Why I hate A&F

Why I hate Abercrombie & Fitch

If the author had a thesis I believe it would be, “Its desire to produce and play on the consumer’s desire for white, “good looking” world where one can “get away from it all,” and to sell that idea as the “good life” in the context of a racist society, only redeploys and rein scribes the fundamental logic of white supremancy which, at bottom, makes such a marketing strategy possible and even appealing in the first place” (87). Mcbride is explaining why Abercrombie & Fitch is a problem to him, which is because it keeps the racial thinking in the world by showing and saying that only white attractive people can wear these clothes.
In the article “Why I hate Abercrombie & Fitch” McBride is stating some of the arguments he does not agree with. McBride’s basic argument is Abercrombie & Fitch is radicalized for white good-looking men, who have a certain white clean rich look to them. McBride states, “Abercrombie & Fitch has devised a very clear marketing and advertising strategy that celebrates whiteness-a particularly privileged and leisure-class whiteness-and makes use of it as a lifestyle that it commodities to sell otherwise extremely dull, uninspiring, and ordinary clothing. I am not, by the way, the first commentator to recognize this fact about the clothes themselves” (66). What McBride is saying is the clothes make a statement that is only towards white people and that is discriminating against other people in the world. Abercrombie & Fitch says this about their clothing line, “ Our brand is natural, classic and current, with and employment on style. This is what a Brand Representative must be; this is what a Brand Representative must represent in order to fulfill the conditions of employment” (67). Abercrombie & Fitch also only hires and used certain people to display and work at the clothing store, which is another issue McBride has with Abercrombie & Fitch. If you do not look a certain way they will not hire you to work at the store because they want to keep this certain image that only people who look a certain way wear Abercrombie.
Abercrombie & Fitch has a certain look and only portrays to certain people, which is discriminating and racist. Another argument that McBride states Abercrombie & Fitch is more than a clothing store it is a lifestyle. The lifestyle it displays is rich, white, American, preppy, privileged, and powerful. People who walk into the store and do not fit that profile feel uncomfortable and looked down upon. They fell unworthy and oppressed, and like they do not belong. These people that do not fit the profile of A&F are radicalized and discriminated against. McBride states, “Thumb rings signify alternative lifestyles at best and queer at worst. No gold chains for men? Who has been over identified or even stereotyped with these in the popular imagination more than black men-from Mr. T. to any number of rap artists and balers more generally? In either case, the signifier gold chain demarcates potential employees of A&F in coded ways along race and class lines” (71). What McBride is saying here is there is a certain look to A&F and those who do not display that are looked at as the different ones. There are many other looks in the world like rappers looks and they are not seen as high up as Abercrombie. A&F has made itself to be seen as a high class and high privileged look that it is seen as discriminating and racist. The argument here is why does it keep giving off feeling to people that they are not worthy? People who walk in the store who are not defined with the look still feel different and out of place.
I agree with McBride’s argument that Abercrombie & Fitch is discriminating and racist. It shows which person is in which class and makes others feel oppressed. I feel that if A&F would stop only hiring people that have the look it would be looked at differently. I feel that Abercrombie & Fitch will not change, they had a lawsuit against then and they did not understand why. The people involved with A&F do not see what is wrong with it and see it just like every other store.