American Apparel

This American Apparel is smaller than your average AA but has all the basic necessities that this franchise carries. I came here in hopes of picking up a few pairs of shorts and tank-​tops for the summer and I left a happy customer. The men’s section is downstairs in the basement while the women’s sections occupies most of the main floor. A sales associate (Jian) helped me figure out my sizing as most of AA’s products vary in sizing and are not true to fit. Jian’s customer service skills were admirable and on point. Would I return? Definitely!

I still don’t get the concept of the store. The clothes are plain and quite boring but I came solely for my disco pants. Very trendy for the night clubs and partying on the slopes. Did not like the $ 85 price so I ended up going trekking to the outlet location in SoHo as the were discounted by 55%. Score!

why are people complaining about super expensive plain clothes? like, don’t buy stuff from here if you don’t think it’s in your price range or you don’t like their return policy?
anyway, the staff here is super friendly and nice. always helpful! they don’t have the largest selection, but do carry a lot of items. i like the tights they carry, including thigh highs (lacy, with a seam up the back, plain) which are super sexy. I was looking for a pair for a photo shoot and none of the drug stores in the area had any. AA saved the day there!

XXS size T’s for an adult man, only in American Apparel. Also a bit overpriced for a plain forgettable T shirt. I was sucked in because of their Spring Match & Mix promo, buy $ 8 for a shirt or pay $ 20 for 3, I chose the latter. They claimed that all the products that they sell are made in the USA.
I can see that this store is really not for everybody. While they do have wide variety of items to sell, they do not have many plus sizes.
Women’s section is on the ground level. I can see that they sell tons of things with beautiful bright colors there, but I didn’t get to explore that section for a very obvious reason.
They have wide array of men’s stuff such as socks, undies, backpack, baseball cap on the section at lower level.
It is conveniently located close to where I live. I went here twice already and it was always a pleasant experience.

NO REFUNDS! This is why people only shop here twice… once to buy, once to use store credit, never to return.

AA is not for everyone. I used to wonder how their stores stayed open and who was shopping their clothes… but I’m starting to get it. I like their bikinis, although I think it’s about time they got rid of some of their old designs and patterns that they’ve had for a few years. I want something new!
They recently introduced some AA fitness wear which I’ve been a fan of. I bought a couple gym shorts that come up to my waist and comes in many different colors, and a sports bra that is super duper comfortable while also being supportive.

jesus, i really hate this place. Maybe it’s the recession but going in there and seeing plain t-​shirts for $ 38 and leggings for $ 50 makes me really irritated. I guess they have to pay for their sexual harrassment lawsuits somehow.
Also the staff are just ridiculous, they have no idea what they sell and/​or what image they are projecting. Why are there so many AA’s in this neighborhood? Who willingly shops there?!

What can I say, super expensive boring clothes. Who cares if its made in LA… I just spent 16 bucks on a pair of suspenders,(ouch!). The customer service is present, or was it a «can I help you» greeting? Oh wait you turn around and poof, like Houdini, the reps disappear. I hate how the store is laid out, I couldn’t tell if I was buying men’s clothes, women’s or unisex stuff… I didn’t like it. They need to have their areas clearly identifiable. Like I said, this place sells weird clothes and its just not my style, this place blows. I like their ads, pure eye candy.

I’m not a fan of AA at all. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I think spending $ 20-​$ 25 on things like leggings or $ 50 for a plain t-​shirt is just ridiculous. These prices are especially ridiculous because if someone just walked a few more blocks down Smith Street, they would realize that most of these things can be found in Fulton Street Mall for MUCH MUCH MUCH cheaper! You can find leggings there for $ 4 and t-​shirts for $ 3 (think, Conway). But for some reason, hipsters and those alike think that shopping at places like AA is the cool thing to do. I, for one, think the coolER thing to do is to say you bought awesome clothes for incredibly cheap instead of sounding like a d-​bag and saying that you spend $ 100+ on crap like hoodies, plain skirts, leggings, t-​shirts, and blouses… but that’s just me.
This specific location I’m definitely not a fan of at all. I came here a few times with my little sister who, for some stupid reason, likes this store and each time we’ve gone, the staff NEVER helped us. We would ask them questions like where to find a specific shirt or something and they would always respond somewhere along the lines of «…ummm…I don’t know… check like over there» pointing vaguely at what looks like the entire store… thanks, really, you were a GREAT help! They never help you actually look for something. And if you ask if they have something in a different size in the back, they’ll just look at you and say «uhhh, probably not, I don’t know…» Hey! I have an idea! Why don’t you stop talking to your coworker about your boyfriend’s brother hitting on you this past Saturday and how tempted you were, but you overcame your sluttyness and just quickly run to the back and check? K thanks!

In theory, I should like american apparel. the basic colors make it easy to match clothes, especially for the kids, and the fact that its made in LA instead of a sweatshop is definitely a plus.
but the service here isn’t very reliable. first off they seem to have issues with basic technology. last time i was there, their system was down so they had to take all the credit card information by hand… a very slow process, and one that doesn’t seem to happen at many other places– but i guess these things happen.
then the customer service seems to bounce back from zero-​60. the first time i came by, there didn’t seem to be anybody around to help, and the second time, i came in asking for a basic scarf, and all of a sudden i was getting all this input about my choice, not just from the sales person, but from the other people in the store who the sales woman is now in-​listing in her sales pitch. i understand wanting to be helpful and that they get commission from sales, but sometimes when you just want a basic solid color scarf, you don’t want everyone’s input.
i think they have good intentions, they just have to work on the execution.

So, when I found out I had bed bugs yesterday, I felt a powerful urge to go out and buy some leotards. (There was some bathing, crying and alcohol involved first.) I wanted to pick up some brand new clothes totally untainted by bed buggery to get me through the next few days, and it’s at times like this that AA comes through. I got some tees, a tank and, yes, two leotards, one of which I am sporting as I write (with jeans.) Am I normally in the habit of wearing leotards? No. But somehow in this new, post-​bed bug era, they feel right, be it under high-​waisted jeans, a wrap skirt, or with a man’s shirt and tap shoes, a la Neely O’Hara in Valley of the Dolls.
AA has been a silly non-​issue, culturally, for some time now, and I’m certainly not looking to it for any fashion inspiration (even if they DO now mass-​market Big Glasses.) But for affordable, disposable jersey, why not?
As to this location: it’s a mixed bag. Most of the staff are pleasant enough children. There was one occasion, however, on which a little madam of 18 or so reduced me, with one dismissive look, to a level of awkward self-​doubt I have not experienced since junior high.
The circumstances were as follows:
I was buying a plain tote bag to silk-​screen with my brother’s picture for his Christmas present.
As I paid, the soundtrack segued (ironically, one assumes) into some rendition of «I’ll Never Fall in Love Again.»
«Isn’t it funny,» I said, «to think that Jerry Orbach actually introduced this song? I love trivia!»
The girl stared at me, stony-​faced for a second, gave me a «whatever» look of incredulity at what a loser I was, and turned away.

Wow does this place suck. $ 30 plain hoodies and aloof arrogant-​hipster customer service. Hopefully they will close and give back the valuable Smith St. real estate they unfortunately occupy.

I’m just going to admit it. I don’t get it. Sure it’s made in LA, and sure they have some pretty exciting colors going on. But some of the stuff I’ve seen in these places is just embaressing. This is your one stop shop for brightly colored unitards kids.
I don’t see the point in opening an american apparel a mere four blocks away from another american apparel on court st.
Service is hit or miss.
I’m just going to stick to my sweatshop made $ 10 plain t-​shirts and unitards thank you.