 | Stuff Lesbians Like Part 50: American EagleBy Grace O'Neill |
Let me set the scene for you. It’s a Saturday afternoon. You’ve been lassoed into a marathon shopping expedition with your girlfriend/ best friend/ ex/ straight girl who you are sure you can turn gay/ or guy friend who makes an amazing beard for weddings and other such family functions. You grudgingly follow them into the umpteenth store thinking, “Please God let them finally find that holy grail of cashmere sweaters they’ve been looking for,” when suddenly you stop dead in your tracks. Before you lies an array of vintage cut polos, cargos in every shape, size, color, as well as hats, belts, and even a few wrist cuffs to boot. In short, it’s dyke heaven. It’s American Eagle.
Whether you live in a fashion-forward big city or a flannel-loving small town, one thing’s for certain; Lesbians love wearing American Eagle. This relatively new cultural phenomenon, having only become prevalent during the last five years, has already reached the level of such timeless gaydar triggering signals as acoustic guitars, short nails, and Doc Martens. Chances are that if you are in your 20’s and are active in the social scene, you own at least one article of clothing from American Eagle.
Why the unanimous love for the little soaring eagle emblem? There are a few possible reasons. First, there’s the pricing. American Eagle is the happy medium when it comes to purchasing a wardrobe. Abercrombie? Adorable and stylish, but 99.9% of the time it’s just “too expensive.” Old Navy? Fantastic deals, but is just “too hit or miss.” But paying $39.95 for a pair of cute, low rise, boot-cut American Eagle jeans? Well, that’s just right.
Also, there’s the undeniable fact that the guys’ section of American Eagle is designed specifically to appeal to the androgynous and soft butch aesthetic. Yes, one could argue that there isn’t that great of a difference between the wardrobe of a pre-teen boy and an androgynous lesbian. Faded t-shirts? Check. Frayed jeans? Check. And sure one could also use the same argument to justify American Eagle’s sheer overabundance of small and medium sizes. But let’s face it… Just how many hetero 15-year-old boys would willingly choose to wear a salmon colored, faux argyle print polo in public?
So what should American Eagle do with this clearly growing trend within the lesbian population? It’s obvious. Re-label the guys’ section “lesbians” and launch a whole new advertising campaign aimed directly at one of their largest customer bases. Sure, you might have a few disgruntled customers but you’ll also probably double their sales and avoid baffling employees as to why there is an influx of girls within the guys’ section.
Besides, no one can argue that “Ladies and Lesbians” just sounds better.
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July 30th, 2008 at 1:01 am
I’m willing to argue with you on this one. I HATE American Eagle.
July 30th, 2008 at 8:38 am
lmao…so funny, and so true
July 30th, 2008 at 8:51 am
I agree that not all lesbians are enamored with the Eagle. I wish I could say I was one of them myself but alas… I’m in love with their jeans
July 30th, 2008 at 9:39 am
this is so funny … i know many people (myself included) that go straight to american eagle when they need to find a new outfit … i have even gone out a few time where half of us had eagle wear on … i think the store knows damn well who they are making the clothes for and just dont advertise it for obvious reasons – as long as they keep crankin out the clothes i dont mind
July 30th, 2008 at 11:03 am
*sigh* I like AE’s styles (have for much longer than the current fashion trend), but I’m shopping at the fat girl stores these days.
July 30th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
You have no idea how hard i laughed when i first read this. At least half of my wardrobe is AE and i bought a vest there yesterday afternoon. I’ve occasionally agonized over the fact that dressing in AE stuff makes me look a lot like a teenage boy, but i forget my worries as soon as i pull on my favorite shirt or button up my jeans.
There’s also the fact that the stuff fits me perfectly. Not only are they reasonably priced, but they’re one of the very few chains that actually carries both small and extra small fitted shirts. I’m tall and lean and their stuff is designed to fit scrawny teen boys who are in their most awkward stages of lankiness, so the shirts always hang well.
Oh, and it probably doesn’t hurt that it all looks great.
July 30th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
oh this is some funny stuff…i too laughed out loud upon reading…Re-label the guys’ section “lesbians”…i have been a big fan since around the time I came out (some 15 years ago) because my bff (gay guy) introduced me to it because i was always borrowing his stuff to go out…ah good times
July 30th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
omg so funny, my ex used to make so much fun of me for only wearing AE stuff…i almost died laughing at the relabel it “lesbians” comment.
July 30th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Gotta agree. I heart AE.
July 30th, 2008 at 11:18 pm
AE is strictly worn by the popular straight girls over here in Toronto, so most of us lesbians stay away. The lesbian crowd here is much more into American Apparel, that kind of thing.
July 31st, 2008 at 8:32 am
Really? That’s fascinating. In the NYC area it’s pretty much the exact opposite. American Apparel is mainly synonymous with the straight Williamsburg/East Village hipster crowd.
August 5th, 2008 at 1:23 am
LOL, sorry i own 17 different polos from AE alone, my friends dont allow me to buy any more. I went shopping there just this friday they have new button down shirts that are very very cute, and yes i got a few. I agree with them knowing who their target consumer are.
August 5th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
I absolutely have to agree with this as well. I would gladly buy pretty much everything in AE, and actually, I know quite a few gay men who’s sporting that wonderful eagle logo as well. Maybe it’s spreading out to ALL people gay. ;o)
August 27th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
you forgot to mention the boy-style underwear from their “aerie” line.
November 29th, 2008 at 4:27 am
Yes!!! The girls in the ads for Aerie are so touchy-feely…I also wonder if they are fully aware of who they’re selling their clothing to.
…I shop in the girl’s section of AE….is that bad? lol
January 20th, 2009 at 10:28 am
Good morning ladies-I hope you dont mind a comment from an older gay guy who has recently lost a bit of weight and can finally shop in normal sized people stores but I happened upon AE and love their clothes though I am not in their target demographic either,so most of the time I order online so as to avoid the strange feeling I get by walking into that store in the mall-as I am a shy and self concious person and think people are looking at me and being judgemental-but I love the clothes they sell there and try to go with stuff that isnt plastered with their store name all over it-and anyway what is the difference in style if the logo on a shirt is an eagle,seagull,moose,bulldog,guy with a polo mallet in his hand on the back of a horse-the shirts and stuff are the same pretty much-by the way love the topic!
March 20th, 2009 at 6:49 pm
OMG I LOVE THE BOYBRIEFS MADE FOR GIRLS.
I also love the mens’ jackets.
I don’t actually shop in the boys section, but I really love their girls’ jeans. Bootcut, boyfriend style (that’s silly)… The girls’ shirts are too girly for me… But I do buy the occasional plaid shirt, hehe. I’m thinking about getting a vest too.
April 11th, 2009 at 6:46 pm
I’m straight and I love American Eagle, this is the first time I actually heard of lesbians being obsessed with this store. I will now seriously be reconsidering whether I shop there anymore or not.
April 11th, 2009 at 6:59 pm
Wow you need to get over yourself. The post was meant in jest. Obviously there are a lot of lesbians who do like AE, but there are plenty who do not. What is this, the “omg if I touch anything I think is gay I might turn gay” syndrome? I lot of my friends are gay. They get their gas from Chevron and Shell, buy their groceries from Costco, Safeway, etc. Buy their clothes from American Eagle, American Apparel, Pac Sun, Macy’s, Abercrombie, what have you. Sometimes they even shop at Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy, etc. They order stuff online from Amazon.com sometimes too. Actually, a lot of them are obsessed with the internet and use Facebook, email, instant messaging a lot.
Well, crap. Since these places are all probably gay, you’re gonna have to start growing your own food, making your own clothes, refine your own oil, and stop using your computer. Bye!
August 4th, 2009 at 7:08 am
[...] acts as if they are above living as a walking lesbian cliché. They refuse to wear anything from American Eagle, abhor Tivas and wouldn’t be caught dead sporting a faux hawk. They are quite verbal about how [...]