This channel is a breath of fresh air. I'm so exhausted from going to the mall, looking online, etc. and all the clothes you can buy are either $10 trash, $100 trash, or $1000 trash. 😡
Friendly reminder that there are thousands of small and insanely beautiful brands out there that focus on natural materials, clean finishing and a more sustainable approach to production. You'll just don't find them in your local shopping street, no matter what budget you are looking for. I would highly recommend following public figures that put extraordinary thought into the making of clothes, you usually hear a lot of great recommendations from them.
I agree. About 3-4 years ago when they were beginning their comeback the quality to price ratio was much better but since increasing in popularity their prices have increased and quality has taken a dive.
The Abercrombie ultra parka from 2018 in my opinion was the greatest feat they did with the entire year along with the jfk capsule collection in March of 2018
Before their big re-brand, I would save up to buy their jackets because the quality and detail was top notch. My two jackets from 2008 still looking great, can't same the same for some of the new items I've purchased. It's very hit or miss.
The worst part is that Abercrombie was having a mini comeback with cool stuff and good prices (youd have yo take my A&F bikini out of my cold dead hands) and seeing how quick they puvoted to fullout sellout mode
I love your videos! You have helped me avoid so many bad purchases (and honestly a lot of them are Abercrombie!!) I have two pairs of the Sloane pants and they look sooo bad after less than a year of wearing them 1 or 2 times a month. Not worth it!
Re: pleated bodices, I actually disagree with your opinion about pleating the fabric once the garment is attached. The traditional sewing method for pintucks and such is actually to pleat the fabric then construct the garment. But the math of it all is carefully done beforehand. I think this is yet another "fast fashion speeding incident" or poor drafting. These brands want the look of elevated sewing, without the actual time/skill/cost of elevated sewing. I do appreciate your videos pointing out their shortcomings. Most people don't sew or aren't around sewing in their daily life and need this type of content. As someone from a family of seamstresses and milliners, IMO, most modern RTW is crap, people just can't tell anymore.
Thanks for the info! Although I’ve self taught some basic sewing and garment construction skills, I don’t have formal fashion design training so I was definitely just theorizing how best to make that kind of bodice. Definitely appreciate insights from true experts like yourself!
@@sabinaciardi9929 Honestly, it’s one of their better items! The bodies aren’t sheer and easy to snag like others I’ve seen and they are pretty easy to style, I just wish they came in more colors in store.
Thank you for the thorough review! So disappointing to see how tanked the quality is 😭 if you ever got the chance I’d love to see your thoughts on the items from Uniqlo’s linen collection!
I bought a few really cute things at Abercrombie last summer, after not shopping there since 2005. I was impressed at the quality and design. Fast forward to a few weeks ago…awful quality and subpar design. I was like “what the hell happened?” This video proves my point. I have a background in design as well, so I love your videos that prove what I’ve been seeing too. Sad and weird state of the industry right now.
Agree! Back in the day Abercrombie made beautiful, high quality pieces. Back then the price points were above most mall chain stores, but the stuff was made to last - and the stores were immaculate. I was sorry to see that they don't bother trying to merchandise things nicely anymore, e.g., at least steam out the wrinkles on the *mannequin.* That's where it should look its best - not like they found it on the floor of a Value Village. I was downtown last weekend - walked into Abercrombie and walked out without even pulling anything off a rack for a closer look. Breaks my heart to see how far the brand has fallen.
I LOVE how the denim doesn’t have A&F branding❤ I feel a way about wearing American Eagle jeans bc of the pockets - makes me feel like an high schooler 😂
I totally agree. I shop at A&F purely because of the curve love line. However the quality definitely doesn’t warrant the price tag. Sometimes the best option is to thrift a high quality piece that is slightly too big and get it altered, but I can’t always be bothered to spend the time to do that😆
i love their curve love jeans! literally no other jeans flatter my body better, if i find a pair i like in store, i always cheap depop or mercari to see if i can find it cheaper and save money that way.
All these brands have really gone down hill....I love feminine clothes but not easy to find anymore. Where are the fitted skirts with nice zippers...gone... they are all using smocking now on a lot of dresses which is so not flattering in my opinion. And even some skirts that have zippers there is an elastic at the back. ugh!
I have a plaid shirt I bought from Abercrombie 10 years ago. It’s one of my favorites. But it’s lasted so long that I haven’t gone back to get a replacement.
If only we as consumers could be more educated we could avoid rewarding these companies for taking all these shortcuts. Sad that quality has declined so much over the years at all price points
I love your long form contents!! I used to buy tshirts and wooly jacketes from them all the time 10 years ago. They were so cheap yet so durable. Some of which I still wear today. I love the big moose logos and the retro look. A shame they pivoted...
@@tomjones2157 Not cute for cheap. But the possibility of finding cute clothing in an era where they sell durable clothing at a reasonable price. I don't think there is anything wrong with wanting cute simple designs at affordable pricing. That shouldn't be interpreted as I would be okay with compromising quality for cuteness. You see where I'm coming from?
Stains on the clothing pieces don’t necessarily mean they’re hard to put on, you forgot that there are plenty of nasty people out there who carelessly jam their giant heads into the tops that are 2-3 sizes too small for them
Yup. The curve line is the only reason I shop there. The curve love dad short are the best fitting shorts I’ve ever found so it was worth it (with a coupon code of course) for me.
I am one of your audience from US. I've been seeing a lot of people buying these aussie brands like Kookai, Tigermist, Meshki. Can you please do a quality check on these brands as well? They don't do free return and the buyer can only do international shipping, so your review would be very helpful for us!!
Would love to see you do a shop at Simons, it's a store chain that comes from Quebec City and I think they have great quality at fair prices, especially their private label "Contemporaine". They have a store in Mississauga and two more stores coming up at Yorkdale and Eaton Center in 2025.
I dress pretty masculinely and like abercrombie's men section. while it unfortunately has many of the same issues as the women's (overpriced, bad materials, lack of quality control, mismatched patterns/prints) there *is* noticeably better quality. for a brand with a woman ceo, she's still contributing to typical sexism in the industry 😭
I was always told to shop like this. My family are immigrants so a lot of their clothes were made in their villages back home so they taught me how to spot good fabrics, cuts, stitching and construction
You do the best reviews. This is in my budget but definitely avoiding this store now. I need some new work wear. Would you consider doing a Massimo Dutti review?
I bought the Sloane Tailored Pants recently because they went on clearance, and it happened to be my size, and a color/style that I was looking for (so basically the stars aligned). But I would never buy anything from anywhere full price, unless I truly needed it, or it was an emergency. I agree that most of their dresses, especially the stiff linen ones, look like potato sacks! I have a few pieces from H&M that are really high-quality and have lasted a long time through multiple washes, and it's so true that you have to go into the store and truly feel the fabric to assess the quality.
Omg thank u!! There is no A&F near me, but I was always sooo SOOO disappointed when I ordered online! I learned to just not order from them because I felt like I was being tricked 😭 (I guess I was!)
I’ve been impressed with their whites. They have lined most of the styles. I never buy white because it’s always too see through for me. I agree the sewing quality varies from item to item. Am trying some of their T-shirts this summer as they are cotton/spandex. Not a lot of brands seem to do cotton without polyester anymore.
the WORST thing about abercrombie is their quality control issues-.almost every wash of their jeans fits completely different within the same tagged size and style!! i also recently bought the linen tanktop you tried on at 7:22 but in two different colors and the size discrepancy is laughable, even though they're labeled the same size. this is such a widely known issue too, but abercrombie does not care :/ the only reason i shop there is for their curve love line and plus sizes but i'm consistently frustrated by the quality over and over and over again.
I think the answer is: there isn’t any one brand. No brand is all that. Which is why Jen makes these videos, most brands have both good and bad items, some have more good, some much more bad.
Hiya, hope it's alright I leave some feedback. I think it's great and enlightening to talk about the sewing and material quality, but feels very weird to me to rate the construction and garmet based on how it fits on your body. Everyone's body is different and different clothes look better or worse on different people. I feel I would like the video more if not for the exaggerated facial expressions in the try-on and strong comments on what you would buy. For me personally, I haven't tried on any of abercrombie's non-jean clothes, but I think their jeans are some of the most comfortable and flattering out there for my body type. Idk about their other clothes, but their jeans are definitely great for me, as it can be so hard to find comfortable flattering jeans. :'(
As someone who works in a mall (not A&F though) you learn pretty quick which places to avoid and which to shop at. Forever 21 and A&F are crazy! $50 for a jacket at Forever 21 that looked like it couldnt even be washed cause it was fake fur. Its ridiculous. Id rather shop at Hollister or Rainbow, cause atleast the prices are mostly worth what im getting.
On trip to London, I rushed purchased the worst pair of petite jeans from A&F, it cost me £80 and they felt like they were 90% elastic with very weak denim. I found much better petite at River Island, much better denim that lasts and I wanted to wear. Thank you for making these video’s they are so helpful. ❤
I went to Abercrombie for the first time to look for a graduation dress, the quality was very disappointing. The zippers on the dresses are so cheap they don’t zip if there’s any tension on them. The satin is already snagged on the rack and a lot of the dresses fit weird. Needless to say, I did not spend $130 on a dress there
Omg I feel like I learned SO much about what to look out for just from this video. Normally I love Abercrombie but I’ve never looked that hard. Thank you!!!
Disagree about the Sloan pants, I have the mid rise ones in black and they are more comfortable than the effortless and I haven't had an issues with wrinkles. Thanks for the review regardless!
Never saw the appeal in A&F. However, they have a „curve love “ line, which is great for small waist, big butt ladies. That‘s the only thing I buy there as I cannot buy non-stretch jeans anywhere else. We have only an Online shop available where I live, but the service was HORRIBLE. Not sure how they stay in business….
Symmetry is practically impossible when it is attempted on an assembly line. One seamstress sews the left arm, the other the right, a third attaches sleeves from a pile to a bodice. How can this ‘process’ look immaculate?! My big pet peeve is with patterned fabric. While I love some designer blouses, I would only buy it in the store to make sure I am not going to see the pattern haphazardly pieced together… flowers in the 10” repeat on top of each other. I sew so I know getting things to look visually ‘right’ is painstaking and factories generally fail unless you are paying in the $500 range.
Love the amount of detail you put into this. Not too much detail for someone unfamiliar with sewing, but discerning enough for someone who wants to learn how to spot a high-quality garment.
can attest i scoured abercrombie this weekend tried on probably 25 items walked out with one thing (not even super happy with it and genuinely might return it). the quality was absurdly bad
I’m glad you reviewed this store. I have been looking at some of their items online and haven’t had the chance to see them in person so this video was very helpful. Thank you!😊
I am glad to know at least the jeans passed the test. I am 4’11 but have wide hips so their curve line plus height options for pants (online only though) does offer me something most brands do not
I love your in-depth reviews and explanations on what to consider and avoid. This has honestly helped me out so much and think twice before buying my clothing pieces. ❤❤
The missing patch is intentional obviously since it’s a consistent feature on all of their denim. I agree the curvy jeans are great and imo better than curvy denim I’ve tried from Everlane and Madewell. But the rest of their line isn’t good and like you said it’s just H&M tier at this point.
Thank you for this video! To me, the only pieces that are worth the money are their Curve Love jeans (can’t find jeans that fit my proportions 70cm waist and 102 hips) and their premium linen. I recently got a vest and shorts and they’re really flattering and well made! ❤
