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abercrombie and fitch international
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Abercrombie & Fitch
In America today, there are many different clothing stores. There are stores setting images for all ages, and styles. The majority of the upper-class stores are setting the American image for the young adult population. Many of the advertisements for these stores are somewhat similar. I have spent the last year and a half working in a clothing store called, “Abercrombie and Fitch”. Seeing this store change and grow with its image of vintage American clothing, I have found many rhetorical issues. Within this essay I will be discussing the many rhetorical issues of the clothing company “Abercrombie and Fitch”.
Abercrombie and Fitch, a clothing company, that advertises, to the American young adult population, was founded in 1892 by two men; David T. Abercrombie and Ezra Fitch. David T. Abercrombie was born in Baltimore and was a former inventor and taper. Ezra Fitch was a successful lawyer. David convinced Ezra to become his partner in 1892, when the company was founded. By 1904 Abercrombie was the largest outdoor equipment and clothing store in the US. Today A&F is one of the biggest clothing companies, selling the “all-American” vintage look.
When Abercrombie advertises a new season, the company goes all out. Whether it is fall, winter, spring or summer, the advertisements are all promoting the same things. These advertisements are full of either slim or buff young adults, modeling the A&F clothing line. Posters of models are hung all around the store. Abercrombie catalogs are made available to purchase in the store, and there is also the option to receive the catalog in the mail. The shopping bags even have these characteristic models on them. Not only do these magazines, pos...
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...son. I realize that when advertising clothes for a company that a company want the image to look good and appealing. I think that A&F has so many problems with their company, because of the people they use as their models. Not just anyone can model for A&F. The standards are very high, which makes becoming an Abercrombie model challenging. I really don’t have a problem with the way A&F advertises their company, but I can see where some people might think that it is wrong. Abercrombie is setting this image of what the look should be for the men and women wearing the clothing. A&F is mainly trying to sell to the young adult era, not the teeny bobber era. Using beautiful people, to set the “all American” vintage image, season after season is something that is part of the A&F Company. It sets a fun and comfortable look for the young men and women of America today.
The Silverman family first founded American Eagle Outfitters in 1977. They operated specialty clothing stores under the name Retail Ventures. In 1980 the Silverman’s encountered financial troubles when the Schottenstein family bought out 50% of the Retail Ventures. In 1991 the Schottenstein family bought the rest of Retail Ventures and opened 153 American Eagle Outfitters. By late 2000 the company had introduced 46 new stores in Canada. American Eagle had approximately $2 million in annual sales in 2003 and now operates over 800 stores in the United States and Canada (http://www.hoovers.com/american-eagle-outfitters/--ID__17231--/free-co-factsheet.xhtml).
In a second attempt to further expand the company horizons, an e-commerce site was created. This site is interesting because its main focus is not the clothing but the “lifestyle”. Upon entering the Abercrombie and Fitch website, the first thing the consumer sees is a half naked man, sprawled on the ground, eating a plate full of fruit. It is just to be inferred that he is wearing Abercrombie and Fitch clothing. This just shows how the image of Abercrombie is much more important than the clothing itself. The site itself is bright and summery. The attitude is carefree, active and sexy. Maneuvering ones way around this website is relatively easy. The links include Lifestyle, A&F TV, A&F Quarterly (the magazine/catalogue), Company, and Shop A&F. Other links include, music, movies, downloads, postcards, photos, and “hot” sites. The website seems to be almost completely focused on drawing the consumer into the lifestyle of Abercrombie and Fitch. The information the company gives is very limited. For example, throughout the entire website, there is not one mention of a company mission statement, yet there is a plethora of information about the company’s financial standings.
In the 1997 article Listening to Khakis, published in the New Yorker, Malcolm Gladwell effectively paints a vivid picture of the thought and science that goes into advertising campaigns. Gladwell begins his paper by focusing on the Dockers’ advertising campaign for their line of adult male khaki pants, which he labels as extremely successful. This campaign was the first line of successful fashion advertisements aimed directly toward adult males (Gladwell, 1997). This campaign was cunningly simple and showed only males wearing the pants being advertised with the background noise filled with men having a casual conversation (Gladwell, 1997). This tactic was used because studies showed that Dockers’ target market felt an absence in adult male friendships. (Gladwell, 1997). The simplicity of the advertisements was accentuated as to not to deter possible customers by creating a fashion based ad because, based on Gladwell’s multiple interviews of advertising experts, males shy away from being viewed as fashion forward or “trying to hard” (Gladwell, 1997).
A&F Quarterly was a magazine-catalog hybrid periodical sold by Abercrombie and Fitch from fall 1997 to December 2003. Circulation for the Quarterly averaged one million to 1.2 million during the late 1990s. The publication, released four times a year, featured articles about college life, photo essays by Bruce Weber, and advertisements for the company's clothing. In addition to this, the company's 280-page book included nude young adult models in highly suggestive poses, as well as articles on sex -- elements apparently intended to boost the clothing retailer's brand among college-age customers.
Descriptions of ritual circumcision span across cultures, and have been described in ancient Egyptian texts as well as the Old Testament. With this being said, “The American Academy of Pediatrics believes that circumcision has potential medical benefits and advantages, as well as risks. Evaluation of current evidence indicates that the health benefits of newborn male circumcision outweigh the risks and that the procedure's benefits justify access to this procedure for families who choose it, however, existing scientific evidence is not sufficient to recommend routine circumcision.” (n.d.).
When parents first discover they are having a baby, there are so many aspects to consider. Who is going to be their doctor, which hospital are they going to deliver at, what are they going to name the baby, and what color should they paint the nursery. Parents that are expecting a male newborn have to decide if they want their baby to be circumcised. For many families, this is an easy decision based on their cultural or religious beliefs. However, for others the right option is not as clear. Over the years, the topic of circumcision has been debated and views have swayed for and against the procedure. Ultimately, the parents must evaluate all the pros and cons and make the decision that aligns best with their thoughts and beliefs. The parent’s decision about the procedure will be influenced by various factors. It is vital that they are educated on the accurate information surrounding the advantages and disadvantages of the circumcision. This paper will evaluate both sides of this controversial issue.
Freedom of choice is a desire for most, but as we are young we depend on the decision of our parents. With this dependent nature of a child the freedom of choice is limited, for males this can lead to a life long consequence. Male circumcision is the surgical removal of the foreskin; the skin covering the head of the penis. Circumcision is practiced for religious purposes in Jewish and Muslim communities. Normally, the boy’s age varies from 4 to 11 years old. In the United States, this procedure is also done but without a religious purpose. The boys in this case are commonly newborn. This practice became popular after medical groups claimed that there were many health benefits that came with circumcision. Though it has been proven otherwise, it is still a common practice in the U.S. fueled by ignorance. Circumcision is an unnecessary surgery that leads to psychological problems, issues with sexual activities and lasting physical damage.
In 2013, about 7.4 million tons of chocolate is expected to be consumed globally, totaling to nearly $110 billion (Pardomuan, Nicholson). I can honestly say that I will be one of the many people who contribute immensely to those massive quantities. Chocolate has always been one of my guilty pleasures, leading me to consider myself a “chocoholic.” After 20 years of eating chocolate, I learned there is more to chocolate than meets the eye. Many chemicals compose each delicious piece creating multiple psychological effects on the mind. With the knowledge of the chemical and psychological influences that chocolate has on the human mind and body and my own curiosity as to why I love it so much, this led me to ask: Why is chocolate considered such a pleasurable and craveable food?
In “The man behind Abercrombie and Fitch.” An interview conducted by Benoit Denizet-Lewis displays a glimpse into the life of Mike Jeffries and his views of his company only hiring “good-looking” people and targeting “good-looking” people to wear his clothes. This has been done in order to force his audience to recognize that the issue of acceptance one’s peers and exclusion of a community mentioned by Mike Jeffries, is a result of cultural perceptions and individual self-image. Denizet-Lewis skillfully shows that while Jeffries remarks of not wanting the “not-so-popular” kids to shop in his stores, it poses a question to consumers asking what change in our attitudes will come or if there will be any change at all. Thus comes the issue of how consumers today have a shift in the reasoning behind why one buys clothing and the motivating factors that influence one to buy certain clothing. Denizet-Lewis also demonstrates the different messages that controversial advertisements and statements affect different groups of people and how what they project is really what people desire, though deemed by many people as unacceptable or inappropriate. The author also examines how in the news media, the image has become more important than the message and how images have taken precedent over actual issues and character. As a result of this, various communities have formed by the construct of selling to “beautiful people” and how popular appeal has become an extension of a person.
Male circumcision involves the process of amputating the foreskin so that the glans of the penis is exposed. (2:602) Nontherapeutic male circumcision has been performed over many centuries and it is an integral part of some religions and cultures. The World Health Organization reports that 30% of males globally are circumcised, with 70% of these being Muslim. (3:1) The prophet Muhammad proclaimed that all followers must circumcise their sons on day seven postpartum. Although not all Muslims follow this exactly, males are circumcised within the first 10 years of age and it is one of the factors of the customs in Islam that allow for personal hygiene. (4:76) Judaism also values circumcision as an important part of the religion. As is described in the Old Testament it is one of the prerequisites to becoming a great nation that Abraham undergoes circumcision, and that every male be circumcised on the eight day of life. (4:76) Although Jesus Christ himself was circumcised, his disciple Paul proclaimed that this act is no longer necessary, thus circumcision is no longer a part of Christianity. (4:76) In addition to religious incentives for nontherapeutic circumcision, cultur...
Per WebMD “Male circumcision is a surgery to remove the foreskin, a fold of skin that covers and protects the rounded tip of the penis. The foreskin provides sensation and lubrication for the penis. In most cases, circumcision is elective surgery, which means there isn't a medical reason for it”. If it is done, circumcision is usually done soon after birth. It’s been disputed that circumcision can be traced as far back as Ancient Egypt. Some believe that there are paintings in tombs and along the walls of caves that show early male genital mutilations and alterations (Hodges). Despite extensive history, western culture (English speaking) can credit its most recent practices to the thinking of the 19th century when circumcision was used routinely on males and females to prevent and stop masturbation. Around the same time the medical community began to focus more on germs and sanitation and a common thought was formed.
Circumcision has been a religious practice in many different cultures, ranging from Africa to the Middle East, and to Asia. While prevalent in both Jewish and Muslim societies, the earliest known documentation of circumcision comes from Egyptian hieroglyphics discovered dating back to 2300 BC. While the reason behind circumcision is currently unknown, many theories exist as to attempt to explain it origins. One theory persists that that circumcision started as a way to release the body from sin, and purifying both the individual and the society, as sexuality was seen as dirty and impure, and the removing of the foreskin would reduce sexual pleasure. In Abrahamic faiths, Jewish and Muslim, circumcision is practiced as a way confirm one 's relationship to God, and is stated in the Torah, as the covenant between God and Abraham, “This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee: every male among you shall be circumcised. " While two of the earliest form of Christianity, Coptic Christian, and Ethiopian Orthodox
...er retailers have followed their methods and philosophy, e.g American apparel have used similar marketing techniques to create a ‘sexy’ image, while Jack Wills have positioned themselves as the ‘British version of Abercrombie’.
Calvin Klein is an American fashion house that began in New York, selling high end or high fashion underwear, jeans, fragrances, among others. To the public Calvin Klein has become a highly popular clothing line known for their fashion, youthfulness, and chic and classic styles. CK uses their luring advertisements to entice consumers and persuade them into more buying. The average CK advertisement appears to the public as simply a man and woman posing in an image to promote their product, however the underlying meaning of the advertisement is increasingly overlooked. I claim they are indirectly expressing male and female inequality or insulting the rights of individuals or putting pleasure above what is right or lying to the audience about
According to the American Pregnancy Association, “The rate of complications ranges from 0.1%-35% with most complications involving infection [or] bleeding,” ("Circumcision: Benefits, Procedures and Risks"). Supporters also believe that the procedure is the parent's choice alone. There is also the cultural and religious argument. Muslims and Jews undergo the procedure as part of their faith, and banning circumcision could infringe on their right to freedom of religion. In conclusion, those in support of circumcision believe that it is beneficial to health, poses little risk, is more pleasing, and is up to the parent of the child to decide. The zeal of circumcision supporters is matched in the opposition, who also bring valid arguments to the table.