Abercrombie and Fitch in Ireland

*Tripper* · 27-12-2006 8:06pm

Origin in Galway city (which is now gone i think!) did sell counterfit AF goods. The sizes were completly ****ed up!

Alot of these shops mentioned in the thread either bought the goods off A&F at full price either through the net or going to america

or

They are counterfit. Obviously i cant speak for all the shops as i haven't seen them but the majority of A&F goods sold in Ireland are counterfit.

To address another point A&F clothes are very good quality and quite well priced when bought in the states and not on the net.

Rb · 27-12-2006 8:16pm

I very much doubt anyone selling A&F here is selling counterfeit goods. There is/was meant to be a store opening, I don't know what the status of it is at the moment but it remains a possibility.
BT/BT2 were going to be the first stores in Ireland to stock A&F, but apparently something to do with delivery times and delays stopped them taking the brand.

I'm sure there are a few stores around selling genuine A&F gear, but it won't be a case that you can find something on their website that you like and drop into your local store, my guess would be that they won't have it (i.e they're selling out-of-season stock).

As has been said before, you can get it on Ebay from UK sellers, but I've heard stories about it in the past where people received obvious counterfeits that didn't exactly match their advertised picture, or when compared with genuine A&F gear, was an obvious fake.

I only buy from the A&F site but I don't mind paying the taxes/shipping fees, they're not huge and you're getting genuine gear by doing so.

Creamy Goodness · 27-12-2006 8:22pm

wow it didn't take long for this thread to turn out like the million others there are on A&F.

melekalikimaka · 27-12-2006 8:28pm

indeed so many chips on shoulders over clothing lines... sad really

metaoblivia · 27-12-2006 8:29pm

I used to manage a A&F store in Miami. I worked for them for 5 years. About 2 years ago, they had a national conference in which they announced their plans to finally go abroad. Tokoyo, Paris, and London were the first cities mentioned in the plan. I left the company shortly afterwards, so I don't know if that's still in action. But it's probably easiest to just go to the US if you reallly want Abercrombie clothes.
Bit of gos about A&F - yes they do only hire 'good-looking' people. Managers are told to scout for recruits, and it's not unusual for the store manager to take one day a week to go to a local college campus looking for suitable candidates. They have large group interviews once a week, and during the interview several employees will take a good look at the interviewees and then dicuss with the manager later on who the most attractive ones were.
A big part of manager's job is their ability to recruit employees with the 'abercrombie' look. A&F isn't so concerned with actual managing ability as they are with image. I had a wonderful assistant manager working under me, and was told point blank they would never become a store manager because they didn't fit the image properly.
The people who work night shift or stock don't have to be as good looking as the people on the floor. They are kept off the floor at all costs, in fact. They do get paid more, however.
Someone mentioned how the night crew would take out rulers and boards to fold. That's completely true. A&F is anal about the way the floor looks. Lighting, the dressing of the forms, the set up of the tables and walls - it all has to be exact. We would get write ups at least once a week outlining where everything should go, how much of each size should be out, the order it needed to be in, which folding board to use, how it should be lighted. We use to have to fold the jeans and then give them crinkles in just the right places for presentation. As a manager, I put in 65-70 hour weeks regularly. And if someone important was coming that week - forget it. One night we didn't leave until 10am the following morning. It was hell. I'm so glad I don't work there anymore

JC 2K3 · 27-12-2006 8:36pm

melekalikimaka wrote:

indeed so many chips on shoulders over clothing lines... sad really

I don't think being against sweatshops and exploitive companies, especially ones with discriminative hiring policies and that sell racist tshirts, is simply an issue of having a chip on one's shoulder.

Owen · 27-12-2006 8:50pm

JC 2K3 wrote:

I don't think being against sweatshops and exploitive companies, especially ones with discriminative hiring policies and that sell racist tshirts, is simply an issue of having a chip on one's shoulder.

PMSL. Hang on a minute. You're posting a Geocities page as a credible source of information on the Internet? Let me go fire up my copy of Photoshop, come up with some Traveller hating T Shirts, and stick the Abercrombie Logo there somewhere too.

Just cause it's on the 'net doesn't mean it's true people ...

JC 2K3 · 27-12-2006 8:53pm

http://www.google.ie/search?hl=en&q=abercrombie+racist+tshirts&btnG=Google+Search&meta=

Yeah, photoshopped :rolleyes:

Owen · 27-12-2006 8:55pm

JC 2K3 wrote:

^When employing their staff in the US they target the jocks, the cheerleaders and other popular and good looking young people in the local high schools and get them to work in Abercrombie, it's a terrible, but very effective marketing scheme.

Would you care to explain the overweight sweaty girl who served me on 5th Avenue in March? And you also seem to have an issue with Abercrombie promoting the perfect body ... what would you have them do? It's hardly a crime.

Bottom line, I'm sitting here now in Abercrombie Jeans that I've put through hell and back. They're 2 years old, and still in great condition. If they were Dunnes Jeans they'd look great and hold their shape for 6 months tops.

Oh, and I'm not the perfect shape either JC 2K3, so go back to your crap about A&F promoting negative reinforcement when it comes to the 'body beautiful', and having A&F selling racist products. They do in fact make clothes to suit me, and my Irish beer belly.

Although, in that Geocities link, I am pissing myself laughing at the "Two wongs can make it white chinese laundry service". I think any Asian person would too. Christ, there's a chinese down the road from me called 'Soon Fat', they enjoy taking the piss as much as anyone else.

Owen · 27-12-2006 8:58pm

JC 2K3 wrote:

http://www.google.ie/search?hl=en&q=abercrombie+racist+tshirts&btnG=Google+Search&meta=

Yeah, photoshopped :rolleyes:

I'll give you that, but they're hardly racist. They're quite funny, even to the people involved. I could see some Asian mates rolling around the floor about the laundry service

JC 2K3 · 27-12-2006 10:02pm

ned78 wrote:

Would you care to explain the overweight sweaty girl who served me on 5th Avenue in March? And you also seem to have an issue with Abercrombie promoting the perfect body ... what would you have them do? It's hardly a crime.

I can't explain why you were served by an overweight girl, but, as someone who posted on this thread who worked in A&F said, they do indeed rate people on their looks and use this as a criterium for hiring them.

And promoting sex and bodily perfection to children as young as 10 is unethical and instills the wrong sort of values on children.

ned78 wrote:

Bottom line, I'm sitting here now in Abercrombie Jeans that I've put through hell and back. They're 2 years old, and still in great condition. If they were Dunnes Jeans they'd look great and hold their shape for 6 months tops.

The quality isn't the issue.

ned78 wrote:

Oh, and I'm not the perfect shape either JC 2K3, so go back to your crap about A&F promoting negative reinforcement when it comes to the 'body beautiful', and having A&F selling racist products. They do in fact make clothes to suit me, and my Irish beer belly.

They make clothes to suit everyone. Their marketing tactics towards young people are wrong. Their use of sweatshops is wrong. They shouldn't be embraced as a "cool" company. They're not the only company like this but they are one of the worst offenders.

ned78 wrote:

Although, in that Geocities link, I am pissing myself laughing at the "Two wongs can make it white chinese laundry service". I think any Asian person would too. Christ, there's a chinese down the road from me called 'Soon Fat', they enjoy taking the piss as much as anyone else.

Well they suffered a massive backlash and enough campaigns to withdraw the tshirts from the market. They're not hateful, they just enforce racial stereotypes. Imagine if it was black people portayed as slaves? You just can't do that.

j4vier · 27-12-2006 10:13pm

JC 2K3 wrote:

The quality isn't the issue. There are cheaper alternatives that are of as good quality without advertising all over. The young people who wear Abercrombie are more concerned about the name than the quality in any case, and they don't even know the implications of wearing Abercrombie clothing. They do not realise that they are promoting a racist company, that not only discriminates when hiring staff but sells tshirts with racist messages, a company that uses sweatshops and a company that uses explicit references to and graphical depictions of sex and emphasises the importance of having a perfect body in its advertising aimed at children as young as 10 years old.

abercrombie is a quoted brand because of that reason, who would care about it if the message that it delivered was bein ugly? nobody would buy it and that would be the end of it.

id say its the classical example that it doesnt matter wether we say good things or bad things about them, the important is that we talk about them :rolleyes:

Owen · 27-12-2006 10:18pm

JC 2K3 wrote:

And promoting sex and bodily perfection to children as young as 10 is unethical and instills the wrong sort of values on children.

Promoting Sex? Yet to see it. Promoting bodily perfection? Rock on Abercrombie I say - it's too acceptable to have big kids these days.

Jim79 · 27-12-2006 10:25pm

hey, what i dont understand is why AF make the sleeves on there clothing so long. i have 2 items by them and the sleeves are at least 3 inches too long.

Owen · 27-12-2006 10:28pm

JC 2K3 wrote:

I can't explain why you were served by an overweight girl, but, as someone who posted on this thread who worked in A&F said, they do indeed rate people on their looks and use this as a criterium for hiring them.

So do Brown Thomas' Makeup Department. Your point? It's normal. If you want to sell what's perceived as an exclusive and presitgous brand, you don't have sweaty betty with jeans 7 sizes too small, and a wart on her nose to do it.

JC 2K3 · 27-12-2006 10:30pm

ned78 wrote:

Promoting Sex? Yet to see it.

Try reading one of their catalogues.

ned78 wrote:

Promoting bodily perfection? Rock on Abercrombie I say - it's too acceptable to have big kids these days.

I personally think that a consumerism-obsessed, image-obsessed, indoctrinated youth is more of a problem than obesity. I also think that Abercrombie has zero effect on reducing obesity.

JC 2K3 · 27-12-2006 10:33pm

ned78 wrote:

So do Brown Thomas' Makeup Department. Your point? It's normal. If you want to sell what's perceived as an exclusive and presitgous brand, you don't have sweaty betty with jeans 7 sizes too small, and a wart on her nose to do it.

That sort of marketing is wrong.

People shouldn't be perceiving brands as exclusive and prestigious

Owen · 27-12-2006 10:35pm

JC 2K3 wrote:

I personally think that a consumerism-obsessed, image-obsessed, indoctrinated youth is more of a problem than obesity.

What exactly are you implying by Indoctrinated? I hope you're not talking about Religion ... :rolleyes:

JC 2K3 wrote:

I also think that Abercrombie has zero effect on reducing obesity.

Who said it did? So far you're anti sex, anti positive images when it comes to the body beautiful when it comes to promoting a brand, and you're complaining about indoctrination when it comes to kids. Militant Catholicism?

Owen · 27-12-2006 10:37pm

JC 2K3 wrote:

That sort of marketing is wrong.

People shouldn't be perceiving brands as exclusive and prestigious

Let me forward your thoughts to D&G, Mercedez Bens, Hugo Boss, and Ralph Lauren. Again, why is 'that sort of marketing' wrong?

Rb · 27-12-2006 10:37pm

Jim79 wrote:

hey, what i dont understand is why AF make the sleeves on there clothing so long. i have 2 items by them and the sleeves are at least 3 inches too long.

Your arms are just short

melekalikimaka wrote:

indeed so many chips on shoulders over clothing lines... sad really

Aye, I agree. Quite sad.

Abercrombie use models for their advertising, of course they've perfect bodies. Who in the name of God is going to promote a brand using fat, ugly people? Or even average looking people?

Also, who cares about their employment policies? Some stores here have similar ones, should ugly people kick up a fuss because they won't hire them? No, theres plenty of other jobs out there that they can get.

Rb · 27-12-2006 10:44pm

JC 2K3 wrote:

Try reading one of their catalogues.

I have one open here infront of me, I don't see how their trying to sell sex tbh. Theres a few lads without their tops on lying around, and a few pictures of girls with the bottom half of their shirts open...and a picture of a guy with his arms around a girl...thats selling sex is it? Or are you just a liitttle bit sensitive?

Owen · 27-12-2006 10:49pm

rb_ie wrote:

I have one open here infront of me, I don't see how their trying to sell sex tbh. Theres a few lads without their tops on lying around, and a few pictures of girls with the bottom half of their shirts open...and a picture of a guy with his arms around a girl...thats selling sex is it? Or are you just a liitttle bit sensitive?

Ah no seriously rb_ie, what JC 2K3 (Which I'm nearly certain stands for Jesus Christ 2003) is saying is that people with they arms around each other is deliberately sending out 10 year old kids to become anorexic nymphomaniacs. Can't you see that?

JC 2K3 · 27-12-2006 10:52pm

ned78 wrote:

What exactly are you implying by Indoctrinated? I hope you're not talking about Religion ... :rolleyes:

Religion? WTF?

Indoctrinated as in from a young age kids believe some products are better than others due to a brand, that more expensive goods are better than others, that money=happiness etc.

ned78 wrote:

Who said it did? So far you're anti sex, anti positive images when it comes to the body beautiful when it comes to promoting a brand, and you're complaining about indoctrination when it comes to kids. Militant Catholicism?

You implied it did.....
I'm not anti-sex, I'm anti-sex being used as a marketing tool, especially towards children as young as 10 years old. They don't promote positive images, they promote condescending, elitist images.

And what are you on about with "militant Catholicism"? I'm not religious in the slightest, if that's what you were implying....

ned78 wrote:

Let me forward your thoughts to D&G, Mercedez Bens, Hugo Boss, and Ralph Lauren. Again, why is 'that sort of marketing' wrong?

Please do, I hate the lot of them. That sort of marketing is wrong becasue it plays on people's insecurities, promotes elitism, promotes money as a source of happiness etc.

rb_ie wrote:

Abercrombie use models for their advertising, of course they've perfect bodies. Who in the name of God is going to promote a brand using fat, ugly people? Or even average looking people?

Also, who cares about their employment policies? Some stores here have similar ones, should ugly people kick up a fuss because they won't hire them? No, theres plenty of other jobs out there that they can get.

You're missing the point. Elitist perceptions of brands are wrong.

And I don't think they mind how attractive their workers are when employing staff in their sweatshops.

Preset No.3 · 27-12-2006 10:55pm

As a well heeled D4 type, I like AF, have been wearing some of the stuff for about 10 years before it started to get over popular. If you buy from ebay.COM then make sure they put on the package 'NO COMMERCIAL VALUE' Is could be aunty mary sending you and old sweater home. Most time customs dont bother with packages like that! As for shops in Ireland, I did see a shop in Malahide that was selling AF.

JC 2K3 · 27-12-2006 10:56pm

It seems they stopped issuing such blatantly sexual catalogues in 2004, so guess that's not an issue anymore, doesn't change the attitude of the company though.

Owen · 27-12-2006 11:02pm

JC 2K3 wrote:

I'm not anti-sex, I'm anti-sex being used as a marketing tool, especially towards children as young as 10 years old.

I've just spend a few minutes on Abercrombie.com, and other than a few scantily clad people holding hands and gazing longily, I can't find any photos of people getting jiggy. rb_ie has a catalogue in front of him, and he can't find anything there either. Care to put some evidence forward?

JC 2K3 wrote:

And what are you on about with "militant Catholicism"? I'm not religious in the slightest, if that's what you were implying....

Well for someone who's not religious, you certainly hold all the tenets of Catholicism true to your heart.

JC 2K3 wrote:

That sort of marketing is wrong becasue it plays on people's insecurities, promotes elitism, promotes money as a source of happiness etc.

That's been happening since the dawn of time, when the chief of the tribe would wear a gold broach to hold his tunic closed, while his minions would use twine. It isn't going to change any time soon. And FYI, money is indeed a source of happiness - you look at any financially secure family, and they're a lot happier than a family struggling to pay a mortgage, driving a 20 year old car.

car39 · 27-12-2006 11:06pm

i ordered from the store online fast and efficent it cost 50 dollars to ship the stuff and i did,nt get hit by customs which surprised me.

JC 2K3 · 27-12-2006 11:11pm

ned78 wrote:

I've just spend a few minutes on Abercrombie.com, and other than a few scantily clad people holding hands and gazing longily, I can't find any photos of people getting jiggy. rb_ie has a catalogue in front of him, and he can't find anything there either. Care to put some evidence forward?

http://archive.salon.com/sex/feature/2003/11/26/abercrombie/index_np.html

Like I said, they pulled the catalogues in 2004.

ned78 wrote:

Well for someone who's not religious, you certainly hold all the tenets of Catholicism true to your heart.

emm... How? I'm anti-corporate dominance, anti-overconsumerism, but I don't see how any view I have expressed here is even remotely Catholic.

ned78 wrote:

That's been happening since the dawn of time, when the chief of the tribe would wear a gold broach to hold his tunic closed, while his minions would use twine. It isn't going to change any time soon. And FYI, money is indeed a source of happiness - you look at any financially secure family, and they're a lot happier than a family struggling to pay a mortgage, driving a 20 year old car.

That is a highly ignorant view. Money might make life easier but it certainly doesn't make people happier than others.

Owen · 27-12-2006 11:22pm

JC 2K3 wrote:

That is a highly ignorant view. Money might make life easier but it certainly doesn't make people happier than others.

I think a lot of people on boards would disagree with you on this, and all of your other points. Rather than my view being 'highly ignorant', I think yours is overly simplistic. Money does bring happiness, as do material items, and posessions such as houses and cars. Is is one factor in having a fulfilled life, along with finding a great partner, and having children/keeping pets.

To summarise your arguments you :
Are disgusted by brands perceived as exclusive, or prestigous
Feel young people shouldn't work towards bodily perfection
Feel companies shouldn't be allowed to use their brand name on their clothes
Believe having good looking sales people is wrong
Believe using sex as an advertising tactic is wrong

I get the feeling you'd win the Lotto and still find something to complain about TBH.

JC 2K3 · 27-12-2006 11:31pm

ned78 wrote:

ITo summarise your arguments you :
Are disgusted by brands perceived as exclusive, or prestigous
Feel young people shouldn't work towards bodily perfection
Feel companies shouldn't be allowed to use their brand name on their clothes
Believe having good looking sales people is wrong
Believe using sex as an advertising tactic is wrong.

Well you're right about the ones I've made bold. As for the other two points I think that young people should not be image obsessed(I don't want to sound like I'm discouraging young people from going to the gym or playing sports) and I think using good looking salespeople as a marketing tactic is wrong.

ned78 wrote:

I think a lot of people on boards would disagree with you on this, and all of your other points.

Cue thread on Humanities, I'll make it in a sec.

ned78 wrote:

Money does bring happiness, as do material items, and posessions such as houses and cars. Is is one factor in having a fulfilled life, along with finding a great partner, and having children/keeping pets.

But if we didn't crave material items so much then we'd be as happy without having to pour our money into greedy and largely unethical companies. It's all a perception.

Abercrombie and Fitch in Ireland

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