The Rise and Fall of American Apparel

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  • Опубликовано: 3 окт 2024
  • American Apparel was once one of the biggest high street brands in the world. With indie sleaze ads that caught the consumers eye, Made in USA promise as well as their guarantee of workers rights, they differentiated themselves both in front and behind the scenes. However, the rise was short lived after in 2005 the sales began to dip and debt began to rise, causing the company to go public in order to remain on top. Then followed several years of questionable book keeping, trouble amongst the business heads and scandalous lawsuits about the founders workplace misconduct, the company saw even further troubles as both sales dipped and the stock price plummeted
    Beauty Channel: / @underskinyt
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Комментарии • 194

  • @dulapeep5609
    @dulapeep5609 5 месяцев назад +142

    The chokehold of american apparel campaign on tumblr is insaneee

  • @rentedthriftedreal
    @rentedthriftedreal 6 месяцев назад +280

    The best time in NYC was when you could walk into an American Apparel in any neighborhood and get the random leggings or bodysuit you needed for your outfit

    • @2120musiclover
      @2120musiclover 6 месяцев назад +24

      Big facts! I loved how the one on Houston was open til midnight on weekends!

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  6 месяцев назад +32

      In London we used to get leggings for clubbing because they were well opaque, cool and cheap

    • @miola2083
      @miola2083 6 месяцев назад +4

      I used to do much stuff at AA, loved the color and the Made in LA idea. I think I still have their silver leggings somewhere.

    • @Monroestevens306
      @Monroestevens306 5 месяцев назад +2

      Chicago too

    • @maryperry6573
      @maryperry6573 5 месяцев назад

      @@miola2083i still hve my Disco pants and Riding pants from AA. Not going anywhere

  • @LinguaNigra
    @LinguaNigra 6 месяцев назад +89

    Wow. 20 years ago I applied and got hired to work at the second AA location in Brooklyn, the Court Street store. Dov loved controversy. The "art" were mugshots of Black and brown women, all over the store. I remember emailing him about it and he replied, letting me know it was in fact "art". Smh. Back then every store had live plants and music blasting from the then very new ipod. We wore tight shirts and sold $50 hoodies to people who wanted to see the movies next door but didn't realize how cool the ac was.
    After you applied and if you got an interview, they took a photograph of you and that photo would live somewhere in the apartment near the shop in the LES.
    We would get random famous folks who lived in the neighborhood and almost every customer confused me for the other two Black women employees. It was a different time, I had a flip phone, the shop would be open till 12am on Saturdays and we had a lot less worries. I can't wait to get back with my old friends from the Court street shop this summer.
    *and I still have quite a lot of my clothes, it's so hard to give up*

    • @ajae...
      @ajae... 5 месяцев назад

      I remember when someone released a document laying out what employees should look like, and it was published on Gawker. I just tried to find it and there's a 404 message on the page. At least one other article exists on the defunct site, so special effort was made to remove the one I'm referring to. It said that black women employees could only have natural hair, no wigs or braids. It also talked about body type because only "attractive" black women should be hired. To me that's code for thin, lighter skinned, and narrow facial features. There was a lot of discussion about the company's anti-black racism that didn't make it into this video.
      When Gawker was shut down after being sued by a right wing political financier named Peter Theil, a lot of pages were removed.

    • @ajae...
      @ajae... 5 месяцев назад

      I remember when someone released a document laying out what employees should look like, and it was published on Gawker. I just tried to find it and there's a 404 message on the page. At least one other article exists on the defunct site, so special effort was made to remove the one I'm referring to. It said that black women employees could only have natural hair, no wigs or braids. It probably also talked about body type because only "attractive" black women should be hired. To me that's code for thin, lighter skinned, and narrow facial features. There was a lot if discussion about the company's anti-black racism that didn't make it into this video.

    • @ajae...
      @ajae... 5 месяцев назад +11

      I also remember online debates about whether the company's racism and sexism outweighed the better than average working conditions.

    • @LinguaNigra
      @LinguaNigra 5 месяцев назад +12

      @@ajae... it was a really weird time. Back then you could email Dov directly and he would reply. He would visit the store (I missed that, I only worked weekends). I can see what you mean because as a fat black woman, back then I just knew I wasn't the face of the brand. I def had to be assertive when it came to getting hired.

    • @crystalstarrz
      @crystalstarrz 5 месяцев назад +4

      Imagine it’s 2024 and I’m still looking for pieces I regrettably gave away.
      Especially the gold/black foil long sleeve minidress and the riding pants.

  • @chavant
    @chavant 5 месяцев назад +15

    You couldn't walk a single block in Manhattan or Brooklyn without seeing their iconic "cities totes". I myself have one and love it so much, still a staple. At its peak, American Apparel was synonymous with Tumblr and later with the AAA girls (a very fun era!). I dearly miss the aesthetics and their basics. The clothes I still have are some of the best quality I own. Important to note that AA factories were considered a beacon of hope/prestige amongst Mexican/Central American migrants in the LA area. Great job on this!

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  5 месяцев назад +1

      The AAA girls were such a bop! Shame to hear what Willam said about them splitting up due to scheduling, but I felt so represented then. It was before the wider mainstream cottoned on to drag race, though it had already started it just wasn't as ubiquitous as it is now

  • @yadig9227
    @yadig9227 5 месяцев назад +25

    As a former printer, the early 2010s AA garments were some of the best i worked with, some still being around a decade later in great shape.

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  5 месяцев назад +1

      Their client base has stuck with them a lot when they moved to LAA probably because of this

    • @LenaKeega
      @LenaKeega 5 месяцев назад +1

      I KNOW they’re such good quality 😫

  • @miola2083
    @miola2083 6 месяцев назад +50

    OMG, I used to LOVE American Apparel, I still have some of their shirts that I wear to the gym and tbh, the quality and cut are so good. I used to visit their Williamsburg store in Brooklyn. Good times. There’s def a gap in the market for a brand like this, minus the sexual misconduct. Thanks for this great video.

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  6 месяцев назад +9

      Right? Its wild to me that having someone actually give a hoot about their employees was their USP, wild. Then for it to be so awful at the same time, wild, just wild

  • @AbandonedRaven
    @AbandonedRaven 6 месяцев назад +106

    I remember when Supreme switched companies for their blank shirts. I’m not sure who Supreme uses now, but they used to use American Apparel. When they stopped, they dropped all of their blanks at Kmart (when it was still around). And people rushed, including me, to buy up the blanks since they were specifically made for Supreme. Even years later, those shirts are still better than the ones they use now. They’ve gotten better, but you can see the quality differences.

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  6 месяцев назад +11

      Oh thats so interesting, thanks for that tidbit I didnt know. I know the US Amry uses LA Apparel now, but Id like to know their other clients

    • @titamcfrizzy
      @titamcfrizzy 5 месяцев назад

      Oh wow! What year was this? 2009ish?

    • @AbandonedRaven
      @AbandonedRaven 5 месяцев назад +2

      @@titamcfrizzy I’d say way later than that, maybe like 2016? 2017? I’m not sure. I still have them. After checking of them say American Apparel, some have the typical Supreme tee tag but cut in half so you don’t see it. I got into the brand like 2013/14, so it couldn’t have been 2009.

    • @matthewmeyer7815
      @matthewmeyer7815 5 месяцев назад +1

      Supreme never used American apparel. Supreme t shirts were found in Kmart, but the tag on the shirt said supreme and the Kmart hang tag on the shirt said American apparel. There was no American apparel tag actually sewn onto the shirt

    • @AbandonedRaven
      @AbandonedRaven 5 месяцев назад

      @@matthewmeyer7815 Complex article, August 3, 2017, “Sorry, Hypebeasts, But You Can't Cop Those $4 Supreme Shirts at Kmart Anymore,” directly says that the last batch of American Apparel blanks (specifically made for Supreme), were shipped to Kmart. Lining up with around when AA went out of business. Supreme used American Apparel at one time. Some of them have the tag cut, some still have the Supreme tag in tact. I mean I have them in my collection still. And I’ve seen some with an American Apparel tag; cut and made very similar to Supreme shirts. I won’t pretend I know a lot about fashion when it comes to clothing on this particular channel (especially the higher end of the spectrum), but Supreme is one of the few brands I’ve collected and resold for a long time. I still have some and sold some. They were only a few bucks at Kmart if I remember correctly, as the title of the article said.

  • @cherrycoke6253
    @cherrycoke6253 6 месяцев назад +62

    Could you do a video on forever 21? I really want to know what happened.

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  6 месяцев назад +23

      Oooh theirs is such an interesting story too

    • @YogabyBiola
      @YogabyBiola 5 месяцев назад +1

      Yes!

  • @Loveswagsurf
    @Loveswagsurf 6 месяцев назад +48

    I worked at an AA store location in high school. I remember going to work and being met with a large group of factory workers protesting outside our store, with signs that said “we want dov back”. Was very strange to see a man with obvious sexual misconduct be simultaneously championed by those who appreciated the job security and quality he provided.

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  6 месяцев назад +23

      I mean imagine being a factory worker, you have extreemly few benefits, management often soesnt care, you *feel* replaceable. Then dov comes along and treats you like a human being. They mustve been terrified to lose the best version of that job that existed

    • @8_bruh_8
      @8_bruh_8 6 месяцев назад +2

      Since when is consensual sex “sexual misconduct”?

    • @kirbysaurus5670
      @kirbysaurus5670 5 месяцев назад

      @@8_bruh_8since when was being forced consensual

  • @user-hc2tu7ul7j
    @user-hc2tu7ul7j 6 месяцев назад +20

    When Kanye’s beautiful dark twisted fantasy album came out there was a song with a line ‘I need more drinks and less lights. And that American Apparell girl in just tights. I was in college and wanted to live the AA lifestyle sooo bad. Also, this may seem like an odd comment but the girls who modeled looked so ‘real’ and made me feel good about myself, unlike the previous super skinny celebs before

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  6 месяцев назад +14

      They were real! He was actively against photoshopping models or being too superfluous. Even today so many of the approaches he went with are innovative, its really such a shame he couldnt learn his lesson with sexual deviance

  • @lapinlibum8361
    @lapinlibum8361 3 месяца назад +3

    Another amazing video! I definitely think that there's a gap in the market for a brand like this again. The 'cool party girl' lifestyle they sold was super desirable during the Tumblr days and honestly is what I knew the brand for back then, rather than the ethical labour aspect of it. This metropolitan millennial lifestyle coupled with high-quality timeless basics is definitely something consumers are lacking nowadays.

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  3 месяца назад +2

      Oh 100% there is, theres really nothing on the high street with this kind of cult following now. I wonder if you could say brandi melville but Im not american to really know the extent of their popularity

  • @julianenjoume83
    @julianenjoume83 6 месяцев назад +11

    yeah, I was very happy when I got the notification of you new video: my friend worked at their shop in Berlin and we still have shirts that my kids wear now. great quality. we loved the color range, they had been so cool untill they were not because of all the scandal around dov... anyway, thank you so much for all the work and energy you put in your content. I love it so much and am a big fan!

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  6 месяцев назад +1

      Oh that makes me so happy to read thank you so much 🥰

  • @Mx_Skull
    @Mx_Skull 6 месяцев назад +19

    As someone who was a young adult in the late-2000's, this video REALLY scratched an itch. Thank you.
    By the way, I'm a long-time subscriber, and I've watched/listened to SO MANY of your videos over the last 3-4 years. You're truly doing some kind of necessary and important work, and I think your channel is under-rated. I just had an "ah-ha" moment while this video was playing. This is just feedback from one person (me), so take it or leave it! But, I realized that you deliver your research in the style of an essay, with some long, complex, compound sentences. There are sometimes multiple data points and even several key actors mentioned in a single sentence, and for me, those sentences sort of go "woosh" right through my head. Like, in one ear, out the other. Especially if there are also large blocks of text on the screen. If I were to read a transcript, I'd find it totally fulfilling. But, while listening, I have difficulty retaining a lot of what's said, and I'm consistently feeling the urge to stop and rewind... but perhaps partially due to the format (RUclips), I rarely do. I just lazily let the information evaporate.
    I don't take it as a granted that everyone would experience this the same way as me, or if they did, that they'd necessarily notice the issue (or some other issue, particular to their experience), be able to define it, and feel compelled to explain it in the comment section. I've been somewhat passively consuming your content for years, and I just had this little awakening. And, I realize that it must be difficult to condense SO MUCH research into a

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  5 месяцев назад +7

      What wonderfully constructive feedback thank you. Ive already scripted and edited my next couple videos, but Ill try to be more careful about that in the future. Youre right that I approach my scripts like Im writing a paper for a journal, just honestly because thats what I know, but yeah makes sense that its not as digestible. Truly thank you so much 🤍

  • @thinkforward8752
    @thinkforward8752 5 месяцев назад +5

    I used to *love* the fit of their 50/50 tee-shirts; well-fitted throughout and nice & snug around the neckline. I have yet to find a replacement brand/fit 💔

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  5 месяцев назад +1

      And not as heavy as the uniqlo ones

  • @Mademoiselleantoine
    @Mademoiselleantoine 6 месяцев назад +12

    American Apparel used to be a major presence. I recall visiting their stores in downtown Boston. The stores had a simple, unassuming look, but I also remember the scandal involving sexual misconduct and their highly sexualized marketing campaigns.

    • @user-hc2tu7ul7j
      @user-hc2tu7ul7j 6 месяцев назад +4

      I wish it was still open! I was walking down Newbury last month and it’s so soulless compared to 2016

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  5 месяцев назад +5

      Personally I never mind a sexualised ad, I think its of its time maybe a bit eesh today, but in context I get it. For me it's the intraoffice fraternisation that is a real put off

    • @giovanna722
      @giovanna722 5 месяцев назад +4

      I remember seeing large ads featuring sheepish looking girls of about 14 or 15 turned towards a wall, " offering" a view of their backsides. I knew nothing about him, but really disliked the creepy esthetic.

  • @tweetingsparks
    @tweetingsparks 6 месяцев назад +19

    The guy kept his LA Apparel factory open at the beginning of the pandemic and 300 of the factory workers were critical.

  • @alexc8512
    @alexc8512 3 месяца назад +1

    Recently walked into the LA apparel store in Los Angeles as a previous consumer of AA. The quality was supreme in the items I tried on.

  • @monsieurhoneybones
    @monsieurhoneybones 6 месяцев назад +6

    Great reporting as always. It would also be amazing to see you do a video on the rise and fall of Opening Ceremony.

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  6 месяцев назад +2

      Im glad you liked it, and yeah OC was such an interesting brand, I think theyre still doing okay too

  • @Gramercypark
    @Gramercypark 6 месяцев назад +6

    I loved exploring all their stores in nyc- each one was so unique in its own way. Although I did hear that some employees would steal clothes almost every shift- not sure if this was true of course but everyone that worked at the stores were very young.

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  6 месяцев назад +6

      The girls I know who worked there definitely did 💀💀

  • @sarikatimmi
    @sarikatimmi 5 месяцев назад +5

    miss this store so much. great stuff, fantastic quality and well priced

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  5 месяцев назад

      And in a time before Uniqlo it was quite needed

  • @paaaaaaal
    @paaaaaaal 6 месяцев назад +4

    THANK YOU 🙌🏼🙌🏼 I asked for this and you delivered!!! Ready to watch & learn!!!

  • @paullisak6454
    @paullisak6454 5 месяцев назад +3

    I have been doing screen printing my entire life. I would go to a trade show every year in Long Beach CA. I met Dov there one year, he was dressed super cool and his booth had a ton of cute girls in it. Everyone at trade shows gets so much literature from the booths, that you carry around these heavy bags with cheap handles that usually break. Those were the years that American Apparel had these little catalogs, way different than every other manufacturer with their models in thongs and tiny bras. I remember seeing a bunch of dudes at the trade show with no heavy bags of literature but the one catalog they all had was the one from AA either in their hands or back pockets. Dov knew how to sell his product.

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  5 месяцев назад +2

      "Sex sells, unfortunately we sell Denim", my favourite tag line ever and it's from Diesel. Actually I'd say it was this tag line specifically that got me interested in retailing specifically

    • @paullisak6454
      @paullisak6454 5 месяцев назад

      @@understitchYT Love Diesel, the early early 2000s cowboy/western aesthetic was soooo cool. Coolest pair of shoes I have ever owned, Black leather slip-ons with orange and white western stitching and a white sole. I think they were called the Skywalkers. Renzo is a brilliant man!

  • @kinolibby6580
    @kinolibby6580 5 месяцев назад +5

    I used to work in a shop on Carbaby Street (London) in the mid naughties and there was a reciprocal discount amoungst the staff of many of the shops on the street including American Apparel. Chatting with other people who worked on the street it became clear that we were all being offered different discunts at American Apparel. I can't remember if they confirmed it or we just figured it out but American Apparel staff were told to give higher discounts to hot people as a marketing strategy.

    • @yanikeonpurpose
      @yanikeonpurpose 5 месяцев назад

      Not hot people. Lool London back then was a time. Haven’t been to Carnaby street in ages!

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  5 месяцев назад +1

      Oh wow thats kind of awful, something I expect of the old A+F

  • @Michael-xi9nb
    @Michael-xi9nb 6 месяцев назад +4

    I have fond memories of American Apparel coming to London. One in Covent Garden and then Oxford Street. 😭

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  6 месяцев назад +1

      We used to love the one in Covent Garden, because it was less busy than the Oxford Street one

  • @maryjanedodo
    @maryjanedodo 5 месяцев назад +3

    I'd add that the American Apparel aesthetic was equally as influenced by Richard Kern & Vice Magazine (when it was mostly just a magazine) as much as Terry Richardson, on the Flipside the first 2 seasons of Skins was very inspired by the AA aesthetic. That's the only reason anyone knew about AA in Australia. I still treasure my old physical copies of the Magazine - particularly the photo issues which were printed on a larger format. Yeah a lot of sleazy stuff happned in that era pre 3G & GFC, but pop-culture was even worse than alternative culture - just need to look at how Britney & Amy Winehouse were treated by the media...

  • @ashleymatthews683
    @ashleymatthews683 5 месяцев назад +4

    I'll never give up my AA disco pants. I'll never wear them, but i can't give them to the streets😂

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  5 месяцев назад

      Someone in the comments said she was saving up to buy them when they closed, nudge nudge ahhaha

  • @sip_water
    @sip_water 5 месяцев назад +2

    american apparel deserves praise for how ubiquitous they became for band/tour merch. whether it was a tiny local band or an arena packer for a period of time band merch almost always came on american apparel blanks. not the best blanks in the world but they definitely were above the bar in quality. all of mine still hold up to this day as long as the print was done well. now the blanks people use are so hit or miss that i hardly ever buy merch anymore, or i treat it like a donation because the shirt probably sucks. shame.

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  5 месяцев назад

      Thats such a good point. I wonder if thats transferred to LA Apparel at all, I know the US army commissions them and theyre running quite well atm so I wouldn't be surprised

  • @joseluisrodriguezritte2734
    @joseluisrodriguezritte2734 6 месяцев назад +4

    Excellent insights about the fashion industry. I appreciate your work!!! Thanks

  • @elbowjuice2627
    @elbowjuice2627 5 месяцев назад +1

    All your videos are excellent. Keep up the great work.

  • @Fabdanc
    @Fabdanc 5 месяцев назад +7

    I still have so much American Apparel clothing, some of which I still wear almost every single day -- I still have an OG Legalize LA shirt. The quality was so good. Every time a piece wears out, a piece of me dies. A pair of shorts I have finally ripped after 15 years of use.
    AA was actually my Accounting-Stratregic Management cap stone project in university. Their rapid brick & mortar expansion created an untenable debt situation that was only exacerbated by the 08 financial crisis. They just couldn't overcome this. It is crazy to think that if they would have been more conservative and relied more on e-comm sales, they probably could have weathered their financial struggles.
    Could the company have weathered the more social scandals, hard to say.

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  5 месяцев назад +2

      I agree actually, I think the downfall was mainly due to the needlessly quick expansion. But whats weird about it is that they knew the high street was dying by that point, even as far back as the 90s we started seeing signs that stores were struggling (I mean the Disney Store famously struggled terribly in the 90s because of it), so I think youre right there.
      Honestly, I think they could've spun their scandals tbh. Other companies have done far worse and recovered quickly, so I just dont think it was the sole reason

    • @Fabdanc
      @Fabdanc 5 месяцев назад +1

      @@understitchYT totally, in my research we actually looked at the debt covenants. They signed agreements with extremely unfavorable terms. Even if their sales rebounded, they would have still struggled to service the debt and likely would have defaulted on their loans.
      I always found their e-commerce experience so much easier as it had a wider selection. If you were an avid shopper, their sizing was super consistent between styles. So if you had your measurements down, there was never a need to go into a store.
      I don't know about you, but their hoodies were just so iconic. You could spot someone in an AA hoody from a mile away.

    • @chavant
      @chavant 5 месяцев назад +1

      Interesting perspective, totally right about the accumulated debt! I only have 2 remaining items left, my cities tote, and a plain shirt with a colored collar unfortunately!

  • @oreolusola9358
    @oreolusola9358 5 месяцев назад +6

    Pleaseee do a video on Nasty Gal 🙏🏾
    Love all your content btw I’ve watched everything❤️

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  5 месяцев назад +1

      Oh thats so interesting, I hadn't thought of them before

  • @scpatl4now
    @scpatl4now 6 месяцев назад +11

    I remember when all these allegations came out. I truly thought he was mentally ill with some of the things he made staff endure in a sexual nature

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  6 месяцев назад +17

      To me its wild someone can be so simultaneously awful and great. Like why is it so noteworthy to have a company that actually cares for its employees benefits and wellbeing? But then why is it that in that environment the head would be so exploitative to the women. I dont defend him obviously, but its wild that such a juxtaposition was able to exist

  • @debspringchannel831
    @debspringchannel831 5 месяцев назад

    Thank you for honouring my request... Love this channel

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  5 месяцев назад

      Im always so grateful for requests, its nice to know which way you want me to go 🥰

  • @1mochadelightable
    @1mochadelightable 5 месяцев назад +5

    Always walked right passed that dry 😂looking store

    • @Deenique16
      @Deenique16 5 месяцев назад

      Ok

    • @shinstantramen5169
      @shinstantramen5169 5 месяцев назад

      😂😂😂

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  5 месяцев назад

      It was never my taste, I was more topshop/topman but my friends liked it a lot

  • @lisabrightly
    @lisabrightly 5 месяцев назад +1

    Another very well done piece! Thank you!

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  5 месяцев назад +1

      Im glad you enjoyed it, thank you

  • @zeberday1
    @zeberday1 5 месяцев назад +4

    I wish I'd kept that baby blue bleached tie dye t-shirt. Newly out, 17 year old me loved it.

  • @tabletbooks4967
    @tabletbooks4967 5 месяцев назад +1

    Genuinely wonder what's the difference in quality now between American Apparel tagged shirts, a Gildan subsidiary, and Gildan tagged shirts - and which dominate printing / merch in North America, while also being considered some of the lower quality Ts out there.
    Edit: also the model, Lauren Phoenix, at 11:16 in the 2005 ad was a literal 🌽 star. Nothing wrong with using sex workers in ads, but these were the only women of prominence they featured in their advertising (I think Sasha Grey also did ads for them) - no actors or musicians or other women of note, just 🌽 stars. That was one of those things that gave people the ick about the brand early on.
    Excellent video as always.

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  5 месяцев назад +2

      I can't imagine why *homosexual wink* but I had no idea that the women were in corn hahahah I'm very pro-expression and freedom as a person, so nothing but respect from me for the girls getting their bag, but a bit sus they didnt use male corners though ijs

  • @JordanJ-i1e
    @JordanJ-i1e 3 месяца назад

    This store was in every neighborhood i went to. I brought my first shirt in the park slope store. This was one of my favorite stores. They had the smallest shoes for women.

  • @FortheLoveofMonsters
    @FortheLoveofMonsters 6 месяцев назад +13

    American Apparel did NOT have body diversity. Most of their ads were skinny white people. They rarely featured dark skin people.

    • @AliceHart95
      @AliceHart95 6 месяцев назад +4

      So?

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  6 месяцев назад +5

      They had so significantly more than their competitors, it was very noticeable at the time

    • @amarachiduru7929
      @amarachiduru7929 5 месяцев назад +5

      @@understitchYT That’s sad that AA was considered more diverse than their competitors. Growing up as a dark skinned woman I never could see their ads as diverse lol

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  5 месяцев назад +2

      I agree, it wasn't a good time for diversity and most minorities were used as a gimmick in those days, its really sad but I remember that with the AAA girls and when my friend Lucy saw Asian models in AA for the first time. Really, they were the only brand being remotely inclusive and not in a condescending way, but even then it wasn't enough, I'm glad we are seeing improvements

    • @AliceHart95
      @AliceHart95 5 месяцев назад +1

      @@amarachiduru7929 I’m dark and I have never cared about stupid stuff like that if you like the brand and they make good clothes so what? There’s brands that only use dark people..like get over yourselves it’s so annoying how everyone wants “representation” is like getting out of control now everyone remotely good looking thinks they’re super models 🙄

  • @jackieeg
    @jackieeg 6 месяцев назад +14

    No one at the factory was particularly loyal to Dov. I knew a lot of people that worked there in various jobs… I wouldn’t say any of them liked Dov.

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  6 месяцев назад +10

      Thank you for that perspective. I actually spoke with people connected ex-factory workers to check if it was correct and they seemed to think it was, but obviously I recognise that everyone has different experiences and I just dont personally think all the women felt totally safe in that environment either

  • @RiverSightPortugal
    @RiverSightPortugal 3 месяца назад

    I still have and wear some AA clothing items from high school, from at least 15 years ago. The quality was amazing

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  3 месяца назад

      So it seems, the LAA is the same quality which is very novel in retail these days, most brands have lost quality so much

  • @HeyQuinton
    @HeyQuinton 5 месяцев назад +1

    Ryan Holiday (yeah the guy who now does stoic writing and whatever) was a real marketing genius (scumbag?) for this company and was a big contributor to their growth and popularity

  • @mantronixtube
    @mantronixtube Месяц назад +2

    so there is a LOT left out of this. at the time, graphic tees were the business with 3 major companies ruling the market. they didn;t go with AA bc of the sweatshops. the shirts were actually nicer. the cotton felt better. the cuts and styles were hard to get from other t-shirt supply companies. dov used to walk around the trade shows flanked by strippers wearing his thongs and tanks. the girls in most of the early ads are strippers. he seemed high a lot of the time. when AA opened stores, it was anything but affordable. if you could get a white tshirt from gap for $20, it would be nearly $50 at AA. the shops were rude, no one enjoyed shopping in them. the sales people were aholes.
    yes terry shot everything.
    then the first shoe dropped. i think there were a lot of drugs involved and graphic tee market faded out. it;s back again now though.

  • @SpanishMontagne-uq8bp
    @SpanishMontagne-uq8bp 2 месяца назад

    I bought a AA t-shirt in 2008 when I visited NYC, I had the worst experience as a customer with very condescending staff but I still wear this t-shirt today because the quality is top notch. That fabric hasn't deteriorated at all. Always looking for AA second hand today.

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  2 месяца назад +1

      I think LA Apparel is exactly the same quality too. Literlly thw product looks identical

    • @SpanishMontagne-uq8bp
      @SpanishMontagne-uq8bp 2 месяца назад

      Interesting thank you I will check it out, durable clothes are hard to find these days

  • @arfriedman4577
    @arfriedman4577 5 месяцев назад +1

    Years ago, i walked past the American Apparel store. I think i went in once to look.

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  5 месяцев назад

      Find anything you liked?

    • @arfriedman4577
      @arfriedman4577 5 месяцев назад +1

      @@understitchYT it was a long time ago. The store was a few blocks from my job, near a restaurant we ate at sometimes. I just looked. I had no plan to buy.
      Much success, health, happiness and blessings to all.

  • @SandiaUltraLights
    @SandiaUltraLights 5 месяцев назад +1

    Nothing beat a the AA zip up hoodies with 50/50 tee underneath. Sigh... simpler times.

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  5 месяцев назад +1

      geek glasses with no functional lenses and a moustache on your finger, god I loved it

  • @lilmonsta6701
    @lilmonsta6701 5 месяцев назад +1

    The Los Angeles Apparel billboards around LA are so weak. American Appeal was the aesthetic

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  5 месяцев назад +1

      I'm curious why they didn't go with a revamped image tbh

  • @robertclarkson6064
    @robertclarkson6064 Месяц назад

    Thank you 👍👍👍

  • @darrelsuarez
    @darrelsuarez 5 месяцев назад +1

    my secret flex is having pictures with and autographed posters of all three AAA girls

  • @ahmarindungu9010
    @ahmarindungu9010 6 месяцев назад +1

    Omg every person was in this I though everyone was so cool even me lol 🤣

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  6 месяцев назад +7

      Honestly I think its nice to have a company that genuinely cared for its employees. Wild that thats become an extreme exception rather than the rule

  • @discodirk48
    @discodirk48 5 месяцев назад +1

    That's the Juice for ya!

  • @kateb2643
    @kateb2643 6 месяцев назад

    I was thinking "wow, that's so doable" until the small loan of $100k

  • @Tweegrrl
    @Tweegrrl 5 месяцев назад

    I remember back in the day in Montreal, before AA became AA, the wholesale t-shirts had a "Classic Girl" tag. There were shops on rue Mont-Royal where you could get anything you wanted printed on a 100% cotton Classic Girl t-shirt. ^~ M E M O R I E S ~^

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  5 месяцев назад

      oh thats so interesting thank you

  • @markjohnson2257
    @markjohnson2257 6 месяцев назад +1

    American Apparel was very popular back in the day. I don't think those provocative ads would be acceptable in today's environment.

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  6 месяцев назад +7

      Shock marketing just took a different route really. It used to be all about sex and now its more about CGI causing impossible stuff. Honestly i think there should be space for both, but fashion follows trends so strongly that its hard to see something truly truly original

    • @AliceHart95
      @AliceHart95 6 месяцев назад

      Look up Los Angeles apparel

  • @j.-f.beaulieu1331
    @j.-f.beaulieu1331 5 месяцев назад +1

    I think he was making a profit of $1 a shirt, not $50... I don't think schoolchildren in 1984 would pay $50+ for a t-shirt. Granted, the sentence is awkwardly phrased.

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  5 месяцев назад +1

      Yeah someone else commented that I may have misunderstood. Hoenstly, I just thought he was exaggerating

    • @j.-f.beaulieu1331
      @j.-f.beaulieu1331 5 месяцев назад +2

      also a good hypothesis considering it's Dov...

  • @Kinglystateof
    @Kinglystateof 5 месяцев назад +1

    You’re watching UNDERSTITCH✨

  • @juliettevharris
    @juliettevharris 6 месяцев назад +2

    I wish you could send private messages in RUclips. Hopefully 'Understich' sees this. (I don't know her name, actually)
    I would love a video on Claude Montana. He died recently, which made me realize not many people even know about him.

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  6 месяцев назад +3

      I really desperately want to do a video on CM, I just dont honestly know how many people would watch it. Maybe thats exactly why I should do it idk
      Also, you can DM me on insta if you want, but I only log requests given in YT comments. I obviously get quite a lot, so its just an easier way to handle it

    • @juliettevharris
      @juliettevharris 6 месяцев назад +4

      @@understitchYT I think it would be interesting. I'd love to know why he had a downfall. People should know about him. He was an amazing designer. There where other's in the 80's and 90's that should be known. Nolan Miller is another one, or Bob Mackie! You could do a series on designers of the 70's, 80's and 90's. 😍

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  5 месяцев назад +2

      I would adore to do Bob Mackie so so much, I think I'm probably the best channel on YT rn to do a full retrospective. I'd honestly just like to cover everyone, one day I hope to run out of brands

  • @w.urlitzer1869
    @w.urlitzer1869 3 месяца назад

    I liked the publicity but not the clothes.

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  3 месяца назад

      I think a lot of people fall into that camp

  • @SoaringSpear
    @SoaringSpear 6 месяцев назад +2

    I’ve never heard “South Carolinian” sound so classy

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  6 месяцев назад +1

      Its all the tea and shameful history 🤗

  • @asc642
    @asc642 6 месяцев назад +1

    My dad used to work there

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  6 месяцев назад +1

      Any crazy stories?

    • @asc642
      @asc642 6 месяцев назад

      @@understitchYT My dad worked for them for years until they unfairly laid him off in 2017

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  5 месяцев назад +1

      Im sorry he had to go through that

  • @trueKENTUCKY
    @trueKENTUCKY 5 месяцев назад +3

    lulumon in 2030

  • @aprilized
    @aprilized 5 месяцев назад

    You completely misunderstood the part about selling shirts in 1984. Him and his friends were making $50 each (not on each shirt) for selling the shirts. He was trying to make $1 profit on each shirt. It says it right there in the transcript. Lol.... $49 dollars profit on each shirt in 1984 from someone buying your shirt off the street....Yeah, no chance.

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  5 месяцев назад

      Yeah somebody else said this too. Honestly I just thought he was exaggerating

  • @jadacherie9464
    @jadacherie9464 6 месяцев назад +26

    I was in high school from 2013 - 2017 and I wanted to be a AA girly so bad. I saw so much of it on Tumblr and I remember when I turned 15 my mother took me there and I got my first denim circle skirt with a crop top. It was my favorite outfit. When their store in was going out of business, I racked up a whole closet for 80 dollars and I got so many pieces that I had wanted for so long. I still have some of them today. I shopped from his Los Angeles Apparel company recently and the products are just as good. I just wish that he made more of the iconic pieces now that I can afford them. Hopefully he really got his act together this time

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  6 месяцев назад +10

      I think theres space for an AA-like company. But it frustrates me that he doesnt seem to have learnt his lesson to do with sexual misconduct with LAA honestly. Really, if it was not for that I think the brand couldve been incredible

  • @LenaKeega
    @LenaKeega 5 месяцев назад +1

    They shouldn’t have closed, I was too young and didn’t get all the pieces I wanted 😭

    • @Vintagestylewins
      @Vintagestylewins 5 месяцев назад +1

      Exactly I wasn't working yet to afford a pair of disco pants lol I was 14 😂

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  5 месяцев назад +1

      maybe ebay has it for nostalgic purposes?

  • @ttllymxico
    @ttllymxico 5 месяцев назад +2

    Fvcking Hell Calling it Indie Sleaze when the Corporation merely imitated eras and Cultures we grew up in is CHEEEEEEEEEEESY
    GET A C L U E WHERE STYLES ARE FROM !

    • @z0z111
      @z0z111 5 месяцев назад +2

      It's not really cheesy, it's just a phrase to describe a style, the style itself was cheesy, as is your attachment to it. I say this as someone who was there for it all.

    • @breathless_siren
      @breathless_siren 5 месяцев назад +2

      I guess no one wants to say hipster anymore? I miss that time, but it was such a wild part of my life and a little destructive

  • @bnwo
    @bnwo 5 месяцев назад

    Dov is a legend.

  • @elizharber3564
    @elizharber3564 3 месяца назад

  • @trueKENTUCKY
    @trueKENTUCKY 5 месяцев назад +2

    i am glad fashion has moved from caring about slaves and is more worried about racy photos in advertising

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  5 месяцев назад

      I think the problem was more the sexualised work environment, but yeah, there is far worse

  • @paddyolten4031
    @paddyolten4031 6 месяцев назад

    The brands choice recently aren’t very exciting … I literally forget this brand …. How about Vetements and other streetwear brands like Stüssy ? How about Givenchy ? How about…..

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  6 месяцев назад +3

      Thank you for the feedback, I’ve been trying to toy with different kinds of fashion brands on the channel as well as the biographies. I want to represent my own interest in retailing, and obviously that does expand wider than just luxury brands or just popular brands. But I take that on board, thank you

    • @nash4903
      @nash4903 5 месяцев назад +7

      @@understitchYTI completely disagree with the original comment and have really been enjoying these recent brands! Its interesting finding out what went wrong/right with brands I used to be really into :)

  • @kendi1417
    @kendi1417 6 месяцев назад

    Love this brand and founder.

  • @LennyCartwright
    @LennyCartwright 6 месяцев назад +1

    "He moved from Canada to America"
    Canada is in America, by the way.

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  6 месяцев назад +10

      Its in Northern America, the continent, but America is the country otherwise called the USA or United States of America

    • @sugrcookiiee
      @sugrcookiiee 6 месяцев назад +7

      Absolutely fucking not
      You know they meant the (united states) which canada is not apart of, by the w a y.

    • @sugrcookiiee
      @sugrcookiiee 6 месяцев назад +8

      The united states of america is the only country on either continent with america in its name. Thats why some people call the "U.S" america, hope this helps your brain

  • @AliceHart95
    @AliceHart95 6 месяцев назад +2

    Los Angeles apparel is now going and they’re selling the same stuff they’re a great brand he just changed the name now 😂

    • @understitchYT
      @understitchYT  6 месяцев назад

      Yeah its included in the video, did you see the small doc from VICE?

  • @BkGoodBoyBad
    @BkGoodBoyBad 6 месяцев назад +2

    Spliff already rolled. I knew today was gonna be a good content day 😮‍💨🤎👏🏾