American Apparel

Elite '08

59

188

Eric P.

New York, NY

I really love the aesthetic of these stores. Personally, it's a great place for undergarments, yoga clothes, and those trendy low-v-neck tees.

Also, a really cute guy works at this one. Skinny white guy, glasses. Another good reason to come back ;-)

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Elite '08

166

230

Lauren S.

New York, NY

Seriously saved my life.

I was on the train on my way to work. I was wearing white pants and a thong. I stopped at the restroom on my way up and was greeted with my period. I had a change of clothes in my bag, thank the LORD! but no clean undies. I ran across the street to American Apparel and for 11.50 I was saved. I grabbed the largest ones I could find because we all know the clothes here are made for girls struggling with anorexia. I took them to the cash register. I handed the cashier my debit card. She asked for my ID. Who does that anymore?! I didn't have it and I begged and pleaded and told her it was an emergency. She bagged my undies. Charged me. And I ran out.

Thank you American Apparel.

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Elite '08

88

751

Jen D.

San Francisco, CA

I'm not really into this store. Don't see the reason to pay $30 for a cotton tshirt. A plain cotton t-shirt at that. But I needed some 80's flash dance-esque type gear so I came here...

Store is well laid out and very accessible from the subway. Helpful staff and cool dressing rooms...

Not bad... Not spectacular...

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14

44

Yasha M.

New York, NY

This place may be Roman Polanski's favorite clothing store. Just look at the posters on the wall and you'd understand what I mean.

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66

1225

Diana B.

New York, NY

Love the colors at all locations, but not worth the prices, and I feel like (correctly, of course) the oldest customer. I pretend to myself I'm shopping for my kids.

But I haven't bought anything yet.

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Elite '08

32

103

Mary L.

VA

Was it necessary for one of the male employees to be walking around shirtless, in underwear, avaitors, a headband, and some shoes? Probably not, but it made my experience there memorable!

The people here are very nice! I love the basics here, my favorite is the deep summer v-neck. Perfect to dress up/down for any time of the day. Too bad they were all out of the colors I was looking for. I assume this place gets a lot of foot traffic. Regardless, this store is really great for sweatshop free basics.

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Elite '08

22

197

Stephanie V.

Yonkers, NY

This is a hipster mecca; American Apparel has a bit of 1980s redux which is cute and sometimes works. Other times it fails miserably, but somehow stays on the style scene (i.e. trendy) radar. Lame leggings, anyone?

Now, I love cotton and I love utilitarian basics --- I love having layers and being able to just pack and go. So, naturally, I was drawn to American Apparel. This location is kind of teeny tiny, which only some of their merchandise available from their website. It's kind of reminiscent of a "best of" version since this location seems to carry the most popular and best selling items (hoodies, super-soft burn out v-neck tees, halter dresses, leggings, running shorts, bright metallic shiny objects, and so on).

Yes, the store is a little pricey ($22 for a tee, give or take a few bucks). But, it's also at the cost of being sweatshop free. There's a huge color selection, which is marvelous. So go ahead and stock up on the emerald green track jackets, purple gym tees, black leggings, blue running shorts, and so on. Employees are helpful and often flutter about in American Apparel designs.

The layout is a bit congested, especially if there's a lot of shoppers bustling around. The first floor is men's and women's, even though many of the designs are unisex. The second floor is a loft area that only carries more women's apparel. There's a nice selection in here and the sales associates were helpful but definitely not pushy.

Fitting rooms are small stalls with canvas curtains, but nothing unusual. The store itself is kind of quirky with odd-ball 1970s and 1980s throwback accessories (headbands, tiny running shorts, thigh-high tube socks) but then again, it's okay to be a little kitschy now and then. While this brand has been obsessed over time and time again, with the hipster crowd, I must say I do like the quality of the products. Just not the snarky attitude that goes along with it. Good location, nice shop, though I find the brand to be a bit overrated.

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2

5

Andrea C.

Brooklyn, NY

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this store! I've been working in the area for the past two summers and this AA location makes working near Columbus Circle sooo much more fun! The sales people are pretty chill and I like that. I mean its mainly t-shirts, not couture, so I don't need tons of help. The last purchase I made there was a pair of off black Slim Slacks and a deep V in Lapis. Love It and I got soo many compliments! I had to go get another deep V in Rasberry from the LES store. Quite possibly the best t-shirts ever...period.

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Elite '08

53

373

Kimberli M.

New York, NY

It's here that you can score your basic cotton knits.

Some are priced well, others are not.

eware the bra-strap headbands at the front behind the counter... they are not very well QC'd and although are listed as one size fits all -- they come in varying sizes.

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12

54

Scarlett S.

New York, NY

I have been in many AA stores and American Apparel tees are splendid!  They have the best fit and I feel comfortable as a pea in a pod.  Take a stop in one day and have a look!

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Elite '08

11

123

Melanie M.

Sunnyside, NY

I love the sweat pants and t's at this national chain.  Great variety of colors and styles.

Can be on the pricey side for a cotton shirt, but like I've said before, you get what you pay for.  I can get years worth of wear from most of their items!  So do the math

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4

15

Claire A.

Carlstadt, NJ

This isn't the location I visited but it's not listed on Yelp. I finally went in one day after having spent weeks on a mock book proposal project on the founder, Dov Charney for a class. Anyway, simple is as simple does. Some of the cuts of the skirts were pretty heinous. I tried on a dress that I could not figure out how to work without my boobs being exposed. I then started looking for a simple bag for gym clothes. After being eyed but not approached by any sales staff I finally asked one who was less than friendly. Obviously customer service is not their selling point. I bought a canvas bag and left.

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Elite '08

17

302

Micaela L.

Boston College, MA

Ah, American Apparel, how I love thee.  This ever-popular, beloved-by-hipsters chain has ten locations in Manhattan (soon to be eleven) and four in Brooklyn, but this store is the one I usually frequent.  I am a big fan of their cotton basics, especially the leggings, yoga pants, fine jersey tee-shirts, and quirky accessories like the "hangover hats" and thigh-high athletic socks.  Although the prices are not dirt-cheap, everything is sweatshop-free (made in a huge factory in downtown L.A.) and comes in a rainbow of colors.  Check out the new tri-blend tee-shirts -- so comfy! -- and revel in the fact that their unisex garb actually fits men AND women, unlike many boxy alternatives.  My only complaint about this store is that the space is kind of small, and I always trip up the super-narrow, steep staircase to the tiny second-floor loft space.  Otherwise, it's one of my favorite places to stock up on wardrobe basics that last forever.

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