Briefs and tube socks

American Apparel is so 2000 and late. Dov Charney (CEO, AA) reinvented the shorts, briefs, tube-socks, V-necks, tight long-sleeves – these used to be the basics of every queer wardrobe. It was even more exciting for us children of former USSR where communism brought some real vintage sexyback (from today’s perspective) but where no one realized it back then. Well, even for us now, AA has become kind of dull, boring and mundane. And obviously I am not the only one who thinks like that  – have you checked the avalanche of red numbers that slammed AA? Or the shit storm that crushed it some months ago?

“Hipster is over” says Dov, who, as the founder of American Apparel, rode the trend as far as anyone. Starting the company in a dorm at Tufts University in Medford, Mass., he built a worldwide empire of 280 stores by boldly leaping out ahead of mainstream fashion until it turned to (surprise!) mainstream itself. Fashion nerds and hipsters would nowadays rather mix couture with HUMANA than wear something having an American Apparel label on.

That is why the biggest challenge of all may be in terms of style. After outfitting the world of 18- to 30-year-olds in all manner of T-shirts and leggings, which still rank among the company’s best-sellers, American Apparel is going preppy, diving into more sophisticated garments such as blazers, pleated pants, button-down shirts, and more formal lace tops. “Kids are moving away from piercings,” Charney says. “We want to grow old with our customer. We want to be a traditional American clothier.” As usual, time will tell if the new AA strategies will pay off and lure the queer fashion army or if we could declare the company dead for good.

[images via Dov Charney, CC]