We have sailed past the Gap Kids era, breezed through Old Navy, and have now arrived at the land of Abercrombie Kids. The come-hither ad campaign has been ditched and the clothes are current and well-made, sensible and, yes, expensive. The worst is that Abercrombie is affixed to almost all the girls' clothing, while the moose logo lopes across every boys' item. I love a moose but not everywhere.
The boy knew better even though he liked many of the button-down shirts and fleece sweats. The girl, more influenced by marketing, didn't care.
We will not pay to have someone else's name on our children's rear, our rear, want the phenomenon to disappear from everyone else's rear, and wish Congress would pass suitable legislation. We don't believe rears should be used as billboards.
The girl fell for a very soft, and sweet, blue-and-white striped sweatshirt with fleece lining with "Abercr" on the front left half and "ombie" on the right. She is still young, so the writing is hardly provocative, but why isn't Abercrombie paying us to promote their goods? Finally, it occurred to me why monogram stores have popped up all over the place. People are craving their own names and initials.
Abercrombie, alas, is at the mall, the big mall, K of P. The place we avoid because it induces migraines and makes for depression and so much stuff. And the place blasts music, as does its younger, less expensive (though not by much) sister, Hollister. For the better part of a year, I thought Hollister was simply a popular high school on some MTV program. I finally figured out why the music is so loud and annoying (just as the sales staff, I did) and fierce. It's to make parents go All Clockwork Orange in the place and finally surrender, yelling "OK, I'll buy you the fleece sweatshirt. Just get me out of here!"
Which certainly worked in my case.
