There is an American Apparel only a few blocks from my apartment in Brooklyn, yet I don’t go in often. I don’t know, something about the vibe just makes me feel like I’m not hipster enough to enter. I’m also not interested enough to care. It seems ridiculous when you think about it. The store basically sells overpriced stretchy clothes. Why should anyone feel intimidated or not hipster enough over product that is so banal?
Clearly, it’s the advertising, a tactic that has caused American Apparel to get both attention and criticism. From practical child porn to pubic hair, if you’re going to sell a bunch of t-shirts and stretch pants, you better package it in a way that is memorable. Enter, Jacky Oshaughnessy, the new older face for American Apparel’s Advanced Basic Line. At 60 years old, this is her first modeling gig that came to be after she was discovered in a restaurant. Sounds sort of fairy tail-ish, no?
Jacky is clearly a beautiful woman and its nice to see a lady of advanced years in fashion advertising. However, something about it for me still feels like a disconnect. Why do I find myself bothered by these ads?
Oh wait…this might be the reason…among other things.
What do you think?
