American Apparel

I was thrilled when American Apparel came to Seattle. Finally, a hip, socially-conscious place to shop for my clothes without worrying about who was exploited to make me look cute. But when I finally went into the store, not only were the clothes poorly made, overpriced, and boring, but their advertising is (has anyone else noticed?) semi-pornographic. I promise, I'm not really that much of a prude. Is it so much to ask for a socially conscious clothing store that is the total package? more

My parents are thrilled that I shop here because all of the clothes are made in America. It makes them remember a bygone era when many items for sale were made here. I do have to say that clothes I purchase here tend to not fall apart whereas clothes I have purchased that are made elsewhere (like China) tend to fall apart in a matter of weeks. American Apparel is more expensive than your local Old Navy but is well worth it. They carry a couple dozen different styles for t-shirts, sweatshirts, etc in a number of different colors. The sales staff is always unobtrusive and friendly. Their online store is great too-I say pay a little more for quality, your wallet thank you in the long run. more

I'll say it. The store makes me a bit uncomfortable. Sure, I'd like to know how something fits on a person, but does that person have to be half-naked, sprawled all over a grungy couch in a dark basement and under 16? (who knows how old they really are) I LOVE the clothes. I LOVE feeling good about supporting American labor. I just wish I didn't have to be bombarded with underage "photography." I have a few concerns about company policies, but I like AA's underwear and pants and classic sense of style...plus, the colors are great. It's worth the money because I know I'm not making people work in sweat shops or go hungry half the time. more

american apparel is the best brand for the basics of your wardrobe: shirts of all kinds, hoodies, underwear, sweats, etc. the sweatshop-free and vertical integration of the company makes you feel good, but the fit and quality of the clothing is what wins me over. people say american apparel "runs small," but i think the gap and macy's run small. if you buy a "small" size shirt at one of those stores, it will fit like it was made for a midget version of santa claus: the sleeves aren't long enough but there's still room for a giant beer belly. american apparel clothing fits RIGHT if you have a decent weight (you don't have to be anorexic). american apparel makes almost of their clothes out of the same few fabrics in a nice variety of colors, so there is definitely a different feel to the store. they don't have bargain prices, so be prepared to spend $15 for a basic t-shirt or $45 for a sweatshirt. well worth it, in my opinion. the employees are annoyed that you're there. i've started to buy aa clothing online, since they sell their clothing much cheaper wholesale and ebayers and such pass the savings on to you. the physical stores have many great items and colors that they don't wholesale, though, so i stop in once in a while. i'm upset that american apparel is getting so popular because the clothes definitely have their own look and i'm bound to run into someone with my same hoodie one of these days. more

If you need new clothes, and are tired of supporting companies that exploit workers around the world, American Apparel is the place for you. No annoying Abercrombie & Fitch logos or designs is a big plus for me. And they have an astonishing array of clothing styles, which is great since they pretty much only sell solid-color clothes. On the other hand, if you've ever seen their ads in The Stranger, you might have noticed that they seem to be selling sex more than clothing, with many scantily clad female models (and a couple of men) featured. And the prices are definitely steep. For my money, I'd just go to a thrift store, recycling AND not benefiting sweatshop-using companies. more

Come get your T-shirts! American Apparel is here. Perhaps overly hyped, American Apparel offers American made clothing in basic colors and more cuts than you imagine. If you've ever wanted to add more color to your wardrobe, wondered exactly what the best T-shirt shape is for you, or wanted to make a custom shirt, hit American Apparel. I must have tried on about five different short-sleeved Ts--all with a different look. They also offer underwear, bathing suits, skirts, vests, zip-ups--even dog T-shirts. (While the puppy Ts seem ridiculous, I can't help put finger them and remark "How cute" every time I see one.) Although I've met customer service reps with varying degrees of pretentiousness, most are extremely helpful and able to tell you about how much the shirt will shrink, what types of laundry care are best for which shirts, what style I might like best based on my fit preferences, etc. I've also gone in and purchased a bagful of shirts to use for color selection and sizing, and the clerks were quite understanding, congenially reminding me that all purchases are returnable so long as I have the receipt, tags attached and meet the return period. My biggest gripe is having to pay upwards of $15 for a T-shirt. Something about that just doesn't feel right. At least I can say that dozens of washes later, my T-shirts are the same color they were when I first bought them and that they are as soft as ever. Perhaps those guarantees alone are worth the price. It still hurts a little, though. more

American Apparel is a great place to buy the basics, t-shirts, tank tops, knit pants and shirts. Their business is based in LA and sweatshop free, and prices are decent for good quality cotton. The sizes do run a bit small for women, but the choice of colors is fantastic. I found that some of the salespeople had a bit of attitude, but they didn't hover or try to sell too hard. Overall the store made a good impression on me. more

I'm beside myself that I haven't reviewed this store yet but it gets my first 5 star rating. If you're in the market for a t-shirt with no blaring label or brand name inked all over the place, you must stop in American Apparel. This store has every color, and just about every style, of t-shirt you could ask for and the prices are very reasonable. They also sell skirts, dresses, shorts, jackets, unmentionables and men's and baby clothes. BEWARE - the clothing shrinks, so buy big. (And I'm sure the sales staff will tell you this as well.) Their big claim to fame is that their clothing is sweatshop free and made in downtown LA. so you get awesome, comfortable casual clothes you can feel good about too! more