We're Shopping at Abercrombie & Fitch Again

(and So Will You)

March 2, 2016

You've probably heard it before. How Abercrombie & Fitch wasn't always the hyper-sexualized teen haven we all knew in the 1990s. How it was founded in 1892 and was one of America's great outdoor outfitters. It was where Teddy Roosevelt went to stock up before trekking through the arctic or chasing rhinos in the Sahara. Of course, the brand went through a lot of changes since those days. But some of the most exciting changes may've happened over the past year, as they ditched the ubiquitous shirtless male model image after embattled CEO Mike Jeffries stepped down. Then they hired designer Aaron Levine away from Club Monaco. We at Valet. have long been fans of Levine, who did tours of duty designing for Jack Spade and Hickey Freeman's beloved Hickey brand before making Club Monaco what it is today.

True indigo sweatshirt, $70

Bonded cotton mac, $240 and Twill military jacket, $130

Now, some of Levine's first designs for the new Abercrombie are hitting stores and we like what we're seeing. Gone is the over-zealous logo branding. In its place is a more subtle but rugged aesthetic with slight sport and military influences, inspired by the brand's massive archives. The styles are grown up. And quality is paramount—think knits dyed with natural indigo, smart tailored chinos or a bonded mac with leather details and authentic horn buttons. All with prices that are extremely reasonable. A&F was one of those sleeping heritage brands that menswear nerds like us were always talking about how cool it'd be if the right person took the reins and really worked to bring it back. And it looks like Levine is doing just that.

Slim
chinos,
$68

What About the Stores?

The oversized posters of shirtless dudes are gone, but we have high hopes that Levine will rework the store interiors and bring them back to a more masculine environment that reflects the brand's new direction. We'd love to seem them stocked with unique vintage finds from A&F's bygone era, like their iconic leather animal ottomans or the watches they made with Heuer in the 1960s.