Please note that while there is no full nudity in the images in this article, advertisements for American Apparel are provocative by definition.  If their advertising offends you or disrupts your workplace, please leave this page.

Editor’s note: Anti-American Apparel?  Keep reading, then check out these alternatives.

They’ve been raided for illegal workers, blamed for discriminatory practices, and criticized for what some claim are pornographic advertisements.  They’ve also been hailed as an American-made, sweatshop free, fair wage company that avoids the use of airbrushing and features “real women” in its campaigns.

These contradictory interpretations - a sleazy, shallow company run by a sex-crazed boss, and a beacon of progressive ideals and a resurgence of free love – beg just one question:

What is the truth about American Apparel?

The truth, as it turns out, is up for debate.

American Apparel,  which is the largest clothing manufacturer in the United States, is a vertically-integrated clothing manufacturer, wholesaler and retailer.  What that means, in layman’s terms, is that American Apparel does all of the work itself, from owning and operating its retail stores, to selling basics to screen printing companies (like Threadless) to manufacturing each of its shirts.  In addition, American Apparel does all its own marketing, advertising and brand design, instead of outsourcing like most major brands do.

Along with keeping all its production and profits in the US (a sustainable practice I applaud), American Apparel follows other liberal, sustainable practices that make it greener than the average brand:

• It offers higher-than-average wages for its factory workers, including health care benefits and stock options.
• It is a vocal advocate for US immigration reform, and has been lauded as a beacon of equal rights for its foreign-born workers
• It boasts a clothing line that is vegan-friendly, and all clothes under the “Sustainable” label are made with 100% organic cotton.

With all of this progressive thinking, many wonder why any socially- and ecologically-conscious individual would refuse to buy American Apparel.  How can a company this progressive be bad?

In answer, some detractors site the numerous lawsuits filed by ex-employees of American Apparel, both against the company and, more specifically, its owner Dov Charney.  To date, there have been four sexual harassment suits, all by female employees, and one wrongful termination suit (which also contained sexual harassment claims) by a male ex-employee .  However, none of the lawsuits that have been filed have definitively ruled against Charney or his company: one of the sexual harassment suits was dismissed, two others were settled out of court (with no-fault clauses for both the plaintiffs and defendant), and the fourth is back in arbitration after being appealed in 2008.  (As of this writing, there is little information on the wrongful termination suit; however, it has not gone to trial yet.)

Then there’s the question of Charney’s eccentric lifestyle, which includes masturbating in front of reporters, conducting business meetings in his underwear, condoning sex between his employees (and himself) and “throwing tantrums” when he thinks he’s being treated unfairly.  Charney doesn’t deny any of these claims, though.  Rather, he embraces his eccentric lifestyle as the backbone for his beliefs and his company, and refuses to hold back when it comes to his off-the-wall mannerisms or sexual desires.

“I’m not saying I want to s*** all the girls at work, but if I fall in love at work it’s going to be beautiful and sexual.”

That lifestyle, which includes keeping nude pictures of female employees on his desk (he calls them his “sluts” and “whores”), is also a core advertising point for American Apparel…and the lynch pin, for some, to avoid the brand all together.  A cursory Google search shows some of the most controversial ads – the ones that self-proclaimed AA-haters often cite – but instead of looking for the worst of the lot, the ads below are merely a few of their website’s most recent advertisements:

Keep in mind that this article only shows images that are “safe for work.”  Below is a list of some of the more provocative ads American Apparel has run in the past year (links contain graphic material):

• Unisex Bow Tie and Suspender:  …and nothing else.  This ad shows a young, flushed girl lying on a bed, wearing nothing but red lipstick, a bow tie and skinny white suspenders.
• Diamond Grid Bodysuit, One and Two: The first shows three versions of the same ad, which features a sheer bodysuit and lots of nipple.  The second shows the same suit, on a girl spreading her legs on top of a glass table.
• Bare breasts, sheer micro-mesh and hardwood, One and Two: This seems to be a favorite combination for American Apparel.
• More lace…again, on a bed: Stay classy, girlfriend.  Stay classy.

To most adults, these advertisements can be equated with softcore pornography – some men even admit they’ve used the images on AmericanApparel.net as “spank bank” material.  The counterargument, however, is that these images are meant to “push the envelope” of fashion, advertising, and even sexual mores in general, and that doing so could create a positive change in both the media and teens’ minds.

This leads us back to the initial debate: is the culture of American Apparel – its advertisements, its owner’s sexual beliefs – enough to deter us from buying its products, or is the company just using a more “natural,” if vulgar, way to sell sex?

The answer is that it’s up to you.  American Apparel has done a great job of placing itself into a moral gray area, and with scrutiny hitting the fashion world – the skinny/plus-size debate, Photoshopping disasters – there’s never been a better time to do it.  They’ve made the choice to buy their products a very personal one, and created the kind of buzz that sells a lot of t-shirts in the process.

Have you ever shopped at American Apparel?

After reading this article, will you shop there more often, or less?

Now that you know the truth about American Apparel’s marketing, advertising and business practices, you may choose to find another place to shop for trend-setting basics.  If so, you should check out the Alternatives to American Apparel.

Have a suggestion for a clothing line that should be listed as an alternative to American Apparel?  Email me at jen@awakenedaesthetic.com.

Tags: 2010 american apparel, american apparel, sex, sex in advertising, sexy ads