American Apparel

I went in to buy socks, unaware of the magnetic location. I was visiting little Tokyo and as I wondered the streets of L. A I ended up here with my BFF and we both had an awesome time! The associates were so kind and helped me choose what I wanted to buy because I’m really indecisive. LOL libra trait. I was and still am fascinated by the location. In Las Vegas the stores are ok but I like this one the best. There’s so much street culture that surrounds it. It’s a heart stopped if you’re ever in little Tokyo. I regret leaving California the next day because I wanted to go back and visit. I’m satisfied by the overall aesthetic in the store, it adds more hip to the shopping experience. Don’t forget to grab some Starbucks right up the corner when you’re done shopping your heart out !
I will definitely try to go back soon

Found a chambray button down in XXS which I appreciate BC their XS fit is more like a medium it’s so LONG. Sales advisors always say hi and offer a fitting room. She even locked it from the outside for me lol

TBA, they didn’t have much but they were fully stocked in what they did have so props to the person who handles inventory. I was just minding my own business looking at some really nice wristbands when a little person approached me to make me an offer about buying more than one and getting some kind of discount. At first I lagged because I thought she was faking a voice but anyhow she wasn’t. She said she would give me a break cause she was the manger or whatever. I told her I just needed them for a college party but they were too tight for my wrists. I had to practically try on all of them! It got awkward because for some reason the music stopped and then it was dead silent, you could hear a pin drop. Unfortunate what I heard was a loud belch from the manager that could have probably been heard from outside, she followed it up with some curse words too. I was fed up, when I left she was taking a snapchat of herself, it’s gonna be on her story I’m guessing.

Jordan and Celine are awesome. All the employees at this location are very nice and helpful!

Out of all the American Apparel’s that I’ve gone in to I feel like the employees here are the nicest. Everyone hears AA workers are rude and don’t care but the girls I’ve encountered at this location are super sweet and helpful!
:)

I’ve been to many american apparel stores in the Los angeles area, but this store by far has been the best one i’ve been to in years. The selection is great, the employees are wonderful, and the atmosphere is very home-​like. The best employee is Brianna, she is the heart and soul of this specific american apparel branch. She radiates such a great energy to the store, no matter how many clothes you try on, no matter how long you’ve been in the store, she is there to assist with the most pleasant whole-​hearted smile. The type of genuine employee you only come across every few years. I 100% recommend any american apparel regular to swing by this branch, you will not regret it.

Several years ago, the clothing at American Apparel was hip and trendy. But, as time went by, shoppers began to understand the mediocrity of their products and the insane price tags attached to them. I wonder how long it took before people realized that their clothes are no different than the ones found near Downtown LA’s fashion district or your local swap meet — marked up 300% of course.
For instance, I saw this black Nylon Flight Satin Club Jacket and thought it would be a cool piece of outerwear to have during my attempts to take over the world. I called far and wide to see if they had one in stock at one of their retail stores. You see, their clothes fit almost too well and I usually end up getting a smaller size that’s too tight.
During, my last adventure in Little Tokyo, I just happened to run into this American Apparel and found the item by pure luck. However, it was priced at $ 135. Seriously? I know coats aren’t cheap these days, but I just purchased a brown Camouflage Jacket on clearance at Foreign Exchange for $ 20. Thicker, better material, and way more fly. Why would anyone want to pay for inferior quality and have it taxed to the max? SMH.
Take a look at the Black Day Jacket with silver sleeves. Would you pay $ 95? Oh, hell no. Looks like a leftover break dancing jacket from the 80’s movie Flashdance.
Their regular T-​shirt averages around $ 25. Expensive, no? I’m all about capitalism myself, but this just feels like highway robbery to me. If the material was softer, more comfortable, or even durable, then you might win me over. But, even a plain T-​shirt at Banana Republic doesn’t cost that much.
American Apparel brags about how their garment workers are paid more, how they make their own products, and their commitment towards environmental sustainability. All of that deserves a huge pat on the back, but what about the end user — a possible minimum wage hourly worker that’s trying to make ends meet? Lower your prices or at least up the quality of your merchandise and then we’ll talk about Fashionable Basics, Sweatshop Free, Blah Blah Blah…
Sorry American Apparel, I’m not a fan.

I appreciated that the staff was kind enough to watch me unfold and try on hoodie after hoodie even though they knew they would ultimately have to refold all of them. They were helpful in helping me decide which size looked better (XS) but not at all bitter when I still picked something different (S). They were honest enough to let me know that I would look like a banana (peanut butter jelly time!) if I wore a bright yellow hoodie. They were patient enough to understand that, after I had made my final selection, I didn’t actually want the hoodie from the top of the pile that everyone had tried on and got me a small in my desired color from the bottom of the pile (more unfolding and folding). Finally, they were efficient enough that, after all of this, my order from Spitz’s next door still wasn’t ready yet.
But their socks still don’t fit me right.

Yeesh, this is my least favorite American Apparel ever. It seemed like they only stocked my least-​favorite AA items from the site, the shape of the store was off-​putting, and the employees kept flashing me dirty looks. No thanks.
As long as I’m labeling it least favorite, I’ll go ahead and plug my MOST favorite location: Robertson. As in the one by all the celeb-​haunted boutiques just west of Cedars. Friendly employees, great stock.

Who can resist checking out the American Apparel website with their cutting edge… erh…sexy ads… with their models who are AA employees… this AA store is pretty good. Good selection of everything here from their quality Tee to shorts, undies, etc.
Even a selection of hoodies for man’s best friend. Very friendly service staff. Generously sized fitting rooms. Lots of inventory in the small footprint. Probably the same inventory one of their larger shops like the one in the Santa Anita Fashion Center but here it is more crammed together. But still all good.
A little pricey but for the good cause of keeping textile manufacturing here in Los Angeles. Good stuff.
Worth the stop after chowing down in Little Tokyo.

I love the basic cotton tees here (soft and comfy), but wish they didn’t cost $ 18 a piece! But, buy 3, get 15% off… so I did.
The staff here are normally welcoming and helpful.

Rule #1 at American Apparel: You, employee, are too cool to talk to customers. Instead, feel free to chat amongst yourselves among the racks of gold flame bodysuits (who wears this stuff anyway?)
Also, American Apparel blows in general for reasons ya’ll should already know about. They’re not as hypocritical as the other hipster mecca UO, but it’s awfully close.

Oh American Apparel…
I have a love/​hate relationship with American Apparel. Back in the day, I used to love the quality. The cotton was high quality. The cut of the women’s shirts were flattering. I didn’t mind spending more on basics from there because I knew I was getting good stuff.
Then they went beyond basics and went into more hipster fashion. Ok. But along the way, quality went down. Some of the fabric of the shirts are paper thin and would probably not survive a couple of washes or it was so thin that they were sheer. No thanks. However, I still find a couple of items that I like. I guess that’s why I keep coming back here. It’s like going vintage shopping – sometimes you find a keeper and sometimes you don’t. That’s why you continue going back.
As for this location, it’s small. The service is average and sometimes helpful. It’s never really busy here. They have a decent selection of items too. Will continue coming back here to see if I can find a good find!

Small store open late good for some browsing while waiting for shabu house.
But i never bring myself to buy anything here. Its really kinky/plain…and also very expensive.

Went in to check out the nail polish. There were four employees in the cramped little store, and NO other customers and I was completely ignored. Checked out their polish to find that EVERY SINGLE ONE was a crème. No shimmers, glitters or even frosts.
They need to clean up their ads, too. Have you seen them? They’re totally geared toward pedophiles. Where’s Chris Hansen?

Me: I’m slightly heartened by the fact that for once American Apparel hasn’t taken a full page ad on the back of the L.A. Weekly.
Fabian: You really care? For reals?
Me: No, Pico Suave, I don’t really care. But did you know the next thing that American Apparel is going to be peddling overpriced to the masses? SCRUNCHIES. Who thought that was a good idea? Who? How many tiers of administration did that idea have to be okayed by before getting to the pedo CEO and he’s and he’s like, BRILLIANT! No, fuck that, ok? They’ve gone too far this time. Half naked prepubescent girls in their ads, fine. But scrunchies? Besides, every time I see the initials AA I think of Alcoholics Anonymous and honestly I’d rather buy clothes from cracked out ex winos. They should have a clothing line. Now THAT would be rad.
Fabian: AA is OK. That is how much these items are supposed to cost! Poeple in the US would be employed and proud to work manufacturing jobs with decent wages. F Balls Mart and all other child sweatshop supporters.
Lisa: I thought you liked scrunchies?
Helena: I’M the scrunchie lover here. I have dozens. And I wear them without a hint of irony. Can’t I have anything tacky without American Apparel trying to steal it away? And I’d get behind, «that’s how much these items are supposed to cost,» if it were true. But as an AA wholesale buyer I can tell you the retail cost of these items is like 300% markup.
Fabian: I’m crushed…
Helena: It’s a bit of a disappointment. But not surprising when you consider who’s running the joint. I can smell his balls from here.
Fabian: Yuckers. I love those v-​necks, though. And the doggie shirts!
Colin: You mean I’m going to have to actually buy my porn this week?
Me: It would be awesome if this was all some diabolical master plan, that the perv who runs AA built up his empire under false pretenses only to punk the fashion industry, that it was all leading up to this, having hipsters the world over from Tokyo to Antwerp wearing scrunchies only then to say, «Muah ha ha, YOU ALL ARE A BUNCH OF FUCKING IDIOTS AND NOW I’M RICH ENOUGH OFF YOU SHEEP TO LIVE OUT THE REST OF MY DAYS ON A YACHT IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE WITH A HAREM OF 16 YEAR OLDS SO EAT A BAG OF DICKS!» ‘
I call shenanigans on Scrunchie-​Gate. The emperor isn’t wearing any clothes, assholes!

Though the space is much bigger than the previous location, there appears to be just as little aisle space as possible. This pretty much means that American Apparel doesn’t like fat people.
There is a treasure trove of female clothing. The men’s section keeps shrinking and shrinking. I did pick up a pink Legalize Gay shirt here. The last pink tee with black lettering. For 18 bucks, it wasn’t that bad. I really want to buy accessories here, but I don’t feel compelled to due to the lack of selection for men.
At least the people who work here are attractive.

Summary: American Apparel, something you should study as a marketer on how to create a niche brand that everyone knows about that somehow has no backlash from their quasi-​slutty ad campaign and is entirely corporate but somehow appeals to hipsters everywhere and those who are really hipster but don’t like using labels to describe themselves
Pro: It’s good quality clothes. Simple and you are paying for craftsmanship.
Their online marketing strategy is really good.
Con: it’s kind of expensive, but you are buying American.
My friend Lisa works for the corporate office in downtown, and this is where she took me to show me the stuff AA has to offer.
BTW. I asked her if they really DO have discussions in their online marketing strategy about whether a girl is TOO slutty or NOT slutty enough in an online ad or an email campaign.
And they sure do. Just like how I imagined it.

I actually like this location a lot! When Austin and I came here, on a trip through L.A. we just had to stop in for a few minutes. There was parking right on the street mid day, which was nice.
Your typical AA store. All the best logo-​less clothing you can ask for. Even if the prices are a little high, that doesn’t stop any of us from buying clothes here.
The staff was friendly, unlike most other locations, and the store was well organized!

American Apparel is a strangely constructed machine. And for all it’s flaws and imperfections, and despite even my serious distaste for it, I can’t seem to stop buying their stuff.
I find it very odd that merchandise purchased at a certain location must also be returned at the same store. So I actually trekked back even though it’s 15 miles out of my way to take care of business and make my exchange.
That’s right, I said exchange.
For $ 36 for a pair of shiny leggings or $ 26 for a deep V T-​shirt, I expect to get to cash money back if I make a faulty purchase! Not so, in this case. Store credit only. So after perusing the same old styles in a million different colors, I realize that I’ve actually achieved the impossible: I’ve acquired everything I’ve wanted in the store.
So I obtain a nifty gift card with my balance due and upon inquiry, the card cannot be used online. How the heck am I supposed to do any efficient shopping then?!
I hate American Apparel. I can’t find my awesome jersey swing skirt in black and now I want the nylon tricot leggings in Shiny Peach. Hate them.