Abercrombie & Fitch Doesn’t Want Larger Women Wearing Its Clothing
If you wear more than a women's size 10 you're going to have some trouble shopping at Abercrombie & Fitch.
That's because the retailer limits all of its female apparel to ten and under. And the reason for this restriction is causing controversy.
In a 2006 interview with Salon, A & F CEO Mike Jeffries laid out his company's branding strategy.
In every school there are the cool and popular kids, and then there are the not-so-cool kids," he explained. “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."
Abercrombie's exclusionary tactics don't, however, extend to bigger fellows, as they have men's sizes up to extra-large.
The retailer has come under fire in the past for only hiring store employees who conform to a certain physical type. Although the size restriction on women's clothing appears to have been in place for years it has only recently become a topic discussion, with some groups and individuals calling for a boycott of the store.
What do you think? Should Abercrombie be taken to task for what amounts to weight shaming tactics? Or should they be able to make (or not make) their clothing in whatever sizes they like for whatever reasons they want.