Sexy men and women in American apparel ad campaign?

[Sedgistan]

American Apparel is marketing unisex flannel shirts. Their models are by no means bad looking.

Their website is great too. You can look at different styles. Like... With an open button or two.




I wonder how it would look completely open?



Wait... I'm sensing a pattern here...

I would keep going, but I fear it might violate the PG-13 rule. And that fear, in itself, should be telling. You can see more male models here, and you can see more female models here.

The crazy Swedes think this might be a tad sexist. American apparel denies any discriminatory behaviour.

What do you think? Are the genders equally sexualized? Is the way women are portrayed in the ads problematic? Do the ads create a desire to purchase the clothing?

[Auremena]

I wouldn't buy it, mostly because I'm not into flanel.
I can see where the Swedish consumers were going; the women tend to be a bit more, ahem, exposed, than the male models. But I have no problem with unisex clothing.

[Insane Kidney Mentality]

Spoiler, for the love of Violet.

Anyway, it's nice to see that they're trying, but in all honesty, flannel looks like shit. *Nods*

[St George]

Wow. I thought for a moment this was a cunningly designed ad-thread.

[Othelos]

Wow. I thought for a moment this was a cunningly designed ad-thread.

Same.

[United Kingdom of Muffins]

I approve of these ads. 10/10

[Olthar]

You can see a nipple in a couple of them.

It does seem a tad sexist, but I don't think it's the fault of the company. There are over a dozen different female models on display, and only some of them are sexualized in such a revealing way. I'm thinking that this nudity thing was more the idea of the women who submitted the pictures and is more a cry for attention on their part. I could be wrong, but that's just how I'm seeing it.

[United Kingdom of Muffins]

You can see a nipple in a couple of them.

It does seem a tad sexist, but I don't think it's the fault of the company. There are over a dozen different female models on display, and only some of them are sexualized in such a revealing way. I'm thinking that this nudity thing was more the idea of the women who submitted the pictures and is more a cry for attention on their part. I could be wrong, but that's just how I'm seeing it.

nudity itself dosn't mean anything. hot ladies does.

[Sondstead]

It does seem a tad sexist, but I don't think it's the fault of the company. There are over a dozen different female models on display, and only some of them are sexualized in such a revealing way. I'm thinking that this nudity thing was more the idea of the women who submitted the pictures and is more a cry for attention on their part. I could be wrong, but that's just how I'm seeing it.

From what little I know of American Apparel, I bet the company had a part in it.

nudity itself dosn't mean anything. hot ladies does.

...Are you saying being a hot lady is sexist?

[Technopolis]

See, I'd be fine with sexualizing women if they went and sexualized the blokes too.

[United Kingdom of Muffins]

It does seem a tad sexist, but I don't think it's the fault of the company. There are over a dozen different female models on display, and only some of them are sexualized in such a revealing way. I'm thinking that this nudity thing was more the idea of the women who submitted the pictures and is more a cry for attention on their part. I could be wrong, but that's just how I'm seeing it.

From what little I know of American Apparel, I bet the company had a part in it.

nudity itself dosn't mean anything. hot ladies does.

...Are you saying being a hot lady is sexist?

yup, we should ban all hot people they are sexist!!

[Merriwhether]

Anyway, it's nice to see that they're trying, but in all honesty, flannel looks like shit. *Nods*

^This.

It's too bad some poor marketers still buy the bullshit notion that sex appeal = effective advertising. It's much more a better way to get your ass burned in court than sell more products...
I give it five more years tops of progressively more revealing ad campaigns like this before protective parents or self-righteous activists start picking them off like rotting plant leaves.

[Nazi Flower Power]

The crazy Swedes think this might be a tad sexist. American apparel denies any discriminatory behaviour.

What do you think? Are the genders equally sexualized?

You even need to ask? Seriously?

Is the way women are portrayed in the ads problematic?

Mildly, but it's one of those things people can just ignore.

Do the ads create a desire to purchase the clothing?

Not for me.

[Olthar]

It does seem a tad sexist, but I don't think it's the fault of the company. There are over a dozen different female models on display, and only some of them are sexualized in such a revealing way. I'm thinking that this nudity thing was more the idea of the women who submitted the pictures and is more a cry for attention on their part. I could be wrong, but that's just how I'm seeing it.

From what little I know of American Apparel, I bet the company had a part in it.

Well, they did put the pictures up, and there are far more female models available than male ones, so the company certainly isn't blameless. I just think this particular issue, the nudity of the women, doesn't particularly rest on their shoulders.

[Nadkor]

Well that's ludicrously sexist, but I'm unfortunately not surprised one bit.

Would I buy it? Well, even if the approach to selling wasn't very sexist I wouldn't. Flannel's not really my thing (nor, for that matter, are shirts, really) and some of those colours are awful.

[Knask]

You can see a nipple in a couple of them.

It does seem a tad sexist, but I don't think it's the fault of the company. There are over a dozen different female models on display, and only some of them are sexualized in such a revealing way. I'm thinking that this nudity thing was more the idea of the women who submitted the pictures and is more a cry for attention on their part. I could be wrong, but that's just how I'm seeing it.

The nudity isn't part of the "Seen & Submitted" category here. So it's models hired by the company, not fashion enthusiasts wearing American Apparel in their own way.

[Nazi Flower Power]

See, I'd be fine with sexualizing women if they went and sexualized the blokes too.

That would be an improvement if they sexed up the guys to make it consistent.

[Meryuma]

Dov Charney is a literal sex offender so yeah.

flannel looks like shit. *Nods*

YOU TAKE THAT BACK RIGHT NOW

[Knask]

The crazy Swedes think this might be a tad sexist. American apparel denies any discriminatory behaviour.

What do you think? Are the genders equally sexualized?

You even need to ask? Seriously?

They say an OP needs a question to get the debate rolling. And that's a question.

[Benomia]

I look at the ads, but only because it's a less dirty alternative to porn.

[The Blaatschapen]

I look at the ads, but only because it's a less dirty alternative to porn.

Hardly. Have you looked at those shirts?

[Meryuma]

I look at the ads, but only because it's a less dirty alternative to porn.

Neither the guys nor the girls are attractive though.

[Benomia]

I look at the ads, but only because it's a less dirty alternative to porn.

Neither the guys nor the girls are attractive though.

I haven't looked at the pictures in the OP yet (they're still loading).
Are they really that bad?

[Nazi Flower Power]

I look at the ads, but only because it's a less dirty alternative to porn.

Neither the guys nor the girls are attractive though.

Yeah, they don't really do it for me either.

[Comeback Kids]

Why is this considered new? When I was a teenager in the '60s, one of the trends was for girls to wear their big brother's or father's button up shirts either as light jackets or halter tops, usually with cut-off jeans. Of course, unless your father or brother had some interesting proclivities, they wouldn't be wearing your button up shirts (aside from the fact that they wouldn't fit properly). As a female, I would have no problem with this; the men in my family might think otherwise, I'll have to ask them.