American Apparel used to be a very popular clothing company, but have recently declared bankruptcy, closed numerous stores, and laid off over 500 workers since October 2015. Since 1989, they have sold clothing in over 200 stores across the country. In the recent years, their ads have become ever more suggestive and demeaning towards women, and have sparked a lot of controversy regarding their content. Certain advertisements¬¬ were eventually banned because of their nudity, sexist motif, and attempts to sexualize underage women. American Apparel released a magazine advertisement for knee socks (Advertising, 2003) featuring a young woman who wore nothing but socks and panties. In order to cover her chest, she holds her knees up in a suggestive …show more content…
Men want her, and women want to be her. This makes the buyer goal-oriented and involves a feeble emotion tie, because it is purely sexual. Coincidentally, the advertisement also represents secondary groups. Why are secondary groups more effective in the fashion industry? They appeal to a substantially larger population. Magazine advertisements have to grasp the attention of the viewer in a matter of seconds before they turn the page. This is why the majority of the fashion industry utilizes the sexual appeal of their product. Although the sock advertisement, as well as the company, has received an abundance of scrutiny, there are both positive and negative meanings portrayed. In America, we strive for freedom and equality for all. Some people feel that women are being represented by American Apparel as the inferior gender. If it is viewed from an outside perspective, women are actually given more freedom because they are allowed to show their body. Certain cultures shame women for exposing their faces and bodies. In a way, it is magnificent that these women are able to show themselves off without serious