Friday, April 24, 2015

Abercrombie Says Farewell To Its Shirtless Men And Sexy Vibes

“By the end of July, there will no longer be sexualized marketing used in marketing materials including, in-store photos, gift cards, and shopping bags,” the company said today. And the men will have to put a shirt on.

Good-bye, sexy shirtless men.

Choo Yut Shing / Via flic.kr

Under new leadership, Abercrombie & Fitch is giving its namesake store and sister brand Hollister a new, less sexualized look. The company said in a statement, published in full below, that the brand "is moving to a customer-centric store-operating model and making it more convenient, friendlier and easier to shop," which will include adjusting its infamous phantasmagoria of heavy scents, dark lighting, and loud music, and desexualizing its staff and marketing materials.

And the men will need to put a shirt on: Hollister is ditching its shirtless lifeguards for store openings and store events, and Abercrombie & Fitch will no longer have shirtless models. Abercrombie's Fierce cologne, however, will continue to feature a shirtless model, "consistent with the fragrance industry."

Abercrombie has faced criticism for its emphasis on the physical attractiveness of its staff, a hallmark of its modern-day founder and Chief Executive Officer Mike Jeffries. Abercrombie recently faced a Supreme Court case over its refusal to hire a Muslim woman when her headscarf violated the company's policies.

The company said that it would institute an "improved sensory experience" in stores, including "adjust[ing] scent, lighting, music and trees to ensure a more pleasurable shopping experience."

Not only will the sensory environment undergo a change, but the store's staff will "not be hired based on body type or physical attractiveness, and we will of course continue not to discriminate on any protected category." Job titles will change to reflect the company's new shift in approach: Store staffers previously titled "models" will now be called "brand representatives."

"These changes build on other changes undertaken including shift to a brand-based organization, appointment of brand presidents, and retirement of long-time CEO, Mike Jeffries, last December," the company said in a statement.