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All-out Abercrombie
A micro-society of social inclusion or unabashed celebration of superficial living?
By Michelle Holtz
There are parties in which the only way to gain entry is to work at Abercrombie, date someone who does or know people who work there and don all Abercrombie & Fitch apparel.
Naked. At one point in history, we all were. A wonderful thing, right?
Before Adam and Eve ate the apple and made fig leaf loincloths, they were buck naked. Before the caveman fashioned his buffalo-skin toga, he was naked, too.
Clothing today is not so much used to cover our bodies, but a type of social capital. What we wear has become so much of who we are that we don’t even realize it until extremes are reached. Yes, some people claim they do not care about clothing, such as nudists, but even they need clothing to be accepted into the world outside of their colony.
Society always has an influence on what we choose to wear or not to wear. At younger ages, we would not be social outcasts as we would be now, if we chose to wear red ponchos and yellow galoshes to class with no rain in the forecast.
Getting “that” pair of pants or “that” jacket is now a must for many teenagers and young adults. Brand names like Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollister become a social need, an identity tool — not a privilege.
There even is a micro-society that is exclusively of Abercrombie & Fitch wearers. There are parties in which the only way to gain entry is to work at Abercrombie, date someone who does or know people who work there and don all Abercrombie & Fitch apparel.
A few weeks ago I encountered such a situation.
I do not work at Abercrombie, nor am I dating anyone who does. But, “luckily,” I was friends with someone whose friend did work there and was with us that night. Because of her, and because I was sporting my ripped-up $80 Abercrombie jeans and zip-up Abercrombie sweatshirt, I was let in.
After entering, I saw another friend of mine who works at Abercrombie, so I had an in for sure.
It is strange that societies like this emerge. But then again, maybe it isn’t. People naturally want to surround themselves with people who enjoy and partake in the same thing.
There are ski clubs, poker tournaments, advertising guilds and unions. Why wouldn’t there be a society based on looks, wealth and preppy clothing?
I say we all just go back to being naked.
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