‘Attractive & Fat’ ad spoofs Abercrombie

In this interview with activist and artist Jes Baker, she explains what motivated her to write a public letter to the CEO of Abercrombie and Fitch after he had been quoted saying that they did not offer women’s sizes over a size 10 because “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.”  This is an example of how institutions (in this case business) influences gendered norms because while there are XL and XXL men’s sizes at Abercrombie, you won’t find larger women’s sizes.

Baker has prompted a change.org petition and created a Abercrombie ad parody to “challenge the separation of attractive and fat.”  Check it out!

7 thoughts on “‘Attractive & Fat’ ad spoofs Abercrombie

  1. Although I am worried about the increasing obesity rate in America, I do not think only offering up to a size large is the key. I am a curvy girl and have a larger than normal breast size. I remember being so embarrassed in High School because I couldn’t fit into Abercrombie and Fitch shirts. It wasn’t because I was huge, it was because my breast were too big. When I was 18 I ended up getting a breast reduction in order to be able to fit into clothes that were my true size.

    Because Abercrombie and Fitch is so exclusionary, I avoid it at all cost. I think it is disgusting. Eating disorders are a serious issue and it is statements like Jeffries that lead to many people feeling the need to harm themselves to be thin. Also, at my high school, not every popular kid was skinny either. I think it is ignorant to say they are targeting the “popular kids”.

    What I hate even more about this is that only men were offered sizes XL and XXL. How come men can be bigger? This is highlighting the different expectations for men and women. The standards for women are way more unrealistic when it comes to fashion. Not every girl is going to be a size ‘0’ and wear a size XS shirt. I think it is way more important to be accepting than exclusionary, I’ll stick to thrift shops and Target for now!

  2. I was completely appalled when I heard about this story on the news. With what the CEO had to say I was flabbergasted. Why is it okay for them to sell extra sizes for men but not for women? Why is it acceptable for a man to wear this type of clothing at a certain size but not for women? This just goes to show that some standards in our culture are not accepted for both sexes as they should be.

  3. I was so disappointed when I heard about what the CEO of Abercrombie and Fitch had to say about who should be wearing their clothing. Besides the fact that he is turning off a large demographic of people and should be aware of how that could affect his business, his comments line up with the attitudes that we should be trying to avoid when it comes to gender norms. The most disturbing part of his quote for me was how he was saying that they “go after the attractive all-American kid with a great attitude and a lot of friends” in response to the clothing sizes they offer! Basically he is saying that anyone who is all-American, attractive, has a great attitude, and has a lot of friends must be smaller than a size ten. According to him, if you’re not skinny you can’t be any of these things. It was a really absurd comment to make and I hope it has negative effects for the company.

  4. I knew there was a reason I do not shop at Abercrombie & Fitch anymore… besides the fact that they always have attractive models on their posters; however, the fact that they ALWAYS have attractive models and that they do not carry any women’s sizes over size 10 reiterates that our society has the image of an “ideal” female. I feel that Abercrombie & Fitch tries to show off what the “ideal” female’s appearance should look like through the sizing of their clothes. As a former customer, back in my middle school days, I remember how small and tight fitting everything was and how their employees came extremely close to what Abercrombie & Fitch’s “ideal” female should look like as well.

    I believe that it was great for something to actually say something to Abercrombie & Fitch because I have always heard negative comments about their clothes and who their audience is. Many stores nowadays are trying to promote the “ideal” female when, in fact, she does not exist. She comes in different shapes and sizes and stores should not discriminate them for being “ideal” in their eyes.

  5. When I first heard about Jeffries statement I thought it was absolutely absurd.
    It makes me irate that they want to be exclusive like that and who says that being skinny is more attractive than being “Fat” ? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

  6. I recently read about this topic, and was appalled at what the Abercrombie and Fitch CEO had to say. I wasn’t aware that they offered XL and XXL sizes at Abercrombie for men and not for women. This is an important example of how there are different cultural standards for what a woman should look like versus what is acceptable for men.

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