All About Style! | Abercrombie + Hollister Men's Denim Shorts...

WRITTEN BY MARCUS, TSOF CONTRIBUTOR

Hey readers! As you've most likely noticed, since spring, recent marketing across A&F brands have shown guys in denim shorts. Yes, it's true: men's denim shorts have joined the inventory lineup!

Note: These two pictures definitely show the dramatic shift in style over the past year.

However, for a while, the denim shorts could be found nowhere either in stores or on the websites allthewhile! First, the Company launched guys' denim shorts across the Hollister brand. Unsurprisingly, the shorts sold out ridiculously quickly. Men's denim shorts have had controversial history as they verge on unfashionable, but they've also been gaining popularity among the fashion forward (see: hipster) crowd as of late.

Thankfully, A&F has taken a lesson in style and does men's denim shorts right. As seen in the pictures above, the shorts come with rolled cuffs and meet just above the knee, not go past it. I actually saw the Hollister jean shorts instore a few weeks ago, and I was pleasantly surprised at how well they looked in person.

The A&F denim shorts launched only just recently this month, and I actually believe they look even better than the Hollister ones. Like those at HCo, the A&F shorts are also selling out. I hope they restock them!

abercrombie kids hasn't launched their denim shorts online yet, but I expect them to be up soon.

What's your opinion on the introduction of A&F men's denim shorts? Have you bought some? Feel free to leave a comment below.

Editor's note: A&F denim shorts sold out by the time of the publication of this post.

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News Now! | FIERCE Confidence, Abercrombie Cologne...

WRITTEN BY MARCUS, TSOF CONTRIBUTOR

Hey readers! One of our blog correspondents, Peter, went to an A&F store and noticed (and subsequently bought) the all-new cologne out. It's called FIERCE Confidence, and it is not currently for sale online abercrombie.com as it's seemingly an instore exclusive product. It seems to be in a similar vein to Hollister's SoCal So Chill cologne in that it is a spin on the store's signature scent...

It's priced at US$54 and comes in 1.7 fl oz. bottles. Peter also noted that the cologne has citric notes of scent as as variation of the original FIERCE, of course. Also, A&F veteran fans will notice that FIERCE Confidence references back to the original packaging for FIERCE.

Special thanks to Peter for the pictures and insight on the new cologne, FIERCE Confidence!

What are your thoughts on the newest cologne from Abercrombie & Fitch? Have you sampled it? Do you plan to buy it, or have you already? Comment below!

READ MORE ABOUT FIERCE CONFIDENCE (HERE)!

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All About Style! | Hot for Spring 2014...

WRITTEN BY MARCUS, TSOF CONTRIBUTOR

         WHAT'S UP, READERS?! March is coming to a close. And whether you've spent it watching hit TV series like The Walking Dead or partaking in March Madness (American Basketball season kick off), there's one thing that we're all happy to say... Climatically, the SPRINGTIME season has officially arrived!

As we've witnessed for the fashion period, Abercrombie & Fitch has had an aggressive campaign lined with exciting new styles unlike any before in previous years! Each brand in the Company is being fleshed out with its own more signature flair, and it's quite amazing. Hollister is no longer so "Abercrombiefied" and now has a furthered discernible style. Definitely developments to love.

So, without further ado, here's how I've put together two of my personal hottest looks for this season!

T H E   G O O D S

Orebed Brook Tee, heather grey, US$34

A&F Cargo Shorts, camo, US$68

Rugged Heritage Flip Flops, brown, US$44

Herein lies a quintessential, all-American look synonymous with A&F. On me is a flagship exclusive artistic graphic tee; a pair of classic, camo cargo shorts; and leather treads, of course! Now all that's left is roadtrip hundreds of miles with the Adirondack Mountains as destination in style!

T H E   G O O D S

Picnic Beach Tank, green and blue stripe, US$19.95
A&F Classic Fit Shorts, white, US$50

Going on here is beach inspired look that screams "spring"! Combining clothes from both A&F and Hollister – scandalous(?) – the affair works great. Their shorts are wholly interchangeable, and I bought both pairs of featured shorts during a rare "Buy 1 get 1 50% off" sale. Also, Sperry's boat shoes are once again my preferred footwear this season because I believe they really... tie the look together.

Well, gang, that's all from me this time! Any questions, comments, etc.? Feel free to leave it below!

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All About Style! | Abercrombie + Hollister Pre-Spring 2014 Looks...

WRITTEN BY MARCUS, TSOF CONTRIBUTOR

         HEY READERS! HOPE you all had a rocking Christmas and a happy New Year. I'm sure a few of you have since been heading back to campus like me. This part of the year is known for bitter cold temperatures and winds that cut right through you (unless you're lucky enough to spend it in the Southern Hemisphere). But besides the weather, other exciting things happen: the American NFL Superbowl is slated for February 2nd; and some TV shows premiere in late-January/early-February. So even though there are no major holidays, it's still an interesting time of year.

Moving forward, this fashion period is generally known internally as "Spring Preview" - when Abercrombie & Fitch generally showcases some upcoming styles and colors for the Spring season. But hey, it's still cold! I doubt many Americans are going to be wearing flip flops or denim booty shorts.

I have two pre-Spring 2014 looks that reflect quintessential styles for A&F and Hollister...

On the left, we have a very classic A&F look. It's one of my personal favorites. I have a light denim shirt over a cream sweater with stone chinos and Sperry boat shoes with navy blue dress socks. I think it's very suitable for a business-casual environment, and as a business major, I just plain love it.

T H E   G O O D S

Bradley Pond Denim Shirt, light wash, US$78

Haystack Mountain Wool Sweater, cream, US$88

A&F Skinny Chinos, stone, US$78

On the right lies another look that I rather like. Hollister is pushing "Skater" look that definitely requires attention to detail to be put together decently. Allow me to preface with the fact that I'm no skater. I have a skateboard, but I probably haven't attempted doing anything with it since the early 2000s. Anyway, I've got a bright blue/yellow Hollister sport mock, a pop color grey henley, and some distressed medium wash jeans. It's a sporty look, so my shoes are Vans...

T H E   G O O D S 

This is probably good for sales,

but only the jeans are still available to be

bought online. They are really nice jeans though...

Hollister Skinny Jeans, destroyed medium wash, US$59.50

I don't really care for the "grunge" look, but I do like the sporty image that the Company is also pushing. Although I do miss the preppy, Ivy League-esque looks that were once synonymous with A&F. But beggars can't be choosers...

Any questions, comments, etc.? Leave it below!

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All About Style! | Abercrombie and Hollister Christmas 2013 looks...

WRITTEN BY MARCUS, TSOF CONTRIBUTOR

Bonjour, readers! First off, I apologize for periodic absences from posting. I hope that my holiday outfits can make up for it!

You know, I love the Christmas season when it comes to Abercrombie & Fitch - the styles, instore music, and marketing all combine to create an explosive fashion season. But style-wise this season, A&F has been pushing retro 90's grunge looks. I had a bit of trouble emulating that look, but I have at least tried. Anyway, my outfits are probably a bit more classic A&F and Hollister but with updated twists...

Start off Look 1 (left) with the perfect rinse skinny jeans, put on a long sleeve tee with ultimate comfort, and layer on a timeless flannel shirt. My shoes of preference for this look are upper boat shoes from Polo Ralph Lauren, by the way. This all creates a rugged look with modern preppy attitude! Yeah, perfect for Black Friday...

Slide Brook Flannel Shirt, red plaid, US$78

A&F Skinny Jeans, rinse, US$78

As for Look 2, here's an awesome outfit that's great for Hollister fans! Simple, yet classic and #SoChill. Gear up in destroyed light wash skinny jeans and pair it up with a supersoft pop color sweatshirt. Then, throw on a twill jacket and slip into some incredible red Converse shoes to complete it effortlessly...

Bonfire, anyone?

Pearl Stret Jacket, navy, US$79.50

Royal Palms Beach Sweatshirt, white, US$39.95

Hollister Skinny Jeans, destroyed repaired light wash, US$69.50

Well, I hope you enjoyed my two select holiday looks. I was really racking my brain on a good Hollister outfit, but I think that one worked. Any questions, comments, etc.? Leave it below, of course!

Later, y'all!

Marcus

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#AWESOME READER, LEAVE A COMMENT!...

Marcus in America! | #ABERCROMBIEHOT Fall Looks...

Ahoy Mateys! Yes, it's "Talk like pirate day." And I haven't posted in a while because I'm extremely lazy, right? No of course not! College and the gym (as you'll see) take up quite a bit of my time. Anyway, without further ado...

Fall is my favorite season. I live in the South (in the US), and many of the seasons just kind of run together. Oh, and winter is mild. Anyway, I have two nice fall looks for your consideration. Now I'm not saying you have to copy them, but imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!

#CAMPUSJOCK

I must preface this look description with the fact that I really love A&F's line of "hoodie tees." They're perfect for fall in temperate climates. First, throw on some distressed, dark rinse skinny jeans. Then, add a tee with pop color graphics. A lightweight hoodie may be a nice layer over the tee. Finally, slip on some matching rubber treds for a sporty, casual look. ...Have a listen to your favorite awesome song on iPod as you head in to class!

#BRINGBACKTHE90s

Now I know what you're thinking, "No, Marcus! Tying things around your waist isn't cool at all!" Well I think this look is definitely an exception. It's understated. We have a basic, crew neck t-shirt over slightly distressed/repaired skinny jeans. The plaid shirt around the waist adds a bit of attitude, in my opinion. Plus I think this look is perfect for, say, volleyball on the beach, which is why I cuffed the jeans and went barefoot.

Well those were my two select Fall (Autumn) looks! Hopefully you liked them and will keep them in mind when you get dressed! If you have any comments/constructive criticism, feel free to comment below (bonus points if you talk like a pirate). 

Smooth sailin', me hearties!

Marcus (Captain NoBeard)

Marcus in America! | #ABERCROMBIEHOT cologne!

Howdy everybody! Hopefully you've all had a decent Monday!

Abercrombie & Fitch has launched a new men's cologne: #ABERCROMBIEHOT!

The description of the scent reads:

The light scent of fresh cucumber and coconut water is cool and invigorating. Subtle notes of amber and musk round it out with a masculine finish.

As you can see, the cologne bottle has no male torso on it for once. The cologne name itself, #AbercrombieHot, is named after the hashtag that A&F has been attempting to get trending on social networking sites like Twitter and Instagram since the onset of Spring-Summer 2013. #AbercrombieHot was, of course, released after the abercrombie kids cologne: AbercrombieCool (no hashtag). That cologne's name has a similar origin.  

At the moment, #AbercrombieHot comes in one size: 1.7 fluid ounces. Its price points match FIERCE's at $54.

Abercrombie & Fitch has been known to release many scents for men and women across its brands. It wasn't long ago that A&F released the 1892 collection for men, which consisted of four distinct scents. A review of all the scents from that line can be found (here). The Company's innovative scents have generally always been either hit or miss. FIERCE by A&F and SoCal by Hollister are my favorite cologne scents!

Have you have sampled #AbercrombieHot or just want to tell me what your favorite scent by the Company is? Feel free to leave a comment!

Til next time,
Marcus

Marcus in America! | Abercrombie & Fitch American Made...

Hey all! I know that I'm trying to post on Mondays, but I've had a hectic week preparing for college which starts this Monday for me. Introductions aside, allow me to discuss A&F's newest clothing line, American Made!

As you probably know, Abercrombie & Fitch is a fairly exclusive brand. When they started to launch Flagship stores globally, their exclusive Flasgship only clothes began showing up online. Before that, there was the Ezra Fitch line. You can find information about that in this post.

Anyway, A&F has recently launched American Made - something you must have already noticed, of course - which is probably the Ezra Fitch line's spiritual successor. It includes high quality clothing made inside the USA. In a perfect world, all our clothes would be made in our respective countries... but that simply isn't the case. It's much cheaper to have the clothes made in third world country' "sweat shops;" a practice used worldwide that is very controversial.

The American Made line is very cool, though! It includes flannel shirts, henleys, long sleeve crew neck tees, denim jackets, jeans, and a 100% virgin wool, plaid stadium blanket.

Picture courtesy of A&F's official Facebook page

As you can see, the entire line is very light on logos besides the American Made stamps.

Well that's all from me this time! Share with me what your favorite items are from the line. I wish you all a happy weekend.

Marcus

Marcus in America! | Abercrombie & Fitch Mens Activewear Line...

Hey everyone! Happy Monday (well as happy as a Monday can be).

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. has recently launched a new clothing line for men. The line is called A&F Active, and Hollister also has one called Hollister Sport. Of course, this comes after the Back-to-School 2013 introduction of GH Sport for girls over at Gilly Hicks. From what I can tell on the websites, the materials are very similar to American sports retailer Underarmor. The A&F and HCo lines for guys include t-shirts, pull overs, jackets, shorts, sweatpants, and boxer briefs...

This is an example of a t-shirt from the line.
As you can see, the preview size is medium and not small.
May probably mean it’s a fairly tight fit considering activewear.

Personally, it seems like an awkward time to launch such a line after the recent bad PR in May over body image. A&F’s stocks have seemingly not benefited from it either. On another point, to be fair, their classic sweatpants are really bulky and not meant for the gym so I will probably pick up a pair of the active sweatpants in the near future.

NYSE: 'ANF' stocks (source)

Only time will tell if this clothing line will help out Abercrombie & Fitch; and as an A&F enthusiast, I really want things to work out...

Later,
Marcus

Marcus in America! | #HotNewJeansOnTheRise with New Blog Contributor!

Hey TSOF fans! I’m the new blog contributor for The Sitch on Fitch as evidenced from the title. My name is Marcus. Here’s a short bio: I’m an A&F fan in the United States. I am 18 years old, 19 in two months, and an upcoming college student. I’ve had a vested interest in A&F since 2009. My favorite color is (royal) blue, and one of my hobbies is making expresso drinks.

Anyway, I’m very excited to join TSOF as a contributor! I hope to bring my style and sophistication to this blog via outfits every season for guys (of A&F and Hollister). Whenever I’m not doing that, I plan to add insight on the Company from a business perspective as I’m a business major in college. The topics I will cover will include stocks, quarterly sales, and brand images. Hopefully I won’t be too boring when I do talk about that.

Without further ado, here are my outfits for the Back to-School season! Also, sorry for the slight blur on the first one. Good camera + novice photo taker (I hesitate to say photographer) = some goof ups. I won’t let it happen again.

#GOGREEK (FRAT STYLE)

START WITH SOME PAINT SPLATTERED LIGHT WASH SKINNY JEANS,

THROW ON A GRAPHIC TEE THAT DESCRIBES YOUR PERSONALITY,

AND SLIP ON SOME LEATHER FLIP FLOPS AND EVEN A RUGGED,

BRAIDED BRACELET. NOW YOU'RE SET UP FOR THE BROHOOD!

#SOCHILL

FIRST PUT ON YOUR DISTRESSED SKINNY JEANS.

THEN ADD A TEE WITH FADED, PHOTO-REAL GRAPHICS.

FINALLY, LACE UP SOME NAVY CONVERSE TO TIE TOGETHER

...YOUR TOTALLY CHILL LOOK.

Til next time,
Marcus