Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
BREAKING: Women In American Apparel Ads Sexualized A Billion Times More Than Men
By
Jen Carlson
Published May 16, 2013
Modified May 16, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Carlson
Published May 16, 2013
Modified May 16, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
American Apparel is nothing if not committed to their misogynistic, over-sexualized advertising style. And the line that divides the way they portray men and women in their campaigns has not been more clear than in the ads for their "unisex" wear. Let's take a look at some flannels, button down shirts, and jean jackets:
Swedish blogger Emelie Eriksson has been pointing out the extreme contrast on her blog (which was picked up by Business Insider), and we're not pointing fingers but below are photos of shattered windows on Stockholm storefronts, which the company tells us were broken by protesters:
This specific type of shattered-window protesting seems to happen a lot with American Apparel, no? Regarding the actual criticism, a rep for the company has told us over email:
"American Apparel is very sensitive to gender and sexual issues, just as we have been to issues like immigration and gay marriage. In this case, the actual product model photo for this unisex item is fully clothed for women, just as it is for men. Unfortunately, some bloggers have confused an artistic photoshoot which accompany the pages with a product shot and a controversy erupted as a result."
LOL silly bloggers don't get art.
Are the male outtakes art, too? They look like they are not art but what do we know.
The American Apparel rep also told us that, duh, the company "is well known for its provocative imagery, artistic photographs and its stance on free expression within the fashion industry. Our style deliberately eschews the photoshopped and impossibly unreal aesthetics of many of our competitors. We don't think there is anything in these photos out of synch with our standards and we think they portray the garments and the models in an attractive way and are not even the slightest bit discriminatory. Clearly we'd never seek to upset anyone and we're sorry to anyone who is upset."
When asked: "But seriously, when are we going to get sexy male photos in these campaigns?" the spokesman replied, "I'll pass along the feedback to our creative team."
Tagged
american apparel
clothing
sexism
style
original
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
In the algorithm age, NYC college radio DJs are still broadcasting the funky stuff
We dropped by WNYU to see what the next generation of radio DJs is up to. The answer is "Br00tal Beats To Study/Relax To."
By
James Ramsay
Published Oct 22, 2026
A Queens prop shop shutters, bunnies find a home uptown, and more openings and closings
Highlights of shifts in the city's business landscape.
By
Hannah Frishberg
Arts & Entertainment
A Queens prop shop shutters, bunnies find a home uptown, and more openings and closings
Highlights of shifts in the city's business landscape.
By
Hannah Frishberg
A new film invites you to eavesdrop on one of the greatest conversations in NYC history
By
Sonia Rao
The Knicks are NBA champions. Now they have to start dressing the part.
By
Sonia Rao
Will Barnes and Noble in the East Village spell doom for smaller shops? It's complicated.
By
Sonia Rao
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .