The Skinny Fad- how has it been commodified?

Stores such as Abercrombie and Hollister have commodified "the skinny look." These stores only accommodate those who can wear smaller sizes. Because of this, not everyone can wear their clothes, making them more exclusive and thus more desirable. These stores construct their models to be young, pretty, and skinny. In doing so, they are creating an image.

Not only are these stores only skinny friendly, they are expensive. Not everybody can afford to wear Hollister and Abercrombie clothing where sweatshirts average at around $80 a pop. These artifacts might not be part of "high" culture, but they are definitely upper-middle class. Clothing from these stores have become a status symbol; their products are bought to say "Hey, I have enough money to buy these clothes. Do you?"

Why do people pay these ridiculously high prices for clothes with Abercrombie and Hollister labels? The answer: not everybody does or can.

There is a desire to be unique or to have "better" things than the other people you interact with. If you are wearing an Abercrombie polo and the other people you are with are wearing Jordache or Joe Boxer, you are making a statement. You are saying "I care more about my image, so I wear Abercrombie" or "I have more money so I can wear Abercrombie."

Now, have you ever seen an African American model for either Abercrombie or Hollister? Or any other label that is considered part of the upper-class's culture? When you walk into their stores, there aren't any pictures of African American models, male or female, sporting their clothing. You'll see the skinny white girl with her sexual appeal and the muscular male model, normally shirtless or with an open shirt, even more sexually explicit than the female models. There are no African male models strutting their shirtless stuff wearing Abercrombie boxers and cargo pants. There are no African female models looking up at you with her bedroom eyes in her Hollister tank top and short skirt.