Few high street retailers are able to claim the rights to an entire look for any stretch of time. But between 2007 and last year, US retailer American Apparel did exactly that — the label was responsible for a trend that could genuinely be termed the American Apparel look.
The American Apparel trend was instantly recognizable and held a vice-like grip on the under-25s — male and female. The sexy-geek look typically comprised of crayon-bright, high-waisted skinny jeans worn with a fuss-free bright T-shirt, a pair of heavy-rimmed glasses and a rebellious pout. Metallic leggings, bright backpacks and skimpy 1980s running shorts completed the look.
By 2008, it was a genuine fashion sensation. At music gigs up and down the country, this exuberant youth-club chic was unavoidable.
Part of the label’s appeal was that it sat outside of fashion’s more prescriptive trends, a sartorial law unto itself. The clothing is logo-free and mostly unisex, so allowed the wearer to style a unique look themselves — although, no matter how creative the outfits, they were always somehow distinctly American Apparel. As street-style blogs proliferated, the trend was documented ad nauseam.
In some respects, the brand became a victim of its own success. Even if you didn’t subscribe wholeheartedly to the look, the cheap logo-free jersey T-shirts filled a gap in most wardrobes. But the rest of the high street caught on quickly. Uniqlo began selling cheap colored denim and Gap stepped up its commitment to decent fitting, logo-free T-shirts.
Then, crucially, fashion overdosed on the look. Although there remains a hardcore band of youths committed to wearing their American Apparel brights with ripped sheer tights, the look is fading as fast as summer. Fashion is now much more enamored with minimalism, camel and grown-up trends. Youthful bright leggings are very much on the sidelines, along with the company that made them its own.
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