These chains appear to be mirror images of eachother…I believe that Hollister emerged to exploit the nich that A&E pioneered (naked teenager pix and overpriced clothing).
To those of you who shop there…is there much difference? (I think that A&E has better nekkid teen pix).
Apparently you are unware that Hollister is an A&E brand?
I don’t shop at either of them but my cousin-in-law worked at Hollister and apparently their price points are slightly lower and the clothes are more of the “wear for one season and toss” quality, like Old Navy.
A&F was hugely popular for awhile, but the brand reached its saturation point and was no longer as cool when everyone was wearing it. When Hollister was introduced, they chose to have no sign on the storefront, so going in you felt “cool” because you knew to go in there. Or that was the idea anyway.
Nominally, Hollister is aimed at a high school crowd, where Abercrombie & Fitch is intended for college audiences. In reality, I rarely see college students with A&F, but Hollister is everywhere. I imagine that Hollister’s popularity is approaching its peak, if it hasn’t reached it already.
As far as actual product goes, Hollister has middling-quality garments, but they remain superior to budget brands like Aeropostale and Vanity (and miles away from the crap-shack that is Old Navy). Colors are brighter and beach-inspired. A&F is more expensive, but garment quality is likewise higher. Colors are muted and sophisticated, with an emphasis on neutrals, and the moose logo signals its outdoors-y image (and heritage). Both brands have obnoxious logos that ape Ralph Lauren, but aside from that, the products are surprisingly tasteful, if ubiquitous.
Yeah, Hollister is a cheaper version of AF. Their clothes are made of cheaper materials and wear out much faster. I’ve got AF clothes that are 5-6 years old that still look brand new. All of the Hollister stuff that I’ve bought has worn out within a year. I haven’t shopped at Hollister in a few years. Also, I see mostly high school kids wearing Hollister. The bigger the logo, the better, it would seem.
Really? I thought A&F was a high school thing, too. Then again, my graduating class started wearing that stuff in around sixth grade.
Also, I have a friend who shops at A&F because apparently they’re the only store that has pants small enough to fit him (that aren’t little boys’ sizes).
I pray to Og that somewhere, there are idiots who so love their Hollister clothing that they make a pilgrimage to Hollister, CA. I stifle laughter whenever I see that name proudly emblazoned across some girl’s ass.
I have A&F shirts from when I went to college in the early 90s that are still wearable. Except that they look like billowy plaid shirts from the 90s.
Back then, you only found A&F, J Crew and LL Bean in catalogues or in a few of the higher-end malls. And it was built like shit Ernest Shackleton or Ernest Hemingway would wear exploring the South Pole or fighting the Huns on the Western Front (because that’s what they actually did wear).
A&F didn’t have a logo other than a small “A&F” tag on the front of the shirt. Now, every brand has a 2 foot tall animal as their logo. One of my friends started laughing hysterically when he saw the Ralph Lauren “Big Pony” shirts. They are basically the same Polo shirts from the 80s and 90s, but with logo 6" tall. It’s almost like a parody of itself.
I can remember the first time I saw someone sporting a Hollister t-shirt. I asked him if he was a fan of the Hollister Haybalers. It was an honest mistake. I lived not far from Hollister when I was in junior high.