Abercrombie CEO Comments Spark Ire On No Fat Chicks Comment

The Abercrombie CEO comments on no fat chicks and ugly guys in his stores has sparked an ire, raising eyebrows at the same time when he allegedly said that world famous clothing line does not cater to fat people.

Mike Jeffries, CEO of retail giant Abercrombie and Fitch, has been said to not want larger people shopping in his store. According to Robin Lewis, co-author of The New Rules of Retail, Jeffries only wants thin and beautiful people in his store. The Abercrombie CEO doesn’t want his core customers to see people who aren’t as hot as them wearing his clothing.

He said, that the CEO wants, “people who wear his clothing should feel like they’re one of ‘cool kids.’”

A rep for the company did not immediately respond for comment, but Lewis’ supposed interpretation of the A&F philosophy has been picked up by the media, with the Abercrombie & Fitch’s CEO’s comment getting a lot of ire.

Business Insider said Jeffries possible definition for the not cool kids are fat people.

The CEO explained in an interview with Salon:

"In every school there are the cool and popular kids, and then there are the not-so-cool kids. Candidly, we go after the cool kids."

"We go after the attractive all-American kid with a great attitude and a lot of friends. A lot of people don't belong [in our clothes], and they can't belong."

"Are we exclusionary? Absolutely. The companies that are in trouble are trying to target everybody: young, old, fat, skinny. But then you become totally vanilla."

"You don't alienate anybody, but you don't excite anybody, either."

According to numerous bloggers, Jeffries philosophy and approach is consistent with the advertising and branding of A&F. The ads, which are frequently risqué and always feature extremely thin but attractive models.