Pop-Out Your Package! | Abercrombie + Hollister Fellas' Spring-Summer 2013 Underwear – Part I: The Boxer Briefs Edition...

That’s right fellas. Pop-Out Your Package! guy talk is back on THE HOTTEST BLOG! It’s that popular, seasonal discourse where we break out the 411 on how to look our best when pants drop hot...

In this part 1, we’ll be tackling boxer briefs. Long gone are the days when boxer shorts ruled as the norm in mens undies; and also when trunks and briefs/boxer briefs were second to boxers and only came in white and shades of gray. That’s been basically over for like three years now (although the trend was picking up in the late-2000s). Why? Times have changed. Style-conscious attitude in men has been exploding – from New York, to London, to Shanghai, guys up-to-date in the latest in mens style are even roaming about with trending mens bags – and form-fitting (and enhancing), stylish underwear is the way to go in this modern age. Plaid, to-your-knees, loose-as-hell boxer shorts are dinosaurs of past and irrelevant to today’s wear. Form-fitting undies with quality design and construction are your smart choice for slim-straight, skinny, and super skinny fit jeans/pants. Stupid be the guy who wears boxer shorts with slims or skinnies. (But we’ll talk more on boxer shorts in part II). Boxer shorts will never really go out of fashion, in the foreseeable future, because they are convenient in other ways and forms, but undies like boxer briefs are now at the forefront appropriately so.

There are other great form-fitting undies for guys – the brief (no legs, just bum and package) and the trunk (with legs resting at the very top of your thighs), for example. You wanna go for great, name-brand, non-athletic jockstraps? Go for it! They’ve also been gaining traction for their liberal feel. But Abercrombie & Fitch Co. only produces boxer briefs – with legs resting below the top of your thighs, but generally lower than the trunk – for the time being. To our inspection, A&F inappropriately labeled what were really boxer briefs as “trunks” back in Spring 2012 (something they revised after we mentioned it on the blog). There are no “trunks” now. Though we should mention that some retailers do consider the “trunk” a type of boxer brief. Furthermore, there is no industry standard for the length of the legs on boxer briefs and trunks. But to put all confusion aside, think of it this way: the boxer brief is a hybrid of the boxer shorts and brief style...so a boxer brief should be form-fitting and with legs of reasonable length...a length which could come below the top of the thigh or to a longer length above the knee. As so...

Trunks are just with legs resting at the very top of the thighs. But again, there is no industry standard for lengths of both. Confusing as hell – and there should really be an industry standard established! – but hopefully you have a sense of how things should be. Got it?

So anyway, this Spring-Summer 2013, it’s all about never-before-seen, fresh, bright pop-out colors!

On inspection at an Abercrombie & Fitch canoe store, the line really stood out in display among the other surrounding merchandise. And some select waist bands with the embroidered name-brand in pop-out color...incredible...with enough imagination, on some of them, you’d think them as holographic waist bands! They’re that cool. That striking. The design, color choice, and lighting on display...just fantastic. Although we do have to give props to the 'Keene Valley' range for its bright-bold simplicity which makes it the noteworthy A&F undies statement of the season.

There’s nothing really new-new about the abercrombie kids collection of boxer briefs for Spring 2013, but we do recognize the 'allen mountain' rage for its cool correlation with the A&F 'Keene Valley' range.

With Hollister, dude, it’s all happenin’ at the 'Surfers Point' range! The bold stripe patterns with outstanding color game-play totally work to make this arguably among the top best HCo undies ranges.

The consensus? The 'Keene Valley' and 'Surfers Point' undies come hand-in-hand as the #Spring2013 winners! But you know we’re all inclusive. So take a look at our sample selection of each boxer briefs range...

ABERCROMBIE & FITCH
	ABERCROMBIE & FITCH MENS SLIDE BROOK BOXER BRIEFS Shown in turquoise and red US$18 Check it out (here)!
	ABERCROMBIE & FITCH MENS KEENE VALLEY BOXER BRIEFS Shown in white and red US$18 Check it out (here)!
	ABERCROMBIE & FITCH MENS HOPKINS TRAIL BOXER BRIEFS Shown in navy stripe US$18 Check it out (here)!
abercrombie
	abercrombie guys allen mountain boxer briefs Shown in pink US$12.50 Check it out (here)!
	abercrombie guys baker mountain boxer briefs Shown in green stripe US$12.50 Check it out (here)!
	abercrombie guys mason mountain boxer briefs Shown in white icon US$12.50 Check it out (here)!
HOLLISTER Co.
	HOLLISTER Co. DUDES MARINA PARK BOXER BRIEFS Shown in red US$12.50 Check it out (here)!
	HOLLISTER Co. DUDES SOLIMAR BOXER BRIEFS Shown in blue stripe US$12.50 Check it out (here)!
	HOLLISTER Co. DUDES SURFERS POINT BOXER BRIEFS Shown in pink and green stripe US$12.50 Check it out (here)!

Explore the entire collections instores and online! Also, heads up for next week’s Pop-Out Your Package! Part II: The Boxer Shorts Edition...

Stay FIERCE!

Featured Goods of the Week! | February 26 through March 4...

	RUB-A-DUB-DUB... ABERCROMBIE & FITCH MENS EMERSON ELITE Shown in 8.2oz US$15 Check it out (here)!
	LATE FOR ART CLASS NEVER LOOKED SO GOOD... ABERCROMBIE & FITCH WOMENS MOLLY TANK Shown in blue floral / easy fit US$48 Check it out (here)!
	make one whale of a good splash... abercrombie guys hough peak swim Shown in white US$39.50 Check it out (here)!
	stroll the hallways à la adorbs... abercrombie girls mary girls cute tote Shown in navy stripe US$34.50 Check it out (here)!
	RISE OF THE HOTTEST SURFER... HOLLISTER Co. DUDES HOBSON POLO Shown in red ombre US$29.20 Check it out (here)!
	#SOCHIC #SOCHILL... HOLLISTER Co. BETTYS LIGHTWEIGHT SO CAL SCARF Shown in navy print US$24.50 Check it out (here)!
	ILLUMINATE YOUR SEXY WAIST... GILLY HICKS UNDIES LACE THONG UNDIE Shown in neon yellow US$10.50 Check it out (here)!

Cameron In Scotland | #SoChill Spring-Style + Abercrombie kids on Savile Row...

Hey Dudes & Bettys!

How are y'all?

This week, the sun has finally came out and the temperatures have risen! It's finally starting to feel like Spring over here. Temperatures reached a high of 7°C (63°F). I know it dosen't sound much to all you lucky people in warmer countries, but over here, it's shorts and tees weather! Haha.

Anyways, I'm going to pick my favourites for Spring from A&F and HCo. I'll ask some of my female friends to pick the girls merchandise, and will post that next week!

Hollister Dudes:

Left side: Monarch Beach Shirt, shown in blue, £40 (US$39.50)
               Salt Creek Shorts, shown in white, £42 (US$44.50)

Centre Column: So Cal Body Spray, one size, £15 (US$15)

Right side Classic Beach Flip Flops, shown in Blue & Green, £15 (US$15.50)
                Ocean Beach Swim Shorts, shown in Turquoise Ombre, £39 (US$39.50)



Abercrombie & Fitch Men:

Left side: Henderson Lake Tee, shown in light green, £28 (US$30)
               Lake Road Shorts, shown in white, £42 (US$50)

Centre: A&F 1892 Cologne, shown in green, £55 (US$50)

Right side: Bold Color Flip Flops, shown in green & blue, £22 (US$20)
                 Boreas Mountain Shirt, shown in green stripe, £68 (US$68)

There you have it guys! What do you think of my choices? What would you pick? Leave me a comment below.


Oh, I nearly forgot, haha! I have some developments to finally share on the planned Abercrombie kids flagship in London. On the 5th of February, Westminster City Council refused the plans Abercrombie & Fitch had put forward for it's first UK childswear store. The chairman of the planning and development commitee, Alastair Moss quoted, "The applicants don't seem to understand the importance of a Grade II Listed building, and their proposal is utterly unacceptable, they need to play by the rules - as I can't overstate the significance of protecting this area and preserving the heritage of the Row." A public enquiry, when the public have their say on what should happen, was supposed to have initiated on February 12. I highly doubt that the public enquiry will help A&F due to the protests last July. One anonymous tailor stated, "I don't think anyone objects to moving forward, but a chain store selling crappy clothes to ghastly people isn't really the direction in which we should be traveling." Really? I don't agree.

What is your opinion on the situation? Leave a comment below and I'll be sure to get back to you!

Stay FIERCE!
 ~Cameron

Aimee in America! | Trend-Spotting: Urbane Utilitarian...

Hey Fashionable Dudes&Bettys!

We're already in about the middle of Fall 2013 fashion week with just the end of Milan and Paris week left. Though I'm finding it almost impossible to imagine Fall so soon before Spring has even begun. Fortunately, some trends from the Spring shows have appeared again, both during this Fall fashion week's shows and in the street styles.

One trend that has gotten me thinking about track pants more often since this Spring than I ever have (I don't even wear them to the gym. haha) is Formal- or Urban- Utilitarian. The 'Formal Utilitarian' style is essentially the mix of formal and casual wear. Urban Gentleman wrote in his "Men's Spring Summer 2012 Trend Style Guide" that the trend was something he had seen on the streets in Italy and was beginning to grow popular on the runways and concrete runways (street style) everywhere.

I have seen it referenced interchangeably as both 'formal utilitarian' and 'urban utilitarian'. So I, of course, googled it. (dictionary definitions in photo above). Urban + Utilitarian = practical 'street' wear which is the more casual of utilitarian trend. It lends itself to track pants, military inspired pieces including a hot spring color - military olive green, cargos, and trainer or track jackets. Formal + Utilitarian = practicality with some rules of etiquette, bends the rules of formal dress. The formal side of the trend consists of the basic white tee, blazers, button downs, parkas (which could also be included in urban), chinos, and monochromatic navy, blue, or black looks. Urbane Utilitarian may actually be the best name for both names of the trend though; combining polish of formal wear with street style of major cities in clothes that are practical or utilitarian for a stylish metropolitan's lifestyle.

Abercrombie&Fitch has also gotten into the trend a bit - just not styled so in their look books. I've included a few of my finds, but you can find many of these in different colors and slightly different styles on their site or in-store as well.

Top row: A&F Lake Arnold Blazer (US$149.90), Skinny Chinos  in navy (US$54.60)
Second row:  Kilburn Mountain Tee in white (US$15), Cargo Pants in olive (US$78), Shaw Pond Shirt (US$68)
Third row: Palmer Brook Shirt in blue (US$68), HCo River Jetties Jacket in red and navy (US$59.50), A&F Vintage Track Pants in navy (US$68)
Fourth row: HCo Silver Strand Parka in navy (US$89.50)

Try a few looks out to find your balance of street and formal wear. Boat shoes, desert shoes, or sneakers are all hot with this trend. Remember casual, even with a more urban interpretation of the trend, still means "fresh, crisp, comfortable" not "poorly dressed, what you wear to the gym, or moth-ridden clothes" (James Gallichio).

Bettys can also wear this trend- which I'll write more about next week. Until then, let me know in the comments what you think of the Utilitarian trend? Do you prefer the more formal, urban, or my 'urbane' definition better?

Happy Weekend...
Stay Fabulous&FIERCE!
xoxo Aimee ♥

Jennifer Lawrence Abercrombie & Fitch Photoshoot Recollection...

American actress Jennifer Lawrence is a true rising star: "America's Kickass Sweetheart" and "[the] most talented young actress in America," proclaimed RollingStone. A blockbuster warrior and critically acclaimed for her incredible talent, Lawrence has garnered the distinction of being the youngest actress to ever be nominated for two Academy Awards (Oscars) for Best Actress. And as has become apparent, she is too good at her craft to be a successful Abercrombie & Fitch model...

Earlier this month, Lawrence was a guest on Conan O'Brien's late-night talk show, Conan. In one instance, he brought up the subject of her having modeled before. A good sport – pun intended! – Lawrence shared with Conan about how she was not Abercrombie girl-model material during a mock-(American)football shoot. Instead of mock-playing, she brought authentic energy and spirit into her photoshoot while performing with other models. After the photoshoot, her agent discovered that Lawrence was cut out of the campaign; and instead of giving an explanation, the Company merely sent over Lawrence's photos. It's unspecified for which campaign this was. (She had previously mentioned her A&F photoshoot story casually back in 2012 after interest in her escalated due to her meteoric rise from The Hunger Games). Lawrence and Conan laughed it up because it was humorous her recollections of the shoot...and she could also laugh for the fact that it ultimately wasn't her loss...

Enes in Denmark! | Introductions and All About the Awesome Abercrombie Style in Denmark!

Hey! How's it going? My name is Enes and I am from Denmark. I'm 19 years old, currently studying business; and in my spare time I play soccer, workout in the gym and enjoy spending time with my cool friends and amazing family. I love fashion and style and that is why I am so glad to have Abercrombie here!  They make real style unique here. I hope that one day I'll get the chance to work in an Abercrombie store. I've been in only 2 A&F stores: the first one in Copenhagen and the other in London. And just recently I visited my first Hollister in Malmö, Sweden. Maybe you remember my photos published on The Sitch on Fitch, (here)?

I'm really honored to be a Contributor/Blogger for The Sitch on Fitch – definitely one of the best blogs in the world, and definitely the best A&F fan blog...there's nothing like it! In collaboration with THE HOTTEST BLOG, I hope that we, in the future, will make some great things together for all the fans. I am really excited to blog and hope that you'll like the things I'll blog about. After A&F opened its incredible flagship store in Denmark at Købmagergade 11, I discovered some fantastic things in my life. Seriously! It meant a new style, and a new form for living... The Abercrombie lifestyle is just amazing, and it makes me happy soaking in the energy and the lifestyle the brand gives us.

I give my thanks to the Editor-in-Chief, C.E.R., for recruiting me and giving me this opportunity...I got membership to this fantastic blog and privileged Crew! I am definitely happy to be a part of all this...

I hope that you will enjoy my blogging (cool Danish stuff and personal style, of course)!

STAY FIERCE

Yours sincerely,
Enes

P.S. This was just an intro about me. Check out my favorite A&F fragrances (Woods, Colden, and Cologne 41)!

ABERCROMBIE & FITCH HOT GUYS: LIFE AS A GREETER – EPISODE ONE + ABERCROMBIE ON TUMBLR...

Tumblr just got #ABERCROMBIEHOT !

Abercrombie & Fitch has begun an exciting new little video series, Life as a Greeter, in part with the recent launch of its #ABERCROMBIEHOT tumblr (here). This is very interesting, considering that launching tumblrs has become a new fad in the fashion world – Dior launched its tumblr page a month ago, for example. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest are the norm. Now A&F's on tumblr, too! And as A&F is running its new #ABERCROMBIEHOT tumblr with the Hot Guys theme – so we can get the hang of this being something rather more unique with intimate insights. Get to know some of the A&F Hot Guys and what life brings 'em as store greeters for the HOTTEST company in the world! Discover all the fun, excitement, and euphoric experiences of a lifetime, as well...

AIMEE IN AMERICA! | ART AND INTIMATE SETTINGS IN GILLY HICKS...

Gilly Hicks at the Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, IL

Hey Fashionable Dudes&Bettys!

I was in Schaumburg/Chicago last weekend (as I have been a lot lately :)) for Gilly Hicks at the Woodfield Mall, and Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollister at the Water Tower Place on Michigan Avenue. Since Gilly Hicks items were featured on Abercrombie's and Hollister's websites, and I've had the chance to shop in-store, I have been thinking about the brand much more.

During my first visit, I spent most of my time going through the rooms around the perimeter of the store. The general layout entering to the right and going towards the back is: clearance, clothing, swim, and skivvies and more-or-less repeats with a focus on skivvies and clothing on the left side of the store. If you walk straight and down a couple steps instead of entering through the left or right entrances, you enter the central fragrance & body room.

Where the fragrance counter I wrote about a couple weeks ago is.

Along the walls in the fragrance & body room, artwork of some gorgeous guys by Bruce Sargeant (aka Mark Beard) are displayed. ;) You may recognize Sargeant from his murals which are featured in Abercrombie & Fitch's flagship stores. Behind the paintings, which you can move, are larger versions of the same three...

 

 

Over one of the couches is a painting of Gilly Hicks herself - the fictional English woman who, in the fantasy, moved to Australia and opened the first Gilly Hicks store out of her family's home in 1932. This painting is presumably by Bruce Sargeant as well...

During this trip, I also went to look at the dressing room area. The dressing rooms are located at the back on the right side of the store. The fitting rooms are off the circular room with a photography and fashion book table in the middle. A couple I looked at were In Vogue and Australian photographer Paul Freeman's Bondi Classic containing his fine photography of sculpted Aussie men...

In the fitting rooms, there was a day-bed like seating area and faux dresser (the drawers don't open) with more fashion/photography books – like Bruce Weber's Blood, Sweat, and Tears. It was spa-like quiet in the room (totally different than a Hollister Co fitting room :)) – perfect for reading all day. Oh, and a giant mirror if you're actually there to try things on instead of reading. haha.

What do you think of Bruce Sargeant's paintings and GH's dressing rooms? Let me know in the comments below.

Until next Friday...

Stay Fabulous&FIERCE!

xoxo Aimee ♥

Images in this post are by Aimee for The Sitch on Fitch, and they may not be used/altered by a third party entity without permission from the author.