Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F), the infamous retail company best known for flaunting their signature images of scantily clad models, wasn't always the epitome of prep and sex. In fact, the store first started off as an elite outdoorsman brand in 1892 and was worn by the likes of Theodore Roosevelt and Ernest Hemingway. Polo shirts, crisp trousers and hunting attire, however, weren't the only products sold in stores. Popular merchandise also included books, fishing gear and shaving cream — a collection of products fit for the traditional gentleman.
By the 1970s, A&F tanked financially — eventually filing for bankruptcy — and was forced to revamp their brand in order to rejoin the market. What came afterwards was a fashion line that embodied a very specific, idealized version of the all-American youth, meshing nauseatingly white fraternity culture with ample amounts of sex and allure. The brand's signature tees, which were adorned with block stitched letters of the store's own name, quickly became the sought-out apparel among young millennials while images of half-nude models plastered on the store walls and bags became the bane of every parent's existence.
