Abercrombie & Fitch to start selling larger sizes in the wake of backlash over CEO’s claim that chain only caters to ‘cool’ and ‘attractive’ kids



Struggling fashion chain Abercrombie & Fitch has decided to expand its offering to include larger sizes following a major backlash against its CEO's comments that the chain only caters to 'cool' and 'attractive' kids.

The brand, which suffered plummeting share prices in the wake of the scandal earlier this year, says it has realized the potential financial success that larger sizes could have in its stores.

The news comes after a 2006 comment from CEO Mike Jeffries was widely recirculated in the media this year, inspiring a boycott from Hollywood stars including Miley Cyrus, Ellen Degeneres and Kirstie Alley, and accusations that it was discriminating against overweight customers.

Expanding products: Abercrombie will over larger sizes and introduce a line of shoes to help increase its profits

And a Change.org petition calling for the retailer to 'stop telling teens they aren't beautiful; make clothes for teens of all sizes' generated over 80,000 signatures.

At present, Abercrombie does not offer women’s clothing in sizes that exceed ‘Large,' which they say is the equivalent to a U.S. size 10.

But is worth noting that the brand’s clothing typically runs much smaller than what is typical of standardized retail sizes.

The label, whose stock prices have fell by over 30 per cent this year alone, says it has realized the potential financial success that larger sizes could have in its stores.

That philosophy contradicts statements made by Jeffries in a 2006 interview by Salon.com where he attempted to justify Abercrombie's no-plus-size policy. ‘In every school there are the cool kids and popular kids, and then there are the not-so-cool kids…Candidly, we go after the cool kids,’ he said.

In May, Benjamin O'Keefe -- an 18-year-old Florida native who has suffered from eating disorders in the past -- filed a petition against Abercrombie on Change.org, telling the retailer to 'stop telling teens they aren't beautiful; make clothes for teens of all sizes!'

Shortly thereafter, Abercrombie pledged in a public statement that it would take 'concrete steps to demonstrate our. . . ongoing support of diversity and inclusion.'



The brand did not reveal on Wednesday when its larger sizes would hit stores, nor what kinds of designs would they would be offered in.



Abercrombie was originally established as a sporting goods retailer in 1892, and operated a New York store that was frequented by game-hunting enthusiasts like Theodore Roosevelt.



The retailer changed ownership and direction many times and by the mid-1990s had transformed itself into a hub for teenage fashion.



Abercrombie’s skin-tight ribbed tank tops, ripped flare jeans, hooded sweatshirts, and leather flip-flop sandals became stalwarts in the hallways of American high schools.



On brand: The label is known to promote an image of thin and popular teenagers

Recently the brand, whose prices are by no means modest for the average American teen, has found trouble competing with less expensive, fast-fashion retailers like H&M and Forever 21.

At an analyst briefing on Wednesday, Leslee Herro, Abercrobie’s head of planning and allocation, even went as far to call the label ‘a stale brand,’ reports Reuters.



‘We recognize that our businesses have been and will continue to be disrupted by both fast fashion and pure play e-commerce competitors,’ she said, further explaining: ‘While the company is playing good defense by cutting expenses, this does little to revitalize what we believe is a stale brand.’

The company says it expects its larger sizes and expanded range of products to help its profits rise over the next year.