I never bought clothes from either stores except one time .. I think 4 years ago. I have to be honest, I don't really think it's pure "prep" fashion. It's trash to be honest. American Eagle is nice and it's not as bad and those two stores i've mentioned .. plus their clothes are too expensive .. I can go to Marshall's and buy 4 tees and the final cost would turn out to be the price of 1 pair of jeans at a& f .. I respect A/X, Lacoste, and J.crew even though they're pretty even more expensive because they have a real, authentic "preppy" original look .. but I cannot stand Hollister and A&F ..

exactly. cute to look at, not to pay 40 dollars for a lacy camisole.
i think their prices are disgusting.
and i went into hollister, their sizes.. i was like "oh my" the size small looked like a small in little girls. ;/ and i`m skinny to begin with so wtf.

If you don't think Hollister and Abercrombie are preppy, what do you define preppy stores as? I honestly don't think that A|X and J. Crew are as preppy as A&F. Hollister and A&F pretty much rule the preppy world.

They're ok. It's just that Abercrombie is overpriced. And a lot of people wear things from Hollister and A&F.
I don't like those stores anymore though. I shop at PacSun and AE. PacSun's clothes are not that cheap ($50 for a hoodie, $30 for a tshirt), but I don't care. I LOVE their brands.

+ Banana Republic :)

hmm i dunno i like hollister and a&f. i dont have anything against them. i mean their clothes are nice but they may be a little bit TOO expensive but if i like something there, i would buy it. no big deal.

i got to macy's and buy my clothes there. or go to an ecko store or buy some girbauds down in sf.

I don't really like those stores.
I don't have a problem with them,but I see too many people wearing the same thing.
and it's all from those places.
I like hot topic.
and I really love 579
and some of the clothes in charlotte russe.
=]
those places aren't inexpensive but they're not as high priced at a&f and hollister.

idk. i like things in just about any store i go into. but i usually stray away from things that i see EVERYONE wearing, like select hoodies & tee shirts from AE and hollister.
we have one mall in my town, and the closest one is a little bit away, but hardly anyone goes to it. tat mall has an A&F, unlike the mall we have. so i can shop at A&F without wondering if everyone has something.

........ you should never buy jeans from any of those stores. They're all overpriced and they have no shape to them. ALL of them, including American Eagle.

& Marshall's actually sells A&F and American Eagle clothes. The jeans Marshall's sell now .. the prices have gone up. I used to be able to get jeans there for like $14.99 or $16.99 and now nice ones are like $24.99 or $29.99

Actually, I don't even consider A&F and Hollister preppy. Hollister is the California look, and originated from California while A&F originated from the East Coast. They're mostly teen stores and you can't expect teens to look all spiffy and preppy the way A|X or J.Crew does it the "classic preppy" way.

^Yeah a lot of girls (teens) in my high school be rocking those kind of shit .. not attractive.

they don't worth that much. Like a ragged, ripped jeans is $40.

Nowadays, ALOT of girls shop brands. It's kinda sad. I've seen girls go into A&F just to look cool even though they know they'd never buy anything Like why bother?

Are you kidding me? I've seen A&F jeans for $120!
And their hoodies are like $60. The faux fur hoodies are like $140.

I swear, their prices are crazy.

thats rich people clothing. i cou;dn't afford any those types of clothing. but i do spend more money on shoes than i do clothes.

I hate it that every single piece of their wardrobe (of some people) is from A&F, AE, and Hollister. Seriously, I know a guy who wears boxers from Hollister, it's like wtf, even THAT has to be preppy?

I liked AE though because I think the prices are fair and some of the tees are really cute.

solid color (or sometimes stripes for polo shirts)+ see thru fabric+ just the logo+ extra small sizes+ huge brand name tag+ $$$$$= Hollister and A&F shirts

solid color+ logo+ double zipper+ furry stuff inside (if it's those winter hoodies)+ logo across the center= Hollister and A&F hoodies

It's annoying how girls ONLY wear those brands, and only wear the clothes that show that it's obviously from there - the shirts with Hollister in big bold letters on the chest or something.

However, I think... with some items, it's worth the extra money. Like their dress shirts are really nice, even though overpriced. the material and cut is higher quality then something from JCpenney or something. But I don't think camis are worth $30, no matter what.

I hate shopping in hollister and A&F sometimes because it makes me feel so fat.

They're too expensive, yeah. Doesn't worth it.

I don't even like Hollister or A&F to begin with. Most people at my school just buy them FOR SHOW. They think that their style is different from everyone else which is soo stupid because they aren't the only ones in the world to own that shirt.

I mean yea Hollister and A&F may have nice shirts (I've never even completely looked at their clothing) or whatever, but you'll find a similar shirt just like it in some stores like Forever 21 or Anchor Blue or some other retail store.

It's basically just buying the name. People want others to see that they can afford clothes from those stores. Oh! and just because everyone else is buying stuff from there, they want to too. It's like if they don't have clothes from there then they aren't "in" or "cool" or whatever the f/ck social system us teenagers use today.

^ Actually, alot of Forever21's clothing has very bad quality & is made of 'okay' materials.

Some stores may be cheaper but they're quality isn't as good so you end up buying more because the clothes don't last as long.

gap has much better stuff.

yeah. and it all looks the same. and DONE already. i call them the "hollister clones". ;/

i used to like hollister when i worked for them lol. but i have realized a lot of things when i worked there that

1. They make huge amounts of clothes so that everybody wears the same thing.
2. With the type of materials used to make them, it only costs them about 1 dollar to make a single article of clothing.
3. Their clothes are over priced.
4. Any way you look at it, EVERYTHING IS THE SAME.

lol seriously everything is the same, all girls tops are just different because of the lace or the pattern or something. and they sell the same guys shirts 5 times over just in different colors.

but regardless they are very popular. Usually majority wins over minority no matter wrong or right.

thats why i dont buy clothes from hco or a&f anymore.

I agree w/ you. I hate these overrated and expensive stores these days. They charge like basics like a tank or beater for twice as much as it should be ya know? Its lame. I never really understood why people like these stores so much..



If the ripped jeans are 40 bucks- i cant imagine how much a fully covered pair of jeans cost. all i know that my friend bought some pants that were 68 bucks from hollister and they wernt even unqiue looking..something you can find anywhere else..28/30bucks is my limit for jeans but man people must be loaded w/ money to pay 40bucks and up for pair of jeans.. -_-"

^ Actually, ripped jeans cost more than regular ones.
And they're a lot more than $40. They're usually $80. And I remember the Ezra Fitch ones at A&F were like $120-$160.

And $40 isn't that much to spend on a pair of jeans. It's what they usually cost at AE.

rawr SOCK - "Hollister and A&F pretty much rule the preppy world". Wrong. A&F rules the TRENDY world. Preppy clothing is NOT what A&F revolves around. I don't think you've been to J. Crew enough to understand what "preppy" really is. Preppy is not trendy, tight jeans with a bunch of rips, nor is it spahgetti strap tops, lacy camisoles, and sandals.
"A lot of people wear thigns from Hollister and A&F" - still doesn't mean that A&F and Hollister are preppy.

I concur with Statistik - A&F and Hollister are trash. I do own a few things from them, They usually clothes either given to me as gifts or I got them on SALE because they're not worth the retail price they're sold for, since I used to wear their clothes. My sis works at Abercrombie, and my friend works at A&F. So yea, I KNOW what their clothes are like.

Yay for cashmere!

Oh and angel_revelation, salcha4u mentioned Banana Republic, which sells very classy dress shirts. In fact, their dress shirts cost the same as A&F ones, just about. But it's obvious BR ones are better when it comes to the material.

Plus, why buy a A&F or Exra Fitch pair of jeans for $160, when you can buy a NICER pair of 7 for All Mankind pair of jeans for the same price? <3 Nordy's (Nordstrom's). ;]

pandamonium - I see Hollister as a cheaper version of A&F clothes. They have the same clothes though, but dif logo and sometimes in different colors. btw, did you get paid minimum wage there? Just wondering =X

I hate it when people buy for the brands. I only have 2 shirts from Abercrombie. It's unreasonably expensive there and at Hollister, so it's not really worth it. I agree with Christina: I only buy those clothes if they're on sale.

I love Banana Republic. ^__^ I have a very comfy sweater from there. The money is the same there, but it's actually worth the value.

Then really, what is the definition of preppy? I thought of it as, well, something a prep would wear.

1. a person who is a student at or a graduate of a preparatory school.
2. a person who favors or is viewed as favoring clothing style or behavior associated with traditional preparatory schools.

So, clothes like polos and khakis, and patterns like argyle and plaid.

i dont have a single thing from a&f or hollister in my closet. almost everything is from american eagle because they're
1. good quality [my jeans last a long time]
2. comfortable
3. VERY reasonable price
4. trendy and cute clothes

why buy things for two, maybe three times as more at a&f and hollister? i'm no fool.

I haven't been in those stores in forever. I'm poor
The most expensive pair of jeans I'll buy is like 40 bucks. I don't really care if other people are wearing it, if I feel that I look good in it and it's comfortable I'll buy it but I think it's stupid when the people who dress preppy and don't even pay for their own clothes say crap about other people.

I'll agree with most saying they're overpriced, which is definitely true. But sometimes I like the fashions. I don't own anything from A&F, but I have a bunch from Hollister. Personally, i think Hollister is more worth it than a&f..but i do like American Eagle the most. it has better values and the clothes are better quality.

I WAS GOING TO MENTION THAT!
Why buy A&F jeans at $160 when you could get waaaaaaaay better 7 jeans at like $148+?! Seriously........ some people do not know how to use their money.

I've recently shoped in both stores. Does anyone notice A&F stores smell like their fregrance (like completely... the stores and even the bags smell). And Hollister was so dark I couldn't even see the clothing til I got in the dressing room. lmao.

A&F clothes r really small. a 14 is probably a 6. its crazy in there
And the shirts were so tight...well... i ain't gonna get into that

Then in hollister. There shirts r perfect. regular. But the pants r also on the small side.

and yes both stores r effing expensive. Two shirts form hollister came up to 70 bucks!

Then of course. This is why AE remains my fav preppy store.

Plus 4 years ago, A&F was racist.

haha i work at a&f and the reason it smells like that is because they have like massive bottles of the cologne and spray it everywhere to basically sell more of it and it works cause people come in and are like oh whats that smell? and they buy it =) i personally shop at both because im willing to pay for the brand name, i know the clothes are sh*t but im willing to pay for the name

QUOTE(Statistik @ Dec 20 2006, 5:08 PM)

I never bought clothes from either stores except one time .. I think 4 years ago. I have to be honest, I don't really think it's pure "prep" fashion. It's trash to be honest. American Eagle is nice and it's not as bad and those two stores i've mentioned .. plus their clothes are too expensive .. I can go to Marshall's and buy 4 tees and the final cost would turn out to be the price of 1 pair of jeans at a& f .. I respect A/X, Lacoste, and J.crew even though they're pretty even more expensive because they have a real, authentic "preppy" original look .. but I cannot stand Hollister and A&F ..

I LOVE YOU

i hate hollister and abercrombie. why would you pay for clothing that EVERYONE has?
and about the whole, "preppy" fashion. it really isn't preppy. preppy is like..what royalty wear. sweaters and long skirts.

none of this, "OMG. lets be skanks together micro mini skirts and show your clevage shirts."

I don't know man, I can imagine Hyori in Abercrombie and shit.

Hollister and A&F isn't really garbage... I mean I kind of like girls with that Laguna beach type look :)

I'd still never wear A&F, Hco, or any of those shitty American Eagle, Aeropostale stores. Just a personal preference, no real reason.. except that my main stuff is mostly from RL and high end department stores.

BTW most of the time, when you think about it... everything is overpriced...especially cars, and ipods.

In defense of Banana republic, their shirts are made of REALLY good quality. given, they're not expected to be worn for 10 years, but they're made well, and they could likely be worn for 10 years if they had to be. My boyfriend adores banana republic, so for christmas I got him really nice dress shirt. (originally almost 200, on sale for 85! w00t)

I don't like their style (especially for girls), but Banana republic's quality (especially when it's on sale) gets my thumbs up

you swear? i NEVER see A&F shit at marshalls....like EVER.

i still love abercrombie.
hollister...eh.

Would never shop at either.

Go Target and thrift stores. *hides*

The main reason why both A&F and Hollister is expensive is because they're under the same company.

Uh, i'm gonna mention that AE actually does have some of the best jeans around that i know of. They're good quality and they do last a long time.

If anything I like AE. The things at AE have more style. The only thing I like about Hollister is the fact that the store smells good.

its not trash because its not "preppy" or whatever. its trash because their shirts are paper thin and made out of cheap material. i honestly do not know why you would pay 30 bucks for a skimpy little see through tee. people only shop there because they thing "omG if I weAr hOlLister clOthes PeoPle wiLl thinK im Cool!!"

and the definition of preppy isnt hollister and af, preppy is plaid, school girl type clothing. oh, and why would you buy clothes from a store that a billion other people have so you wind up wearing the same shirt as 4 other girls on the same day???

seriously, my shirts AND jeans never go over 20 dollars. i still get pretty nice quality clothing.

The quality at AF has improved a hundredfold since 4 years ago.

Uh huh. Whenever I go to Marshall's, there's like a whole load of A&F and AE jeans. Sometimes they have A&F shirts but they more often have AE shirts.

My closet is almost all AE. But either I got smaller or the sizes got bigger because I don't fit into the shirts anymore. (I NEVER fit into the pants... size 0 was still too big.) So I rarely buy anything there anymore.

And A&F is too expensive and I can't fit into the jeans anyways... so I now shop at abercrombie. Cheaper than A&F but basically the same thing and fits me sooo good. I wear a size 12 and either medium or large shirts from abercrombie. But when I do buy anything, it's almost always on sale. The only things I've bought that weren't on sale was my jacket ($128) and polos and a pair of jeans.

But AE is where you'll get the best for your money. And the AE All Access Pass program is super. If abercrombie had something like that, I'd die.

yeah Hollister and A&F have outrageous prices, and their clothes don't keep their shape after they are washed. especialy those paper thin skin tight tees.

xgdkjsgj. If I hear that A&F or Hollister is preppy one more time I swear I'm going to slap someone. It is most definitely not preppy. Prep is a classic look, and it does not consist of disgusting ripped jeans and too-tight tshirts with HOLLISTER plastered over the chest.

When I feel like dressing preppy, Lacoste, RL, J.Crew and BR are the brands that immediately come to mind.

yea i did. lol thats why i didnt like working there, but working was hardly the matter there, there would be like 50 people working at a time, and its not that much work. it was fun working there though. but i quit after like 3-4 months.

it sucks cause i got paid 6.15 an hour yea i know low isnt it, but hollister makes so much money its crazy, we made 60,000 on our first day of opening. then around 30 the next week.

yea a&f & hCO have the same exact clothes because they are the same company, a&f owns hollister, abercrombie, and ruehl 925 (which will mostlikley the upcoming store but the target market is 22-30ish.)

duude.. i love their clothes. not only for the way they look, but for the way they feel and the smell of the stores xD

Pandamonium - Woah... What state do you live in? I live in California and minimum wage is currently $7, which is going to raise to $7.50 sometime in 2007. $6.15 is pretty low, for a company that makes $60,000 in a day!

I work at Express (Design Studio NYC) and I would say that we make quite a bit of money as well -- I'm not even sure how much it is, but yea I would say it's about the same. The quota, that is. $30,000, maybe? Regardless, starting pay is $8.50/hour.

I mean, A&F, Ruehl, and Hollister are all under the same line (what is it called, anyway? A&F?). Same for Banana Republic, which owns Gap and Old Navy. This goes for Express as well, since Express is a Limited Brand, joint with: The Limited, Express for Men, Victoria's Secret, Bath and Body Works, and White Candle Barn (something like that ). I mean, I thought that at the very least A&F co.'s pay would be at least competitive with other companies. Guess not. ^______^;;

I think the reason why I get paid more, though, is because while working under The Limited Brand, we are required to act like "fashion experts" to customers, assisting them with finding just the right clothes for special occassions. We make it a rule to get to know our customers because if they're frequent ones, they're important clients to us. I mean, when I walk in A&F or Hollister, they just say "welcome to ______" and that's about it. There's hardly any (or none at all) customer service. But I'm basing this on the ones that I've been to, in So. California. :P

lovefooled - I'm the same as you. I was never able to fit into size 0 AE jeans. I usually wear a size 12 slim in Abercrombie (kids) as well. In fact, Abercrombie jeans are actually okay, but I'm not into the really vintage-y, ripped ones. I also wear size medium shirts from there as well. :D I usually buy things on sale there as well. ;] I'm a killer for sales. But then again, I have very few clothes from Hollister and Abercrombie. I never really liked AE. A few of their clothes are okay, but I guess I just never really got into their clothing. ^_^;;


mai_z - But, I was defending Banan Republic as well. I don't know if you're agreeing with me or not. lol :P But it's true, Banana Republic's clothes are made of realllly good material. Pssh, I would've applied to work there, but then again, I can HARDLY fit the clothes from Express, which means nothing would fit me at BR, so working there would be a lost cause. =X

Preppy clothes consist of more upscale labels, imo. A&F is not very "upscale", when compared to Lacoste, J. Crew, Ralph Lauren, BanRep, etc.


Plus, judging a label just by the way the store "smells" is kinda.. weird. o_____O"