Working at Abercrombie & Fitch Corporate Is a Frat Bro's Dream

Day drinking galore.

Not Available Lead
Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

Not Available Lead

Working at Abercrombie & Fitchtotally sucks, unless you're a beer-chugging frat bro who loves hackeysack and dope office parties. In a recent memoir told to Cosmopolitan, a former A&F corporate employee recalled his days of trying to get work done in an environment that encouraged day drinking in the company's headquarters, affectionately dubbed "The Campus."

The unnamed employee remembers showing up to the interview in business appropriate attire—a suit and tie—and being scolded for it, which he quickly removed his tie and jacket and rolled up his sleeves. Once he got the job, his days of wearing cheap denim, faux-vintage sweatshirts, and day drinking were well on their way.

None

When an opening in his male-dominated department arose, the bros didn't want to hire a woman. "Every employee in my area is male, but we interviewed a few candidates who were female. At the time another employee came up to me and said, "I hope they don’t hire a girl. That will really mess up the vibe." We ended up hiring one of the guys. It’s very much a bro culture," he said.

The employees states that everyone had to wear A&F clothes, and if certain women couldn't fit in the clothes that were made for pre-teens and teens, they would wear men's jeans and sweatshirts instead. To make sure the employees stayed thin, he goes on to allude to the fact the company's cafeteria, where everyone had to eat, only served super healthy food. 

But when the recession hit in 2008, and performance and profits nosedived, people got laid off at mass rates. According to him, "They attributed the cuts to soft sales from the recession, but what I think was masked was that their stuff had been dropping in quality and their style had been stagnant for many many years."

It looked like the good times had come to an end. "The first Christmas party I went to, there was prime rib, cocktail shrimp, and three stages for three different bands. The last Christmas party I went to, there were glow sticks and no food." Glow sticks.

Make sure you read the whole piece to get a great glimpse into the inner workings of life at A&F headquarters, and the culture and atmosphere that goes into making garbage clothing.

[via Cosmopolitan]

Latest in Style