Abercrombie and Fitch/Hollister

Abercrombie and Fitch/Hollister

Willie Perry III
November 16, 2010
Ms. Evans
Final



Drunken Driven references to teenage nudity and sexual references, a look at the advertising controversy that made jaws drop. California meet New York, New York meets California. Abercrombie and Fitch New York prep meets Hollister Surfer Dudes and Betty’s.

Abercrombie and Fitch.

Two high fashion brand labels created under the same label to satisfy ones special style. The brand Abercrombie was invented by David T. Abercrombie on June 4, 1892. Abercrombie was a waterfront shop at No. 36 South Street in downtown Manhattan, New York. A New York Lawyer Ezra Fitch was a regular customer of David’s. On April 25, 1896, Abercrombie married a woman by the name of Lucy Abbot Cate in Baltimore. The Couple Ezra and David had given birth to four children; Elizabeth, Lucy, David and Abbot. The family lived in Newark, New Jersey for quite some time. Living in a log cabin on Greenwood Lake. The Abercrombie family later moved to Brooklyn, New York.

Later on in the 1900’s Abercrombie most valued customer Ezra Fitch bought a share into the successfully growing Abercrombie Company. The company changed its name in 1904 to what is known to all as Abercrombie and Fitch Co. Ezra and Abercrombie had gotten into many disputes. Abercrombie wanted the business to remain as an elite store for the elite outdoorsman, While Ezra wanted to expand the store for the general public leading Abercrombie to leave the company.

The brand Abercrombie and Fitch had financial issues in the 1960’s- 1970’s. The brand repositioned in the 1980’s as a lifestyle brand. Abercrombie and Fitch remains today as a cultural American brand. Abercrombie is to accommodate it promoted image of casual luxury.

Hollister.

Hollister came about from the fictional character John M. Hollister. John M. Hollister is an adventurous youth who spent his youth sports in the water Maine. John M. Hollister graduated from Yale University in 1915 at the age of 21. John didn’t want the luxury life his father planned for him in the city of Manhattan. John arrived to the Dutch East Indies by 1917. John then brought a rubber plantation from another fictional character by the name of Gregory Van Gilder. Gilder had a daughter by the name of Meta . John Fell in love with Gilders daughter. Hollister then sold the land he brought for the rubber plantation. Hollister and Meta sailed the South Pacific for two years after purchasing a 50 foot schooner. John and Meta had married and had a son by the name of John M. Hollister Jr. born in the 1920’s. After discovering California and himself with the love of the South Pacific in mind John sr. established the Hollister Co. in 1922 Laguna Beach. The company at that time sold hand crafted furniture, jewelry, linens, and artifacts from all the island. The company began to transform after John M. Hollister Jr. had taken over in 1957. In 1957 John M. Hollister Jr. began bringing in inventory surf apparel and equipment. The story is a fantasy. The store is fictionally still managed by the Hollister’s. the story of the Hollister’s is a story of passion, youth and love of the sea.

This story is made publicly and available but it helps tie in many main events of the brand with what was in reality. Conceived by Abercrombie and Fitch In the 21st century. The Hollister company. Brand is marketed as a designed to stimulate the feeling of being in a surf shop. Furthermore, the story of the character John M. Hollister Jr. being a renowned surfer is on the back to Jake cologne packaging.

Style

Styling within Hollister and Abercrombie and Fitch is a real relaxed, settle, Fun, Sexy, Flirtatious look.

Vibe

The vibe you feel when you walk into a Hollister store is a warm feeling. The Vibe you feel when you walk into an Abercrombie and Fitch store is a welcome feeling like a sexual seductive but stylish feeling.

Clothing

Abercrombie and Fitch “ JEANS” The Rolling Skinny’s are a pair of jeans that is made of hard denim dark blue skinny jeans for the male figure.

Hollister “JEANS” The palm canyon skinny’s are a pair of jeans that are made with a softer washed denim also made for the male figure.

These are the top brand jeans form each of the leading brands.

Quality

The Quality from Hollister and Abercrombie and Fitch Is really great. The shirts from both stores are made from one hundred percent pure cotton. The cotton is as soft as a babies bottom when you have on one of the brands shirts. The Abercrombie and Fitch shirts are thicker than the Hollister shirts due to the price ranges. The quality of the shirts is guaranteed to last a few years.The quality of the bags you receive are really different spending money at Hollister you receive a cardboard paper back bag. Shopping at Abercrombie you receive a great handcrafted bag with thick supportive straps.

The brands are totally two of a kind one is a preppy California look and one is a relaxed upper east side New York feel.

So does price matter? Yes good is not cheap and cheap is not good. I've learned the background of both stores and I've come to see the differnces within both clothings.

Refrences

"Abercrombie & Fitch’s Biography – Free Listening, Videos, Concerts, Stats, & Pictures at Last.fm." Last.fm - Listen to Free Music with Internet Radio and the Largest Music Catalogue Online. Web. 18 Sept. 2010. http://www.last.fm/music/Abercrombie+%26+Fitch/ wiki/diff?&a=1&b=2.

"David T. Abercrombie." All Biographies. Web. 18 Sept. 2010. http://all-biographies.com/historical/david_abercrombie.htm.

"John M. Clayton: Biography from Answers.com." Answers.com: Wiki Q&A Combined with Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus, and Encyclopedias. Web. 18 Sept. 2010.http://www.answers.com/topic/john-clayton.