Is American Eagle’s New Line Really ‘One Size Fits All’? An Investigation.
Photo: @dontaskwhyny/Instagram
There was a time not so long ago when the term “one size fits most” applied mostly to winter hats, plastic rain ponchos, and those super weird popcorn shirts thats had an unfortunate moment in the early 2000s.
But with the undeniable success of “one-size-fits-most” casual-wear brand Brandy Melville, one size fits most is now a bona fide business model—and American Eagle Outfitters is hoping it will help help re-capture the attention (and expendable incomes) of young adults.
The struggling, classically preppy retailer just opened a one-size pop up shop called Don’t Ask Why in NYC’s SoHo neighborhood, a few doors down from AE’s flagship SoHo location. AE describes the off-shoot brand as serving up “effortless street style with [a] festival inspired edge,” and also sells many of its 137 womenswear pieces, which range from $20 to $70, on its e-commerce site.
According to a statement from AE’s global brand president Chad Kessler, Don’t Ask Why is “used as a trend and fit test-lab for AEO while giving us the opportunity to serve our edgier customer.”
Photo: @dontaskwhyny/Instagram
There are tiny tank tops, yoga pants, the shortest shorts in existence, and oversized sweaters, along with several “one of a kind” vintage tees priced between $35 and $45. And yes, they’re all literally the same size. When asked about the decision to go one-size-only, Kessler attested that the model is important for getting customers the latest products as fast as possible:
“One size is great because it increases our speed to market. We are able to play with trends and emerging silhouettes while filling customer demand for soft, casual dressing at a faster rate. Don’t Ask Why is extremely versatile in how the product can be worn — we have under-sized bodycon styles as well as more flowy over-sized pieces that are easy to grab and go. We find our customer really enjoys that ease in shopping.“
But what size is “one size,” exactly? I’d estimate somewhere between a US 2 and maybe a 6. Meaning that, despite the recent pushes to make plus size clothing more accessible and fashion forward, Don’t Ask Why is definitely not plus-size—or most size—friendly. It’s basically the real-life version of Regina George’s former favorite store that only sells 1s, 3s, and 5s.
To test out my theory, I picked up a few items from the store to bring back to the Yahoo Style office for everyone to try on. At first, everyone was cracking up about how tiny everything was: “Is that a dress, or a top?” “A shirt… for ants?” “Are those underwear?!” (They were shorts.) “That sweater’s actually cute.” (It really was.)
Then they found out they had to try the stuff on—and get photographed wearing it for the site. Pretty much everyone flat-out refused, until someone mentioned the idea of excluding our faces. Brilliant! That did the trick.
Let me tell you: There’s nothing that’ll make you want to run to the gym faster than seeing photos of yourself wearing clothes that are marked “one size fits”… someone who is way, WAY smaller than you. Yeesh. American Eagle may want to consider selling workout passes in the fitting rooms.
Some of us could hardly fit into the booty shorts; some of us couldn’t even get them halfway up our thighs. A t-shirt dress (I think it was a dress?) barely went past my tush—I’m only 5′4″—and a pair of printed harem pants were riding up my crotch. Cute! We eventually settled on all wearing the same pair of frilly booty shorts and a teensy-tiny ribbed crop top, as seen in the .GIF below. Needless to say, not one of us was impressed, and we certainly weren’t comfortable.
True, we’re all probably a bit too old for Don’t Ask Why’s core customer demographic. Still, when even notoriously fat-shaming retailer Abercrombie & Fitch is selling size 14s, something seems… off.
Whether the line will end up building a “thin club” reputation like Brandy Melville has (as one teen told Huffington Post last fall, “It’s an exclusivity thing […] There will always be the girls who will try to squeeze into it. They’ll do whatever they can to fit in Brandy Melville.”) has yet to be seen. But in terms of body acceptance? This one size trend is certainly not the most motivational—or, hell, flattering!—way to go.
More from Yahoo Style:
Meet the Preteens Who Crashed Fashion Week
One Size Fits All On Different Body Types
Why Are So Many of Our Favorite Brands Dying?
10 Music Festival Fashion Trends That Need to Die
