"Why I Hate Abercrombie and Fitch"

In this very controversial article entitled “Why I Hate Abercrombie and Fitch” written by Dwight McBride, he discusses the real meaning behind Abercrombie and Fitch and how they produce such “brands” instead of products. McBride makes the claim that Abercrombie is only aimed toward white male and female middle class students between the ages of 18-22. He gives a brief summary on the history of the company and how it was originally created for outfitters of the “rich, famous and powerful” (63). It had become the largest sporting goods store in the world in 1917. Teddy Roosevelt even shopped there for his trips to the Amazon as well as Robert Peary’s famous trip to the North Pole. McBride notes that even in its earliest years, the label was geared toward high end white men and the life of the leisure classes. Now within the 20th century, their clothes are attracted to the “collegiate” educational lifestyle. McBride then discusses the “Look Book” in which the guidelines and rules of having “The A&F Look” are provided. They want their employees to look as “natural” as they can. The “All-American” and “classic” look is what they think their look means. He makes the argument of how Native Americans have far more historic claim is not the image their going for. This is where Abercrombie is making the term Americans with “whiteness” and America with “white”. McBride writes of the rules and guidelines upon having the “look”. No long gold chains, no piercing except ears, and appropriate undergarments. Here, Abercrombie codes race and class without having to name it (71). McBride also notes that all the employees working in the front of the store are white and the ones that work in the back of the store not being seen are black.

McBride then interviews multiple male workers of Abercrombie and their reason for leaving. They gave the behind the seen situations where the “ones with the look” were hired and the ones without were not. He claims that Abercrombie has complete racist thinking (86). He ends with the note that people “buy Abercrombie to purchase a membership into a lifestyle” (86).

McBride clearly relates to Johnson and his opinion of white dominance. Here Abercrombie is directed towards that white all American educated male and female and nothing else.