Abercrombie: back and better than ever
Founded in 1892, cool since ~2020.
As always, good Shabbos. Thank you for returning to my dear old blog. This week I am here to discuss Abercrombie, a store that is simultaneously my obsession and my vice. Now, I know some of my male followers may lose interest here but bear with me, because maybe you’re looking for a new website to browse (Abercrombie does indeed have a men’s line) or maybe you’re in the market for a gift for a special gal in your life. So don’t tune this out!
We all remember the days when Abercrombie was whack. I remember feeling so self-conscious in my 12-year-old body as I tried to sidestep the Zac Efron-looking shirtless man outside to enter, to then take one glance at the clothes and remember that I preferred wearing Steelers jerseys and did not yet understand how to dress myself. I also pretended to hate Abercrombie because no matter the location, upon entering you would be suffocated with a deep Axe body spray scent, but I secretly loved it because it smelled like “boys.”
But now, a decade later, due to a leadership change and some brilliant marketers behind the scenes, Abercrombie has undergone a massive transformation and it is now cool. I’ll say it louder for the people in the back: Abercrombie is now cool and is an acceptable place to shop.
So, this week I am bringing you my favorites from the new and improved Abercrombie. I have tried on a lot — I tend to order 20 things, keep 2, and return the rest — so I consider myself a trusted source. Let me tell you the reasons Abercrombie keeps me coming back:
It is true to size! None of this sizing up four sizes business just so you can squeeze your calf into the pant leg, because that is unacceptable. They offer many different sizing options for pants — classic, petite, curve love — and lengths too — regular, long, extra long, short, extra short — so there really is a lot of size inclusion (though of course, most companies could be doing better on this front).
They use models of diverse sizes. This is extremely important to me because when I see something on a model who isn’t a size 2, I think to myself, oh, I could wear that too.
They have great sales. Chances are, if you have your eye on something, it will soon come on sale. They do site-wide sales often, and if you become a loyalty member you almost always have a $10 off coupon waiting for you in your account. Sneaky hack: when you make a purchase, there is a survey you can fill out on the receipt (both paper and email) that will get you 15% off your next purchase.
All in all, Abercrombie checks my boxes, and it may check yours too. Here are some highlights to try first.
High Rise 90s Relaxed Jean. These are my favorite jeans in my closet — I have them in 4 colors/styles, and they are the perfect ratio of tight to loose. I would size down, as they do stretch. I usually get a size 4 in these (even though I am definitely not a size 4) even though it’s a squeeze because when they stretch then they fit perfectly. Also, if you’re a millennial and you’re still on the skinny jeans wave but looking to start transitioning to looser-fitting pants, I’d try the Ultra High Rise 90s Straight Jean first. This style is the perfect gateway to wider leg pants.
*A note on Abercrombie’s Curve Love style: The Curve Love style tends to be a bit stretchier and snatch you at the waist, as it is trying to combat the waist gapping issue that many women experience with pants. I personally don’t wear the Curve Love style because my hips aren’t wide enough to fill them out, so they are baggy in the crotch area. So, unless you have wide hips, I would go with the classic style.
Sloane Tailored Pant. I love these pants for work because they’re both flattering, especially at the waist, and give you room to breathe. I have them in this lighter fabric and also in a heavy fabric (the Tailored Brush Suiting Wide Leg Pants are almost gone for the season, but they’ve served me well this winter). I have a size M (they did the sizing differently for this style when I got them), so I’m likely a size 28W and regular length.
Bodysuits. I have a bunch of different ones that I will link if they’re still available, or I’ll link a similar version. I find the bodysuits to be extremely flattering and are my go-to in bringing outfits together, no matter the season. I wear them to work with wide-leg trousers or with skirts in the summer, and they are also great for layering under cardigans or with an oversized button-down (I was leaning hard on this look last summer and I will be bringing it back). They all have a snap closure and are thong-style, so no worries on those fronts. I usually get a M or a L and I don’t find them to pinch or be too short.
Cotton Seamless Fabric Crew Tank Bodysuit: best layering piece I own.
Long-Sleeve Squareneck Sweater Bodysuit: this one is almost sold out but any of the sweater ones will be similar.
Ponte V-Neck Portrait Bodysuit: I have the long sleeve version of this, and I find this neckline to be so flattering.
Long-Sleeve Ponte Notch-Neck Bodysuit: I have a sweater bodysuit and a tank bodysuit with this notch neckline and it’s the perfect amount of cheeky.
Long-Sleeve Cutout Crew Bodysuit: I bought this as an out of comfort zone piece, but it’s so flattering and fun that it’s now one of my go-to going out tops (see it in action in my New Years post on @rherhe.recs). This specific style is on clearance, but now I feel confident to go for other Abercrombie cutout styles — they may seem like a reach, but give them a shot because they may surprise you.
YPB Workout Line. YPB, which I just learned stands for Your Personal Best, is Abercrombie’s activewear line, and though I haven’t bought much from it, the three items I do have I absolutely love.
YPB sculptLUX Squareneck Slim Tank: This is one of the few workout tops that holds up the girls. I can wear this for low/medium impact strength workouts and it’s comfortable. I have it in two colors, both size L, and it comes with a scrunchy! The classic fit is linked here, but they also make this top in Curve Love, which I’ll need to explore.
YPB sculptLUX 7” Bike Short: These are the matching bike shorts to the above tank. I have a size L, and they aren’t too tight on the thigh, which is my main qualm with bike shorts, and they stay up throughout my workout. They also make this style with a side pocket (YPB sculptLUX 7” Pocket Bike Short) which is my favorite workout bottoms feature, so I may have to snag these for summer.
YPB sculptLux Split Flare Legging: I immediately bought these after one of my favorite influencers, Mik Zazon (@mikzazon), posted in them. They are very much comfy yoga pants, but they hold you in and have a fun and flirty flare. I have a M, and though this specific style is almost gone, these are so great that I would definitely buy more YPB yoga pants.
Bathing suit style with ties. I love this style because it’s adjustable, both on the top and the bottom. I have a version of this set from a few seasons ago, and it’s held up very well. This season, the tie styles available are the Tie-Strap Underwire Bikini Top and the Cinch Tie High-Waist High-Leg Cheeky Bottom, and hopefully more colors will come out as the weather gets warmer. The top also comes in Curve Love, which I would probably choose over regular, but the one I have is an XL in the regular fit. As for the bottoms, I have a L in the regular fit.
Dresses. I got both of these dresses last season, but lucky for us, I guess they were popular enough to keep around.
Ruched Flutter Sleeve Maxi Dress: I have this dress in black and it’s the perfect summer evening dress. The neckline is a bit more revealing on me, but nothing too crazy and it would likely be more parent-appropriate on those with less going on up top. Though this dress does have a lot of fabric, I still find it to be flattering and it’s super comfortable and bloat-proof, which is ideal if you’re wearing it out for a big meal.
Traveler Mini Dress: This is a knock-off of the Outdoor Voices Exercise Dress, and I prefer this one because I find it to be more supportive on top. It has built in shorts with a little side pocket on one side and the straps are adjustable. It’s best for walking or low-impact activities, like golf (I recently wore this for a golf lesson and felt very cute and chic). I have it in blue in a size L in the regular length, but I could have also gone for the tall length if I wanted it to be a tiny bit longer. It is very likely that I get this dress in another color this season.
Got other Abercrombie styles for me to try? Please send them my way by responding to this post or DM me on Instagram @rherhe.recs. Men — I promise I will mix up my content and give you something more relatable next time. And as always, thank you for tuning in to Rhe Rhe’s Recs!