Vintage Abercrombie & Fitch

[CityHunter]

I was inspired by the A&F hate/acceptance thread. I have personally never owned a piece from A&F just because of the people it was associated with...growing up in a surburban community and going to college in Southern California where A&F, cargo shorts and flip-flops were the standard frat uniform left a sour taste in my mouth. Maybe the quality of their shirts are good for the price you pay, maybe the pieces fit well...but I think I'll never know.

I recently came across a vintage A&F shirt (brand new too...comes with the extra buttons pinned to the inside and the cardboard to keep the collar straight) It is really nice! It looks very Woolrich Woolen Mills-esque. The quality seems great too. I haven't tried it on yet so I can't comment on the fit (not my true size).

This find led me to Wikipedia to look up A&F's history:
Founded in 1892 by David T. Abercrombie, A&F had been an outfitter of sporting and excursion goods. It struggled financially from the late 1960s until it was purchased by The Limited in 1988 and repositioned, under the management of Mike Jeffries, as the aspirational "Casual Luxury" lifestyle brand in present form.

It seems A&F started as a outdoors-y brand, which explains much. I'm interested to see other vintage pieces. Has anybody come across any before/own pieces and what do you think?

 

[CityHunter]

Sorry for the huge-ass pics

 

[DGP]

Back in the day they were known for outfitting the likes of Earnest Hemmingway and Teddy Roosevelt, too. Their vintage pieces include things such as rifle cases.

 

[phoenixrecon]

wait you didnt know A&F was an outdoors brand originally?

lul

 

[bows1]

That's a slick shirt

 

[malefic]

I've seen A&F ties on eBay. Pretty sure those haven't been manufactured in the last decade (or since whenever the Blond Hulk took the corporate reins) but I couldn't say for sure as I don't shop there.

 

[CityHunter]

Originally Posted by phoenixrecon

wait you didnt know A&F was an outdoors brand originally?

lul

Nope! Back in high school when I was more peasant and first heard about it, it was known as the label that the rich kids wore. Never bothered to do any research on a "mall brand". I was still rocking Nautica Competition/Polo/Tommy Hilfiger gear I scored from TJ Maxx

 

[sartre864]

Originally Posted by malefic

I've seen A&F ties on eBay. Pretty sure those haven't been manufactured in the last decade (or since whenever the Blond Hulk took the corporate reins) but I couldn't say for sure as I don't shop there.

They made ties around four or five years ago, but they were either curiously colored repp ties or emblazoned with the moose logo.

 

[phoenixrecon]

Originally Posted by CityHunter

Nope! Back in high school when I was more peasant and first heard about it, it was known as the label that the rich kids wore. Never bothered to do any research on a "mall brand". I was still rocking Nautica Competition/Polo/Tommy Hilfiger gear I scored from TJ Maxx

in an episode of MASH Hawkeye bought a bath tub from A&F to use during the summer in Korea. Everyone found out and they ended up having to send it away.

 

[whodini]

Originally Posted by DGP

Back in the day they were known for outfitting the likes of Earnest Hemmingway and Teddy Roosevelt, too. Their vintage pieces include things such as rifle cases.
Not just cases but actual rifles as well. I've seen quite a few advertisements from the 60s for their firearms.

 

[mack11211]

For most of the last century high end 'sporting goods' stores like A&F outfitted people for hunting, fishing, camping.

A&F was top of the line.

I don't have a clear bead on the first reinvention, the one in the late 80s/early 90s.

But the current line and image have no relation to the historical ones.

 

[somatoform]

Originally Posted by mack11211

I don't have a clear bead on the first reinvention, the one in the late 80s/early 90s.

Maybe it all began and ended with this:

[Chorus]

New Kids On The block,had a bunch of hits
Chinese food makes me sick.
And I think it's fly when girls stop by for the summer,for the summer
I like girls that wear Abercrombie and Fitch,
I'd take her if I had one wish,
But she's been gone since that summer..
Since that summer

 

[JaPo]

WOL poster 'Biscotti' jawnzed an A&F duffel kop.

Vintage, looked good.

 

[finnegan]

Originally Posted by DGP

Back in the day they were known for outfitting the likes of Earnest Hemmingway and Teddy Roosevelt, too. Their vintage pieces include things such as rifle cases.

Hemingway, the story goes, killed himself with a rifle purchased at Abercrombie......

 

[spudnik99]

There was an A&F location on Wilshire Blvd in BH back in the 70's and 80's when it was part of Oshman's Sporting Goods.

A&F merchandise pre-1976 is the real deal.
1976-1988 stuff is Oshman's.
1988-1995 items are The Limited.
Post-1995 we have Mike Jeffries wares.

Eddie Bauer was kind of like this before Spiegel bought them.
Orvis is the closest thing company still around that caters to this clientele.