making money.

Deb/AGBF
:read:
 
monarch64|1368158323|3443864 said:
Everything about A & F is just embarrassing and trying-too-hard. I also noticed that Jeffries made these comments in a 2006 interview? I guess A & F was still relevant back then. Curious, though, why this is being brought up again in 2013...
ETA: not why it's being brought up HERE on PS, but why this particular article was written about it recently. It was showing up like mad on my FB feed a few days ago as well.


This.
 
canuk-gal|1368193250|3444052 said:
monarch64|1368158323|3443864 said:
Everything about A & F is just embarrassing and trying-too-hard. I also noticed that Jeffries made these comments in a 2006 interview? I guess A & F was still relevant back then. Curious, though, why this is being brought up again in 2013...
ETA: not why it's being brought up HERE on PS, but why this particular article was written about it recently. It was showing up like mad on my FB feed a few days ago as well.


This.

Good point. Monnie is a smart woman. I didn't catch it when she posted it, Sharon, so thanks for bringing it to our attention again. How does stuff wind up being fed to people via "newsfeed" or are we talking about Facebook? I never had a Facebook account and don't understand how it all works. It doesn't supply news, does it?

Deb
:saint:
 
Hi,

A& F has a long history of exclusivity. It was the most wonderful store in Manhatten to visit. It was the Town & Country type merchandise- horsey set, the sportman, the sailor, and casual sportswear. It was very expensive, and was a store the rich shopped in before they went on Safari-guns were also sold. It was more for the man, although there were some womens clothing. It was a wonderful store.

I went into a local A&F hoping they had some of the glamour of yesteryear. I still enjoyed it, although it was quit different.

As Deb has pointed out, this is not new. I don't mind it and I am overweight myself. I'm part of the American culture and don't think there is anything great about being fat. We are always accommodating the lower standard. I also don't think we should cater to those emaciated people who walk the runways. We look like the Russians we used to make fun of in the 60, 70,s and 80,s-- yes we have become them.
Oh, they got thinner.
Annette
 
Enerchi|1368154552|3443822 said:
hehe
Mike, guess what: You are old and ugly, inside and out.

Mike Jeffries
Businessman
Michael Stanton "Mike" Jeffries is a businessman, the chairman and chief executive officer of Abercrombie & Fitch Co. Wikipedia
Born: July 15, 1944 (age 68), Los Angeles

-wikipedia
 
kenny|1368154496|3443819 said:
Oh and here's the sexy cool-looking A&F CEO passing judgement on the fat chicks.
Eewwwwwwww. :eek:

Anyways, as a 24 old I never shopped there, even in high school or college. I guess it is a good thing too, because I definitely do not fit the "type" they want shopping there. I will gladly continue to avoid walking my fat self into their store, especially since that means I will not be getting headaches from that horrible perfume the pump through the air system!
 
I was a very athletic size 8/10 growing up but I always hated A&E. They did nothing for my curves. You had to be stick thin with nothing on you to look good in their clothes. Why spend all that money on clothes that make you look like a boy IMO?!
 
My apologies for grabbing a pic of the wrong person.
How embarrassing. :oops:
I just googled the CEO's name and it was one of the pics that came up.
I guess someone else thought there was a resemblance too.
 
Dani|1368185765|3443982 said:
I read that article, he makes me sick. And its not like he is a prize himself ( see real pic of him below)! I hate A&F, always have. I am not even sure how they are still in business.

He's a butthead to insult us like this.
It's bad enough that parts of society do that we're better than you stuff, but for a business to play into it and encourage it to make a profit makes me want to puke.
It's almost like the KKK having stores in malls that sell white gowns and pointy hoods.
My group good ... your group bad. (Why don't we have a puking emoticon?)
How repulsive. :knockout:

Yeah, too much plastic surgery!
I wonder if he has a knob in the back of his head that he can just reach back and tighten.

_6210.jpg
 
JillyC|1368190913|3444029 said:
A&F sends their employees around the mall to look for potential employees that fit their "look". (Hollister does this also).

One time when they approached my daughter and asked her if she would like to fill out an application to work there, she replied, "No, thanks. I don't want to lose 3 of my senses." When I asked her what she meant she told me, "If I worked there I'd lose my sense of hearing, my sense of smell and my sense of taste". Of course, she was long past wanting to wear their clothes by then. It's mostly a middle school thing around here.

Clever young lady!

Sizism is a foolish choice on behalf of clothing manufacturers. I know making things in larger sizes can require a different skill set ... but given how desperate women in the dreadful ghetto of plus-size clothing can be for nifty, stylish, pretty things, you'd think it would pay off in a short span of time!

Also, it's an interesting connection - A&F is for the cool kids, the cool kids aren't fat, fat kids can't wear A&F. It's like a perfect microcosm of the cycle of bigotry and the ways in which its promulgated.
 
Alex T|1368171551|3443942 said:
Ladies that picture isn't really him. Its Biff from one of the Back To The Future movies :lol:

That aside, I think this is disgusting. Wasn't there also an expensive designer who refuses to dress larger ladies too? Karl Lagerfield is ringing bells. Its a very stupid & irresponsible thing to say anyway. My nieces here in the UK are obsessed with the A&F label & drag their parents to the shop in Manchester. And you'd think they'd been given a box of diamonds from the way they react when they have something new from there, squealing & jumping around. And why? Because the cool children at school all wear this brand & so now they will be more accepted :nono:
That picture isn't him but looks JUST LIKE HIM. I actually lol'd at my desk because I was like "WHEN HE CAN'T F WITH HIS FACE SURGICALLY ANYMORE AND AGING TAKES OVER!!!

Anyway...He is like the Karl Lagerfeld of crappy, overpriced mall garb. Except Karl Lagerfeld makes crappy, generally hideous, overpriced fancy-pants mall garb, so they're really the same person.
 
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