Why I hate A&F--McBride

In the article “Why I Hate Abercrombie and Fitch” by Dwight McBride, he argues that the A&F brand is targeting a specific age, race, and social economic class. This brand is corrupting the way kids and young adults look at the brand and the look is that is known as preppy. He claims the brand is targeting young middle and upper class people. McBride argues that A&F is selling a lifestyle, not clothing. He argues that this is worse because people will compare themselves to that particular brand, and will ultimately be unaccepted in society, or be labeled as a “prep”, or rich, etc. He states on page 71 “A&F codes for race and class without actually having to name it.” On the Abercrombie website, you see pictures of young adults of many different ethnic backgrounds. As I recall there is an Asian female, a Hispanic male, African American Male, and a few white males and females. Based on just the ads, anyone could say they are marketing towards everyone. However, when you walk into a store nearly 100% of the employees are white, and the ones that aren’t are working in the stock room or working overnight stocking, rarely are they out on the floor. The ads in the catalog or on the website, do not represent the employees in the store. I think McBride talks about the song Tomorrow Belongs to Me because it resembles a time when minorities weren’t accepted in the world and when discrimination was at an all time high. One could argue that A&F discriminates against other ethnicities.
Don’t other stores have specific targets as well? Why would Abercrombie and Fitch be any different? One could argue that A&F have a broad range in people who are INTERESTED in the line of clothing, but either can’t afford it or aren’t accepted by the company. Other stores such as Hot Topic who tends to focus more on the Gothic look don’t have a wide range of people who are interested. That is the difference. Many young men and women of different racial backgrounds have a huge interest in the store, and want to be accepted but aren’t because they don’t fit the middle to upper class white image. If A&F opened up to diversity in and out of the stores, they would have more success, and less law suits.
I would have to agree with McBride. Every time I have been in a Abercrombie and Fitch store (which has been awhile) I have rarely seen a male or female of color in there, and if there is one they are always in the back of the store fixing clothing, stocking clothing, or running the fitting rooms. I personally haven’t shopped there recently because I can’t bring myself to spend the money on those clothes. Growing up we (my family) weren’t really able to afford shopping there, even if I could, I can’t say I’d waste the money. Part of me doesn’t shop there because of the discrimination they haven’t against other people, and a part of me doesn’t shop there because I don’t want to have that image or stereotypes that go along with that brand. I personally can find the same look, and quality of clothes somewhere else, somewhere much more affordable, and somewhere that doesn’t label, and somewhere that doesn’t discriminate against other people.