offended?

[erinmeta]

so, i know this isn't anything terribly new, but damn. i visit the american apparel website once every couple months and end up not ordering anything because i feel gross looking at most of the models; the sex appeal is so blatant it often crosses the line into repulsion for me. it's almost porn - the kind where the models never emit a positive atmosphere that can be found when sex work is a positive or empowering action for a woman. their expressions always say, "i'm just old enough to be doing this, i don't really understand the position i'm putting myself in, but everyone keeps telling me i look good and hey! free waredrobe!" there's an intentional awkwardness that is probably meant to make the target demographic feel more connected to the product, but instead i just feel like the models are being taken advantage of. in that sense, maybe this is all an argument over aesthetic preferences. still, i don't really understand how this part of the company is overlooked especially when they try to do positive things as far as their materials are concerned.

p.s. and the clothes are expensive, sometimes comparable to similar organic clothing from different retailers.
p.p.s. admittedly, i did buy an AA hoodie from an ebay discount seller last year...








and! and! and! some women who begin to take surface-level steps towards spending their money in better ways are still made to think they have to conform to super revealing, typically tight, low neck-type clothes. the style isn't intrinsically wrong, but companies who make moves to produce ethical goods should approach it in a more holistic way. fair-trade doesn't cancel out sexism.