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Are some clothing stores "gay"?

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by confuseduser99, May 18, 2014.

  1. confuseduser99

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    I mostly shop at Hollister, Abercrombie & Fitch, and American Eagle. I've heard some people say that their clothing is "gay", which makes no sense since I see straight guys wearing those brands. I see straight guys shopping at those stores too when I'm there.

    Anyway, do those stores have a "gay" association to them? What other clothing stores have this kind of an association?
     
  2. AlamoCity

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    Well, "Abercrombie & Fitch" has some of the "gayest" homoerotic bags, not that I'm complaining :wink:.

    I think that when people call Hollister (an Abercrombie division) or American Eagle "gay" in your situations, they may actually be using the word "gay" as a synonym of "not cool." In my area, those stores stopped being "cool" once people left high school.

    Regarding some stores being "gay" (in the sense that people consider the clothing more stereotypically related to what gay men wear and like), I would say that some brands like Vineyard Vines and (any producer of colorful mens' chinos and shorts) might end up being labeled as "gay." Personally, I like colorful (solid) pants and shorts, but it helps when dealing with the heat down here :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:.
     
  3. Argentwing

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    The cut of Hollister clothes especially is very slim and sort of effeminate, so I can see why people would call it gay. They might be right, because I think it looks hot on guys XD but I don't personally wear that stuff because it's mostly just an expensive status symbol for high schoolers, as was mentioned.
     
  4. frostedflakes

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    This is a tough question to answer. There are many styles and types of clothing. What is considered "gay" clothing? Is there "straight" clothing? I haven't heard of either. Clothing is clothing. Like, particular items might be considered "gay", but, that might just be to attract more gay customers. Is actually "gay" clothing.... I don't know.
     
  5. confuseduser99

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    I don't think people mean "gay" as in "not cool". As the other member above mentioned, I think it's the cut. Their clothing is pretty fit, so I guess it's a stereotype of gay guys.

    I agree though, I love how it looks on guys. Also, their bags are pretty homoerotic. Even Hollister (division of A&F) too. I literally bought something from there an hour ago. I have the bag with me, and well, DAMN!

    A lot of college kids, myself included still wear these brands. I LOVE Hollister and A&F clothing! :wink:
     
  6. Joelouis

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    I've got a t-shirt by Voi that a mate says at first it looked "gay".

    It's white with different coloured edges to it.
    I think it looks good.

    I know for a fact that my t-shirt is not gay. I mean, I've owned it nearly a year now and in all that time it has never made a pass at me, never touched me or asked me on a date at all. So either I'm ugly (maybe), I'm not my t-shirts type, or the t-shirt is in fact straight.
     
  7. LiquidSwords

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    Yah, Ralph Lauren and Jack Wills as well.

    I've never thought of these sort of brands as gay before though, in fact I'd think of them as more stereotypically straight.
     
  8. confuseduser99

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    That's another one that I LOVE! Ralph Lauren! Also, Lacoste :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

    Dear God, so stereotypically gay...
     
  9. 7eye

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    Don't buy from those stores; the CEO and his execs are douches, and the employees get bullied in the branches!
     
  10. LovesMyArmyGirl

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    I agree with you completely, your t-shirt is not gay, (it actually sounds pretty cool), I also agree with above user that teens use the term "gay" as "not cool". I here it all the time and it makes me slightly uncomfortable.
     
  11. confuseduser99

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    The only thing is that the people I here referring to Hollister and A&F as "gay" literally mean gay, as in homosexual. As in gay guys shop there/wear that type of clothing.
     
  12. Rakkaus

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    I think for some reason the brands are associated with young gay men. I know in the case of American Eagle in particular, nearly every AE store I've walked into has had at least one employee who definitely pinged my gaydar, usually multiple young gay guys working there.

    I still wear American Eagle, Hollister, and Abercrombie & Fitch. Hollister and A&F I mainly wear during the summer time, since they're more 'beachy' (especially Hollister), but AE produces some nice clothing all year round. I get rewards points and coupons with AE, so I've done a lot of shopping there.

    I don't shop as much at A&F because it's basically a more expensive version of the same thing you can get at Hollister. Like you can get basically the same exact polo shirt, with the Hollister bird logo, for half the price of the same shirt with the A&F moose logo.

    They're all youthful brands for sure, and since I have a youthful appearance, they work well on me. Perhaps the association with youthful pretty boyish looks rather than rugged manly apparel is where the gay association comes from. All 3 brands appeal to skinny youthful urban trendy kinds of guys-where stereotypical gays fit in- not to some rugged truck driver or middle-aged cop.

    But you see some people wearing them where it just kinda looks ridiculous. Like the other day on the train, I saw a late-middle-aged Asian man wearing a Hollister hoodie. I regularly see middle-aged and even older people wearing Hollister and A&F, and it just looks silly to me.

    I think fast fashion stores like H&M and Zara also tend to appeal more to gay guys than to straight guys.

    Perhaps it's just because gay guys are more likely to be into fashion and shopping and fret over how they look, while lots of straight men have their wives buy their clothing for them at K-Mart.
     
    #12 Rakkaus, May 18, 2014
    Last edited: May 18, 2014
  13. confuseduser99

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    ALL OF THIS! I AGREE WITH AND DO ALL OF THIS! Especially the Hollister/A&F thing. My wardrobe is full of Hollister, with a few A&F pieces.

    Also with the AE gay guys that work there. That's where one of them hit on me (the guy that hit on me and I went back to see).
     
  14. Rakkaus

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    Yeah I own a few A&F pieces, mainly shirts (not a fan of A&F or Hollister jeans because of the button fly that's a royal pain to try to open and close at the urinal :lol:slight_smile:, but a lot of times I'll find something I like in A&F and then head down to Hollister and find the same item with a different logo for half the price. I think A&F is slightly more mature of a brand in image than Hollister, but otherwise it's the same clothing.

    There's a certain youthful look that I think fits brands like AE/A&F/Hollister. I think, if you have a youthful appearance and look like you could be in high school/college, you can pull off wearing Hollister and A&F. Wrinkly middle-aged men and women wearing Hollister just looks kinda silly. If I were a middle-aged man I'd be embarrassed to even walk into Hollister lol.

    Also I think A&F/Hollister and to a slightly lesser extent AE are definitely geared toward skinnier people, not brawny bulky people. So again, it appeals more to the stereotypical gay guy than to the stereotypical straight man.

    And yeah I think AE really is notorious for having gay guys as employees. I remember reading online at one point (I think it was a Yahoo question) straight male teenagers from all over the country ranting that AE was "gay" because the guys who work at their local AE are gay. At the LGBT center I belong to, two of the gay guys there work at the local American Eagle store. Perhaps that's why I feel at home walking into an AE store. :newcolor:
     
  15. confuseduser99

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    Yeah, I hate their jeans too because of the button fly. Love Hollister and A&F sweaters! THE BEST!!! For jeans, I love AE. And I too go to A&F and then head to Hollister to get the similar thing for like half the price.

    Middle-added people wearing Hollister/A&F/AE looks just soooooo wrong!
     
  16. Saint Otaku

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    Andrew Christian is pretty gay. :slight_smile:
     
  17. Rakkaus

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    LOL, I'm pretty sure most designer underwear brands for men are quite 'gay', only gay males would care what kind of underwear they are wearing and compare what kind of underwear their partner is wearing when you're both stripped down. Also, every gay guy loves a hot guy in his underwear, better to make it designer rather than generic tighty whities. :grin:

    Straight males don't really have much use for designer underwear since straight women don't really care what kind of underwear a man is wearing.
     
  18. AlamoCity

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    I may be alone in this, but I find guys wearing Hanes or Fruit of the Loom boxer briefs or briefs incredibly attractive.

    (Personally, I wear either Tommy Hilfiger or Polo patterned boxers.)
     
  19. confuseduser99

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    Men wearing Armani underwear... ***dies***
     
  20. Rakkaus

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    Lol, I was with a guy recently, I checked out his underwear after he had removed it, it was Fruit of the Loom, and I said to myself "Really?" :grin:

    Personally I was wearing pink American Eagle boxer briefs. AE makes some nice underwear too.