The Rise and Fall of American Apparel

I have a secret to tell you.
I worked off and on at American Apparel for three years.

It's true.
I was one of them.

I often felt this fact was a tiny mar on my resume and should be excluded from the story of my life. For a long time I simply didn't tell anyone that I worked for the company. I was kind of embarrassed. I knew what many people thought of the company, but more importantly I knew what people thought that we, the employees, thought about ourselves. Which is that we are all stuck-up, pretentious hipsters who would rather stare at the ceiling and flash side-boob instead of smile at a customer. I mean, I think of ourselves that way sometimes. Having visited a number of American Apparels I can tell you that in some cases that statement is accurate. The company is not known for their customer service training. In fact, there is zero customer training other than looking "hip". However, if the company is lucky enough to hire employees that already understand that greeting a customer instead of acting as though they invaded their territory, then you have a pretty good store. The stores in Austin and Portland both have very good employees. The same can not be said for many of the Los Angeles and New York stores.

I also left this employment tidbit off of my narrative because it simply didn't mesh with what I thought were the more interesting stories of being a Hollywood assistant (I began working at American Apparel after I left working in the film business).  I ignorantly felt that working in retail seemed like a step backwards, an example of "not being able to cut it in the real world". Boy, was I stupid little fool! Little did I know that retail is often a very stressful and challenging job and anyone who works full-time in retail should be given lots and lots of prizes. Any person who knocks retail should try working in a retail store between Black Friday and Christmas.

I'm not here to talk about my adventures in retail though. I'm here today to talk about the rise and fall of American Apparel. I'm not going to bad mouth the company or tell you dirty little behind-the-scenes stories. My experiences with the company were mostly enjoyable. I'm going to explain why it will be a sad day once this company goes under. Yeah, you heard me right. A mo-fo'ing sad day.

It is no secret that American Apparel is having difficulty. News outlets like Gawker, Jezebel, and Huffingtonpost have gleefully chronicled the rumors of a decline since the summer of 2010. Just a few weeks ago, a string of articles from the NY Times, NY Mag, and Business Week claim that bankruptcy at this point is "inevitable". Stores are no longer getting regular shipments in or the necessary supplies to run a day-to-day business. None of this phases founder and CEO, Dov Charney, though. In fact, Charney has been quoted as saying he feels "inspired" with the looming threat of bankruptcy. This scare is nothing new to American Apparel, who has been bailed out once before, but reports this time are looking grim. A group of Canadian investors are offering a $15 million bail out, but the company reported a $86 million loss in 2010.

Many have speculated what caused this big shiny balloon to pop so fast (the company has been around for 13 years). Employees prophesied the imminent demise years ago after watching again and again business practices that were not in the company's best interest. Practices like hiring young and unskilled workers to manage stores, districts, or whole departments. Practices like not listening to advice when your trend ideas are clearly off the mark. News reports state that Charney's sudden shift of focus on preppy clothing instead of the basic and hipster clothing we were all used to is what sealed the coffin shut, but I figure it's the nihilistic, free-for-all managing practices that got themselves in a jam.

For all of you who are celebrating the death of the unitard, the lamé leggings, and the provocative ads of employees, well, let me remind you that American Apparel is the largest clothing factory of it's size that's made 100% in America. The company supplies over 8,000 jobs to people living in America. "But half of those workers are illegal immigrants!" you might say. It's true and American Apparel has never hidden the fact that they employee thousands of undocumented Mexican and Latinos workers at their factory in Los Angeles. Workers that they pay above industry average, that they offer subsidized health care, lunch, and transportation fare to, that they do not exploit nor take for granted. The company even pushed a much controversial "Legalize LA: Immigration Reform Now" campaign where they printed thousands of t-shirt with said logo and and marched in the May Day Immigration Parade in Los Angeles.

Speaking of social campaigns, American Apparel also jumped on board with the fight against Prop 8. The company printed and donated thousands of "Legalize Gay: Repeal Prop 8 Now" t-shirts and encouraged individual stores to don their windows with the logo. The company has also encouraged individual stores to get involved with local non-profits related to said causes.

With all the controversy surrounding the company, it is easy to forget the very important facts above. How many other companies can you think of that are so vocally behind gay rights and immigration rights? How many other non-boutique clothing manufacturers can you think of that make all of their clothing in America? How many other clothing lines showcase models that have a little bit of cellulite, a little bit of love handles, or a little bit of nooks, crannies, pimples, or imperfections?

Of course we can not neglect the elephant in the room, the hyper-sexual business dealings within the company. Yes, the owner likes to share his pickle. Yes, the owner likes to hire young girls he shares his pickle with and give them upper managerial positions at the company. Yes, these same young girls make big decisions for the company. Yes, all of this is kind of gross. As a young woman was it frustrating to see and hear stories of my peers getting ahead by giving head? Of course, but as I've come to realize, that's just the way it is. It's never going to change. That crap happens within companies worldwide. American Apparel was just brazen about it. And if it's any consolation to the people who objected to this behavior, this practice could be a large part of why the company has failed.

Now, American Apparel could be saved again. Charney could be ousted and the company redesigned. Or the company could shut down it's retail stores and continue to where it once became as a clothing wholesaler. Regardless, there is no denying that American Apparel has progressively sunk deeper and deeper into a tight spot. Maybe American Apparel's time on this Earth was meant to be a short one. To show people that a company can be based in America and can produce materials at low cost while still taking care of it's employees. That you can use your employees as models for your brand. That a Mom & Pop feel can exist in the international company. That you can build a successful company on principals that matter most to you and also can support other causes. Maybe it was also created to show what not to do when you have a good thing going.

What do you think of American Apparel?

Let's Play Dress Up!

I grew up in a family business centered around women's apparel.

This does a lot to f you up.

You have mini moms and mini grandmas forever hovering over your shoulder every morning as you get ready for the day.

"Brush that hair!"

"Fix your lapel!"

"You're slowly disgracing the family name by wearing those holey socks! Do you want to kill the family name, Lauren?! DO YOU?!"

I do not like fashion.

I will never pretend that I know anything about fashion designers, fashion blogs, or America's Next Model Top Runway Style Show.

However, I do like dressing up.

Suspenders, ties, hats, mustaches, scarves, skirts, pantyhose, you name it.

In the want to streamline my blog a bit more, I will be doing a weekly "dress up" post. This will be my version of a fashion post but without the vacant stares, sour pusses, pigeon toes, and scoliosis legs.

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Like any good hipstercrite, I wear a lot of American Apparel and make fun of people who wear it.

However, all joking aside- because American Apparel is a very serious matter- outside of the obvious questionable behavior and practices that we secretly hate to love, there is nothing quite like American Apparel. While quietly judging the photo of a topless model spread eagle on crumpled white sheets and wondering what clothing she's actually modeling in our morning paper, it is easy to forget how innovative in the most simplest and out-of-the-box ways this company has been. It is the largest clothing manufacturer of its size made in America. They use mostly company employees of all shapes and sizes as their models. They offer fair wages, subsidized health care and transportation, and other advantages to their factory workers. The company has a fairly large organic line that costs no more than their non-organic items.

In so many ways, American Apparel is doing more than any other clothing company.

So hats off to American Apparel!

And shirts.

And pants.

And underwear.

This is me in Marfa, Texas. I am hanging out at the Marfa Mystery Lights viewing center because I have nothing else better to do except demand that my mother takes countless photos of me. You can't even see the lights during the day, so why am I here? Well, I'm here to show you my ALL AMERICAN ALL AMERICAN APPAREL outfit.

Hat: Wool Floppy Hat in Luggage (no longer made in that color)

Scarf: Sheer Circle Scarf in Black (one of my top 10 favorite purchases from there-versatile, seasonal, and worth buying. comes in six other colors)

Top: Creme Black Striped Double-U Neck Long Sleeve Bodysuit

Pants: Linen High-Waist Pleated Pant in Pewter (new favorite item- a little expensive, but well made and you will have for a long time. worth the cost.)

Shoes: Vintage from Thrift Town

Sometimes my ass falls asleep when I sit on ledges. My ass has poor circulation because I've had, what they call, a "sedentary" job for the past six years. I am a desk jockey.

Sometimes my mother can be a cruel women.

Do you like American Apparel? What is your favorite item from there? What do you not like about American Apparel?

Broke Hipster Budgeting Tips

Last night, I came across a helpful article titled, "How to Save Money the Hipster Way" on WalletPop. The author, Steven Kent, was pretty spot on with his list: "Thou shall not pay more than $20 for a show" or "Thou shall not pay more than $2 for beer" seems to ring true with every hipster.

However, I noticed a few items missing.

Here is my list on how to save money the hipster way.

How do you save?

1.) Shop at Thrift Stores- Well, duh. When I was 16 and stupid, shopping at the Salvation Army was not even a thought in my head. I wore vintage clothing, but only from the treasure troves of my mother and grandmother's closets. Now, ten years later, I ONLY shop at thrift stores. What did I know? Nothing. My favorite thrift store in Austin is Thrift Town. It's a southwestern chain with great specials every month. The items below I got during their 50% off sale. $2.99 for the shoes, $3.99 for the dress.

2.) Repurpose Old Clothing/Buy Accessories- When you get the urge to buy a new outfit, stop. Chances are you have great clothing that you're just bored of. If that's the case, try and be creative. Some of my favorite flowy skirts, I now wear as tops (yes, it's true...and it usually makes my boobs look bigger). If you can sew, then you're golden. When I get sick of my little black dress, I buy some funky pantyhose. Check out American Apparel's fun pantyhose selection.

3.) Sell your clothing to Buffalo Exchange- If you live in a big city, chances are you have a Buffalo Exchange (or something like it). That chain is spreading like a fungus. If you're in a pinch, selling old clothing is a fast way for some dough. Remember, make sure the clothing is clean and season appropriate before you take it in.

4.) Free movie screenings- In Austin, the beloved Alamo Drafthouse hosts free kid-friendly screenings the last Saturday of each month, or Monday-Thursday during the summer. They also host $1 Terror Tuesdays and Weird Wednesdays. Whole Foods HQ in Austin often screens contemporary films on their rooftop. I have no idea if your town does these sort of things. Check out your local newspaper/alt weekly paper for details. This is just another little insertion on why Austin is substantially cooler than everywhere else.

5.) DIY furniture- Furniture can be expensive. Even Ikea can be a fortune when you're broke. That's why you should DIY your furniture. Check out Craigslist for cheap deals. Also, check the free section. Lots of times people give away big pieces they don't want to lug around. Another option is Freecycle. Freecycle is a city forum where people leave messages about free stuff they are giving away. For creative ideas, check out Ikeafans or Ikeahacker for ideas.

6.) Cheap Travel- Wanderlust is part of the deal when you're a hipster, but it can be difficult when you're stealing toilet paper from work just to wipe your butt at home. Budget Travel is a great way to find inexpensive trips all over the world. Last Minute offers cheap vacays for that week. Chances are you live near someplace pretty f'ing cool though. Round up a bunch of friends and head out for the weekend. Brown bag it, hostel it, street walk it (in more ways than one). Do what you gotta do. You'll have fun regardless.

7.) Unload car- If you can, unload your car and move to a city with excellent mass transportation or bike-friendly roads. Seriously. Why not? I did and I'm slowly working towards that naive dream.

8.) Defer college loan- Defer that shit! College loan lenders are the easiest to work with, but the devil when you fall behind. Don't be afraid to call your lender and ask for a deferment or talk about ways you can lower your monthly payment. There are ways that don't involve sexual favors, trust me.

9.) Sell on Etsy/Ebay- If you are creative or have a good eye, start selling on Etsy or Ebay. See this bag here? SEE IT? It's Kitty Hipster Bag and I bought it for $1.25 at a thrift store and sold it for $15 on Etsy.

10.) Assistance- Do like what Wal-mart told their employees to do- go on public assistance. In Texas, for a single person, you must make $903 a month. At least this way you won't be eating Taco Bell and gasin' up the joint every day. Or to find more information on subsidized rentals and homeowner assistance and advice go to your state HUD website.

*Note- Don't mooch off of unemployment longer than you have to. I know times are tough, but if you get offered a job, f'ing take it, will you? Let's put it this way, thousands of people in California found themselves jobless with unemployment funds unavailable to them for up to 6 months because of people like my lazy ass musician friends who were perfectly cable of finding a job.

Talk About Bum Cakes My Girl's Got 'Em

As you all probably know, American Apparel is currently searching for "The Best Bottom in the World!" Commentary on this contest is moot considering it does all the talking for itself.

I've combed through over 1200 butts to find you my favorites. Thoughts?

(P.S.- If you get a chance, please check out my post at Alternative Apparel today and let me know your thoughts)

Ginger was surprised at how much the tree tasted like snozberries.

Finally fed up with not being able to get her shirt on, Suzy left the house and was quickly mounted by a neighborhood kid who mistook her for a pony.

Seeing a large American Apparel billboard while walking down Sunset Boulevard, Lindsey had an epiphany. "Is that what I look like?!" she shouted into the air. She promptly turned around and threw up in the nearest trash can.

Steve refused to look out the window and see a world where Geraldo Rivera impersonators are not accepted.

Dana's lifelong dream of becoming a My Little Pony was finally taking shape.

The ideology of butt contests made Jason go into a deep and unforgiving despair.

Julie was afraid that if she stopped running, gravity would soon catch up to her ass and therefore no longer make her relevant.

"Honey, I think there is something on my back, can you see what it is?"

"Daddy, can I put my shirt back on? It's cold."

Hipster Valentine's Day Gift Guide Pt. 2 (The Dirty Stuff)

Yesterday, I posted part one of my Hipster Valentine's Day Guide. It included a whole bunch of mustache.

Today's part is what to get your honey if you're a hipster and dirty.
And I don't mean, I'm-a-hipster-that-rides-my-bike-a lot-and-doesn't-shower-and-smells-like-a-Salvation-Army-depository dirty.

1.) Ok, this isn't dirty at all, but I had to include this necklace on the list because it's from "Annie Hall" and there is no greater love story than that of Alvy and Annie.
"Love is too weak a word for what I feel - I luuurve you, you know, I loave you, I luff you, two F's, yes I have to invent, of course I - I do, don't you think I do?"

2.) Cooter perfume. Not perfume for your cooter. Perfume that smells like your cooter. I don't think anything I could write after this point will matter.

(thanks to the Sassy Curmudgeon for inspiration of "cooter")

3.) Wondering what to do with that Snuggie that you threatened your Mom not to buy you for Christmas but she did anyways? Get creative with the Snuggie Sutra.
My favorite is "The Manket"- "The man wears the Snuggie on his back and keeps his partner warm. Perfect for long winter nights, cold winter mornings and when your partner is sedated."


4.) Why does Sasha Grey have such a bubbly butt? More importantly... she's only 21!?
These assless pantyhose are 50% at American Apparel until Feb. 21st. Come buy them so I don't have to look at them anymore.



5.) Does your boyfriend like to watch reruns of "Sex in the City" with you and often say, "Hey honey, I think I would like to pork Carrie Bradshaw"? Then treat him with the Sarah Jessica Porkher blow-up doll.
Click here if you dare (not for the squeamish)....


6.) Has your girl been bugging you about getting a toupee for her cootch? If so, then I would cut her loose now. Or, if you're into that sort of thing, get her the strawberry merkin.

Thank You For the Big Schnoz, Great-Grandma Sophie

Like every modern vintage lovin'/aspiring DIY hipster in Austin, TX, I will attempt to sell old clothing.

Wait. "Old clothing" makes it sound smelly; like it's been sitting in some shut-in's trunk in the basement for 35 years. These are "carefully selected vintage styles most likely owned by old ladies who took better care of their dresses than their children".

SGF and I did a photo shoot this weekend for my impending Etsy page. These are some out takes.

What do you all think?

Or better yet, does anyone want to buy one of these pieces?

Girl not included, but beer can definitely is.

I Have a Friend Who Has a Friend That Got Crabs From Trying on Vintage Clothing

I'm looking down at my desk and there are CRUMBS EVERYWHERE!

Enjoy these photos of us wearing American Apparel's California Select while I clean this shit up....

(P.S. you can buy all this jazz at the American Apparel store on Congress)

Emily loves Crepes Mille.

Richard loves pole.

Ben loves America. And denim. America and denim.

Lauren loves sparkles. SPARKLES, SPARKLES, SPARKLES!

Frances really loves the flavorful Italian cuisine at Botticelli's

Ben and Lauren love awkward, subtitled conversations overlooking Manhattan (or in this case, St. Vincent de Paul's Charity Store parking lot)

Mannequin Babies

Mannequin babies like to go to work with Mommy wearing the same exact outfit.
Skippy is giving Mommy problems with his beret. He keeps wanting to take it off.
Mommy doesn't understand why Skippy keeps taking off the wool beret.
Mommy is wearing the beret so Skippy has to wear it too.
The beret makes you look nice, Skippy!
Don't take off the damn beret!

This kid is a real pain in the ass, Mommy thinks.
So what if it's 102 degrees out?
The beret compliments the outfit!
The outfit will not be the same without the beret!
Mommy and Skippy have to match!

Smile for the camera, Skippy!
Look up!
Don't touch the damn beret or we're going back inside and we're changing out of matching outfits.
You want that?
I didn't think so.
Now smile.
SMILE!

Look in that window, Skippy.
See what happens to mannequin babies that talk back to Mommy?
They get placed in American Apparel windows and forced to wear lamé leggings.
You don't want your bow tie taken away from you, do you?
DO YOU?

California Select at American Apparel

Today, my mug made the American Apparel Daily Update email. I'm not sure how and why for I'm probably the least American Apparel looking employee that ever existed.

See? Do I look like them???

Oops....never mind...

Anyways...

The photo and update above are advertising American Apparel's vintage line, California Select.

Select American Apparel retail stores in North America, Europe, and Australia carry hand-picked vintage items from around the world. You can see examples of the items we carry at our Cali Select blog. Yes, come look at us silly hipsters frolicking through L.A., NYC, and Austin wearing stuff we used to make fun of our parents for having in their closets.

*Side note- I work at American Apparel on the weekend. I work at this fantastic multi-media production company in Austin during the week. We're called Super!Alright! and we are super alright.

My New Favorite Thing: American Apparel's Le Sac

I used to hate the Le Sac dress at American Apparel. You know, that huge sheet of fabric on a string that you walk by at the store and go, "How in God's name...?"

I used to glare at it and curse it, and occasionally throw it on the ground while trying it on. I would watch the instructional videos of all the different styles to wear, somehow get caught lopsided in the dress, and end up crying and feeling extremely defeated by a large piece of cotton.

In my mind I thought the dress would serve a better purpose as a tent. There was no reason why one should have to think about how to put on an article of clothing! None! I want to be brainless while putting clothing on in the morning.

Then the other day, a friend walked me step by step through a couple of different styles.

A light bulb went off.

This sh** is easy!

And it looks super cute too!

Ever since then I've been a Le Sac machine; changing into a different style every two hours. Who needs a stylist when you can constantly reinvent your own dress?

Here are a couple of different styles you can try.

The Grecian- take the non-open-ended side of the string and put it up on one shoulder. Take the open-ended side of the string and tie it in a knot under your opposite armpit. Does that make sense? Wow, this shi** is a lot harder to describe than thought. So now you have two strings hanging below your armpit. Twist them together to make one string down to your hip. From your hip, pull them apart and pull around either side of waist. Wrap around once or twice and tie in the front or back.

The Classic- do the same steps as The Grecian, except instead of tying the open-ended side under your armpit, do it on top of the opposite shoulder. You get what I'm saying? Just look at the picture!

By the way, that's Emily, isn't she adorable? She's taken though. Sorry boys.

The Jumper- I actually have no idea how ChaCha did this one.

You're smart. I'm sure you can figure it out.

And this is ChaCha. She's too f'ing cute for words.

The No Name- I'm sure this has a name because this style appears on the style cards in the store. Beautiful Jannine showed me how to do this one the other day. I like it because it makes my boobs look big.

The cool thing about the Le Sac it's only $38 and comes in almost 30 different colors with different string variations. They also sell the Le String separately so you can switch it out if you'd like. I've gotten so many compliments with this dress I can't even count anymore. You should get one. You'll get compliments too.

Don't you want compliments?