Even This Title should be Slutty.

Eye-catching?
It's about time I blather on with some pretend-witty banter (aka rant) on American Apparel.

Their store already has one strike from the beginning, in my opinion - their prices. Such outrageous numbers for such basic clothing? Noooo. I may be cheap, but I think it's gotten out of hand. In the past year or two, the company has really stolen some spotlight in the fashion world amongst pretentious hipsters and those in the crowd who like to pretend they're cool by spending ridiculous wads of cash on clothes that "look like they were cheap" but not really. Though that's been a fad for ages, and their prices are bothersome - the real problem lies behind their ads.

Famous for their controversial advertising, American Apparel plasters billboards and online sites with numerous pictures of boob-bearing and leg-spreading females. For those of you who frequent Texts From Last Night or Lookbook (and I'm sure there are others), you know that there have been edgy ads from the temperature-sensitive t-shirts to the more recent lace bodysuit. Though "sex sells" is a popular saying, I think they're really cutting it close.

Dov Charney, the maker of it all, is not known to be conservative. This already pretty obvious if you haven't noticed by his company choices, but some other people involved have assured the public against rumors that girls aren't laid off for not being hot enough, it's that they don't have enough "personal style". Well, if personal style is thrusting your crotch up on a clear glass table for the advertising business, clearly I've been missing something.



Though in her letter to defend the company, creative director Marsha Brady may have a point about wanting models to make their basic clothes "exciting,"( which I do admit is needed) I think they may be advertising that the wrong way. Nothing says class like a crotch shot or some nipples.

After surfing Lookbook forums, I found a poster who couldn't have put their more recent advertisements in better wording. "So much vagina happening lately. We were getting more boob ads around Christmas, but lately its really about the crotch, isn't it?" Short, sweet, and much to the point. Here's some examples:







Though there are countless more, I don't know about you, but I don't want to buy these clothes any more than I did before. In fact, I'd love to stay away from all of these ads and stores by ten miles, yet, that is not as possible as I wish it was. I will leave you with my favorite ad to hate - the scrolling Stripes! ad. Though I don't have the example to display in all it's scrolling glory, it looks like this:



Just like that, only in a long bar, and the scroll STARTS at her crotch, pauses, and slowly works it's way up to her face. Remind me again why it is so important that the ad starts at her crotch? Oh, right, it's not important, it's just her "personal style."