Abercrombie and French

Everyone knows Abercrombie and Fitch.  A hip store in the US known mostly to the younger crowd, although I’m sure there must be the older person here and there who shops in those stores.

I must confess, I’m not one of them.  I don’t dislike them, but their form fitting, skin tight threads are not at all to my taste.  My curves would protest loudly at being stuffed into something so, well, non curvy.

The same day that we saw the Lamborghini chase, if you remember I mentioned we walked down the Champs Elysees.  The Champs Elysees put me in mind of Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, only wider.  But the shops are very upscale, and quite fun to look in.

As we were making our way down the Boulevard, we saw a queue near a black wrought iron fence with gold filigree on the top.

It was very elegant and stately, and there were two guys who looked like they were doing security detail at the gate.  We looked around, but all we could see was a small sign that said, “Abercrombie and Fitch”.   We could not figure out why there would be a line outside the store, and felt as though me must have been missing something.  We walked on and didn’t think about it again until we passed it a second time a few days later.

It was then my curiosity was really up.  Unfortunately, by the time I got back to the hotel where there was wifi, I’d forgotten about it.  So I didn’t unravel the mystery until I got back to the US.

Apparently, this is the only A&F in France.  It opened on March 19, 2011 and had live models–shirtless young men with washboard abs to display.  The building is four stories and over 100,000 square feet A&F heaven.  They are a flagship store, meaning some of their merchandise is made specifically for that store alone.  So if you really want it, you better buy it cause you won’t find it at another A&F.

Even after 20 months, there is still a line.  Amazing!  Seems to me they could fit quite a few people in a store that size, but maybe I’m missing the point.  Having traveled several thousand miles just to see the neighborhood though, I couldn’t quite keep A&F in the same league as the Eiffel Tower, or the Arc De Triomphe.  Interestingly, the stores are languishing in the US according to one report I read, but Europe seems to love them. It doesn’t surprise me.  People in Europe walk tons more than us.  They are therefore generally speaking, skinnier than us.  It would stand to reason that they would sell a larger percentage of skinny jeans and huggy shirts.  I’m just glad I don’t have to stand in line to get clothes from a clothing store.  I suspect I wouldn’t have any clothes.