<p>Depends at the level of school. For those parents who find the amount of exposed surface area inappropriate for college level young ladies, remember that some parts of the country are not very practical weather wise to wear anything but shorts and a tank top and the proverbial flip-flops. Sure, if your child’s first choice is Michigan Tech and the second choice is Rainy River Community College in International Falls, MN, then you probably won’t worry about it :-)</p>
<p>Our local High School threw away any notion of dress code long time ago… To the tune that the A&F stuff shown are pretty much the dress code…</p>
<p>As for the logic of spending $50 for a sweater or a tee, after about a year most young people figure out the rip-off on their own.</p>
<p>Does anyone remember what A&F used to be like many years ago? The kids would never have set foot in there. It was traditional to the point of stodgy. Cable knit V neck sweaters and cardigans and lots of khakis - that was about it.</p>
<p>No one would have thought Burberry could be fashionable 10+ years ago either, Gucci made a great come back. Pringle is one that still can’t shake it’s old image.</p>
<p>When my D was in middle school, she referred to girls who dressed like that as “prosti-tots.” She heard one of her friend’s moms use the expression and picked up on it.</p>
<p>I have always taught my kids that one should never pay to put some company’s name on your body. They should pay you. My kids have never worn A & F, although once I almost bought a cute shirt that said AF because those are one of my kids’ first two initials.</p>
<p>My current senior will not wear any shirts other than Boy Scout related ones which have any writing on them; he wears only solid color shirts. My 10th and 7th graders like to wear shirts with punny slogans, like “procrastinators of the world - unite! tomorrow.”</p>
<p>My kids won’t wear sports jerseys of any sort, either.</p>
<p>My D won’t even go in those stores like American Eagle, etc, because they throw their name all over everything. She has gone in the GAP just to look and came right out after seeing the prices. She’s a Marshall’s/Target kid :D</p>
<p>I have twin third graders and I would not let them wear shorts, skirts or dresses as short as they were on the model. Most schools would not even allow them. </p>
<p>Right now they are in uniforms for school and their jumper is below the knee. </p>
<p>Some of the top combinations were acceptable.</p>
<p>My kids are also very selective about having ads displayed on anything they buy or wear. D does own a few things that have discreet, artistic writing sometimes but mostly all of us prefer things that don’t have blatant labels (including handbags and luggage).</p>
<p>Both have developed their own style that I feel is very classic and similar to mine & H’s. It works for them & us well and they can comfortably wear it on campus or to most any event we attend, including dinners, interviews or to see extended family without feeling they need to change or cover up in some way.</p>
<p>Have never liked the “bling,” find it tacky and trashy. It looks very out-of-place to me in young people, especially grade school. To me, it’s a look that at best is Halloween or masquerade or similar–perhaps on stage or film but definitely NOT a school look.</p>
<p>I vaguely remember the original A&F store in Manhattan - an old one mid-town (Madison Ave maybe, near Brooks Bros?) and then another one at the South Street Seaport when that opened. They sold very high quality hunting/fishing/expedition clothing and gear. (Think white linen tablecloths while on safari.)
I think Messrs. Abercrombie and Fitch are rolling in their graves with the clothing that is sold in their names .</p>
<p>woody
when was that? wiki ^says when the brand name was bought, the buyer got its mailing lists, too. so feel/use of the goods must have been consistent back then.
It evolved from there on to be bought by Ohio magnate who started it all.<br>
I am foreign to this, but
Abercrombie&Fitch
sounds so much classier than
H&M
or Ben&Jerry</p>
<p>people could trace lineage by surnames, yes? It seemed to be a good marketing for the first buyer, more so for the The Limited
there must be descendants of “Messrs. Abercrombie and Fitch” (cool way to say it, I will remember this ) who has nothing to do with the business but might had to answer nosy questions from casual acquaintances, like someone with “Guggenheim” “Sedgwick” or “Bush”</p>
<p>Also, regarding the flip flops. They are the company’s trademark. Employees of the store wear them year 'round. You will also NEVER see any black sold in their stores. Only dark midnight blue–it is again the company’s policy.</p>
<p>As I posted earlier, almost all kids around here have had some A+E clothing. It is far from a topic of discussion–and their pieces are blended into kid’s wardrobes without having them look like prosti-tots (if parents use good judgement in guiding their kid’s wardrobe decisions.) Kids/ teens/ adults can get clothing at Target, Kohl’s or department stores that can be equally revealing and inappropriate.</p>
<p>It’ s all about the choices we as parents allow them to make.</p>
<p>B and D - mid 1960s - 70s for the midtown location.
Although the one at the South Street Seaport had to be there around 1980 because I remember window shopping there with my H and we only met in 1980.</p>
<p>…as an aside don’t believe everything you read in Wikipedia. I know people who have posted their own completely fabricated bios. Ha!</p>
<p>correct me if I am wrong
maybe A&F looks at applicants’ feet when interviews, like picking ballet dancer.
I ride subway everyday and during summer, flip-flops are -a-go for commuters.
suppose they’d change shoes in the locker before they’d hit hi profile jobs?
I’ve noticed attractive young people do not always have attractive/ presentable feet. ironically, dancers are the tell tale feet-suffer-ers.
It is about proportion and length of toes, how nails are maintained. etc, but def. there are some generic issues.
as if there are “peasant feet” “merchant feet” “Loyalities feet”
… I do somewhat art-sh thing for living and subway is where I think. sorry if it creeps you out.</p>
<p>woody
thanx
yeah just to be sure I checked A&F’s official site along with wiki.
their HQ is called “campus”
it just is so bizarre. I love it.</p>
<p>My dd’s high school does not have a dress code and we see kids with bare midriffs and bellies showing all the time. My dd is 5 feet 10 inches, and every skirt she buys is this short, as she is all legs! She and her friends always wear shorts under their skirts, but they are short. My dd is also a Target shopper. When she was about 13, I took her to Nordstroms, and she was amazed at how “fancy” the store was. I knew I had done a good job then that she did not even know that store or any others that were really expensive! She still hates all labels and wears Target with pride!</p>
<p>You’re doing her a disservice unless you teach her the ways of Nordstrom Rack. Learning how to get Nordstrom quality at a Target price is a valuable lesson.</p>
<p>We took field trip to giant mall in suburbs and the Nordstorm was the place I did not want anything from the store (I don’t want anything to begin with, but that was really)
They are rather good customer to us but I don’t see what separate them from other, what else, Neiman, L&T? am I off the mark?
however
Thanks cattera
I looked up and it’s in the city. I’ll go spy during lunch.
thou others being in Westbury and White plains tells me that
“not my thing”
[Nordstrom.com</a> - Shop from over 500 brands](<a href=“http://about.nordstrom.com/MapPoint/PrxResults.aspx?state=NY&types=2]Nordstrom.com”>http://about.nordstrom.com/MapPoint/PrxResults.aspx?state=NY&types=2)</p>
<p>I like Nordstrom because the merchandise is not crowded in like sardines and the staff is very helpful. I shop there largely for special occasions, however. The Rack (the sale floor) is a horse of a different color. There are some great deals to be had there.</p>
<p>If you scroll through the pictures in the link, you get to their Yoga wear… am intrigued… how many children that this is aimed at do yoga??!</p>
<p>I live in London and there is an A+F here in Mayfair… lines around the block, buff topless guy in the foyer, some staff are paid only to dance… my friend works for a hedge fund nearby and when it opened, he could hear pounding dance music and thought: is it a new day-nightclub?? no, it was the new A+F… they also spray so much cologne that you can smell the store before you see it…</p>
<p>it is almost a parody of itself</p>
<p>and if you think it is expensive in the US, you should see the prices here ;o)</p>
<p>We also have Hollister… several stores… the result being that every 12-14 year old girl in West/South West London wears the following uniform on non school days: skinny jeans from topshop, Ugg boots, hollister hoodie, smallest longchamp tote hanging from wrist, very messy hair (never, ever look too groomed, people might think you are from Essex ;oP )… hundreds of them flood westfield mall where Hollister is located, again lines of 100 people on a regular saturday…the mind boggles…</p>
) who has nothing to do with the business but might had to answer nosy questions from casual acquaintances, like someone with “Guggenheim” “Sedgwick” or “Bush”</p>