Inappropriate (and weird) after 30

[DeadDJ]

The Appropriate after 30 and Designers Wearing Their Own threads called back to memory an excellent interview with the owner of Abercrombie and Fitch. And by excellent, I mean he might be nuts. But hey, he's worth millions.

I encourage reading as much as you can. Some gems:
-"I [interviewer] made the mistake of dressing my age (30). I arrived in a dress shirt, khakis and dress shoes, prompting A&F spokesman Tom Lennox -- at 39, he's a virtual senior citizen among Jeffries' youthful workforce -- to look concerned and offer me a pair of flip-flops."
-"He wants desperately to look like his target customer (the casually flawless college kid), and in that pursuit he has aggressively transformed himself from a classically handsome man into a cartoonish physical specimen: dyed hair, perfectly white teeth, golden tan, bulging biceps, wrinkle-free face, and big, Angelina Jolie lips"
-Plus I just found it interesting as I was bombarded with Abercrombie, American Eagle, and Hollister for about 10 years of my life.

 

[borderline]

http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/200...ies/print.html

 

[Maharlika]

I don't necessarily think it's an age issue. He is still in good shape, at least in that photo.

 

[TheFoo]

His face looks like it was pieced together from spare parts. I saw him on the first episode of BBC's Savile Row documentary; he can't seem to bend his lips.

 

[texas_jack]

Originally Posted by mafoofan

His face looks like it was pieced together from spare parts. I saw him on the first episode of BBC's Savile Row documentary; he can't seem to bend his lips.

Seriously, wtf is wrong with his face. It looks like photoshop.

 

[johnny_flapjack]

I spent some time with a professional services company that was working to get in the door at A&F on some services. Truly, if you want to sell them anything, you cannot show up dressed like a business professional. You show up dressed in their clothing. That probably worked out just fine in the early 90's when you could actually buy decent business casual clothing there, but it is a challenge now - even at 30 as the guy in the article points out. And you have not lived until you've seen one of your national group leaders, who is probably 60 and a very respected authority in his industry, shopping A&F for something he can wear on a prospect call.

 

[sonlegoman]

Originally Posted by texas_jack

Seriously, wtf is wrong with his face. It looks like photoshop.

Yeah, that part was scary. Especially so because the camera was almost up his nose. And then the cameraman realized how close he was and zoomed out a little. But after the zoom out, it was still way too close. Mike Jeffries scares me.

 

[Hoya Saxa]

I've seen him in person ... two years ago I ended up seated next to him for lunch at Nikki Beach in St. Barths. He is perhaps one of the biggest freaks I've ever seen. Physically, he looks fine ... a little artificial I suppose, but the problem is he has this really weird intense stare that creeped me out. That and how he was getting really friendly with some of the male models. Champagne at lunch will do that to a guy, I suppose. But the A&F female models were smoking -- so much so that my now ex-wife told me I was drooling.

 

[RyJ Maduro]

Gary Busey?

 

[LabelKing]

He looks like he might be a pedophile.

What a disgusting-sounding place:

If looks could kill, everyone here would be dead. Jeffries' employees are young, painfully attractive, and exceedingly eager, and they travel around the campus on playground scooters, stopping occasionally to chill out by the bonfire that burns most days in a pit at the center of campus. The outdoorsy, summer-camp feel of the place is accentuated by a treehouse conference room, barnlike building and sheds with gridded windows, and a plethora of wooden decks and porches.

Inside, the airy and modern workspaces are designed to encourage communication and teamwork, and everywhere you look, smiley employees are brainstorming or eagerly recounting their weekends.

 

[SoCal2NYC]

What about the inappropriate before 30?

Conne, LK...you around?

 

[Douglas]

What a freak show. He may be rich, but why have money if you're not going to spend it on shoes?

I loathe A&F and the like. I think they are literally bad for America. But I do have to admit it's kind of awesome that they've put one over on their deeply homophobic, jockish, privileged white conservative demographic, conscripting an entire generation of college kids into worshipping a borderline-pornographic homosexual ideal. Such a deliciously ironic feat has not been accomplished since "Top Gun."

 

[FLMountainMan]

Originally Posted by Douglas

What a freak show. He may be rich, but why have money if you're not going to spend it on shoes?

I loathe A&F and the like. I think they are literally bad for America. But I do have to admit it's kind of awesome that they've put one over on their deeply homophobic, jockish, privileged white conservative demographic, conscripting an entire generation of college kids into worshipping a borderline-pornographic homosexual ideal. Such a deliciously ironic feat has not been accomplished since "Top Gun."

I hate A&F, but you've only described a certain small slice of their customer base. In fact, a whole ton of gay kids wear A&F, as well as many of the naively liberal college kids on campus. The trend really doesn't follow political lines.

 

[NewYorkBuck]

Originally Posted by Douglas

I loathe A&F and the like. I think they are literally bad for America.


Oh for the A&F of old........I think the founders may be rolling over in their graves.....

 

[madison avenue]

Originally Posted by Kill the DJ

The Appropriate after 30 and Designers Wearing Their Own threads called back to memory an excellent interview with the owner of Abercrombie and Fitch. And by excellent, I mean he might be nuts. But hey, he's worth millions.

I encourage reading as much as you can. Some gems:
-"I [interviewer] made the mistake of dressing my age (30). I arrived in a dress shirt, khakis and dress shoes, prompting A&F spokesman Tom Lennox -- at 39, he's a virtual senior citizen among Jeffries' youthful workforce -- to look concerned and offer me a pair of flip-flops."
-"He wants desperately to look like his target customer (the casually flawless college kid), and in that pursuit he has aggressively transformed himself from a classically handsome man into a cartoonish physical specimen: dyed hair, perfectly white teeth, golden tan, bulging biceps, wrinkle-free face, and big, Angelina Jolie lips"
-Plus I just found it interesting as I was bombarded with Abercrombie, American Eagle, and Hollister for about 10 years of my life.

No offense but this look should not be appropriate at any age!