American Apparel

I’m so surprised that this American Apparel has low ratings!
My spouse and I went in there the other day for the first time and I had a nice experience. We were immediately greeted after walking in and the staff was so friendly that was helping us out.
The store was a lot smaller than most of the other ones I’ve been to but they had adorable merchandise none the less.
Overall, it’s a pretty typical American Apparel with better service though.

They say that they are open until 10 online but they actually close at 9. You really need to fix that

I work in retail and understand the importance of exceptional customer service, unfortunately for American apparel they could care less. After my visit to this location today I finally feel I should reiterate their complete lack of customer service and appreciation. The sales rep seemed annoyed to unlock a dressing room for me, while in there I was never checked on and had to come out myself to grab another size. During check out, the girl seemed even more inconvenienced. Upon payment i wasn’t thanked, nor to have a lovely rest of the day. RUDE. I do everything I can to avoid entering an American apparel because of this repeated lack of customer care. However, having interviewed years ago for American apparel, I get the feeling customer service is not important to them. My patronage seems very unwanted by their employees.

Usually american apparels have annoying pretentious people, but everyone I came across in here was friendly and helpful! Nothing much more to say other than: guys, no, I really don’t shop at American apparel… I really don’t. ;D
Ps it’s a small American apparel, but not much smaller than the American apparel downtown. They do seem to keep in stock cuter things than the downtown portland American apparel. My guess is that the downtown location is just too busy so they run out faster.
Plus, this location has plentiful amounts of free street and neighborhood parking. Obviously this American apparel wins over the downtown american apparel. Yay!

I am totally addicted to American apparel… I can never have enough. I tend to shop online but when I just can’t wait for my new found love I make a stop in to the Hawthorne store. The staff is helpful and they have a good variety of sizes and styles. The only down side is parking near Hawthorne but I always seem to get lucky with a spot no more than a block or two away.

Went in here last weekend to buy several pairs of leggings — a wardrobe staple here in Portland. They were having a deal — buy two and get ½ price on the third pair. So I spent $ 70 on three pairs of leggings — expensive yes but they are great quality and always last me a long time.
ANYWAY
After I purchased my items, I turned around, and DIRECTLY behind me were special Spring Fling promo cards, offering 20% off your entire purchase over $ 50 on this day only. I immediately went back to the clerk and asked if I could use the card. She kind of shrugged her shoulders and said it wouldn’t really be possible, especially since AA now only offers store credit, NOT cash refunds for your purchases (I knew about this already but since I was buying wardrobe staples I didn’t really care).
Why wouldn’t she offer these up at the get-​go? What kind of customer service is that to not make a customer aware of a special savings event at the store, and then to be so incredibly unhelpful when I brought it to her attention.
I was SO steamed… I could have returned all the items but I didn’t want $ 70 worth of credit and was too pissed to even deal with it. Of course there’s no managers in there, just two college kids who obviously could care less to help customers with lots of money to spend on cotton basics.
I guess I’m the loser in this scenario, all around! If I need AA I’ll order online or go to another store.

I know this place gets a lot of negative for the CEO/​weird advertisements, surly staff.etc. But I have had nothing but good experiences at this location.
I was looking for a simply well made NONE SEE THROUGH ladies white v-​neck t-​shirt. Something you can wear with jeans, shorts, tucked into a pencil skirt. But most of the shirts here show your tig ol bitties and I don’t like that.
The cute girl who helped me grabbed 5 – 6 shirts to try out, kept getting me new sizes since everything fit differently, and even recommended another place to get what I wanted. I still ended buying something that wasn’t on my list, which is just so raven. But whatever.

Well I love you American apparel for your quality clothing, your staff sometimes sucks. I had one person greet me and she was super helpful today. The other person at the register had A LOT of attitude for unbrushed hair and bad eyeliner/​mascara issue. I mean I get that your hipster honey and acting like a bitch goes with your bad hair and makeup but that usually works better for «pretty» girls, being skinny doesn’t make you too hot to brush your hair, wash your face and be a pleasant human being. Lots of bad karma out of this place. Last time I ordered online and it was seriously MORE fun than having to deal with your cashier (3 – 4 pm today, Thursday feb 21^st). I really hope it was a fluke and she normally has a little more professionalism and hygiene…

Um, I’m not really sure what to make of this place. Really I was just there for the socks. I wanted socks with stripes on them, not sure why… I really shouldn’t try and be hip. Apparently unless you are wanting to order online, American Apparel is the place to go for striped attack socks. Kind of expensive, but not made by toddlers in Gwamania I suppose is a plus. Oh you can also get tanktops with thongs built into them. How useful is that?
Oh I must also report, the most socially awkward looking girl EVER working the register. However I suspect that all of her social awkward appearance was COMPLETELY ON PURPOSE.

I prove on a near daily basis that American Apparel is not just for hot young bods. I may be on the younger side but I’m pudgy and roly poly and make a special stop at Cold Stone just after my AA shopping trip. I love love love AA clothes. I love the skanky ads and the even skankier owner. I’ll bet the big wigs at Target beat off, and I know they use ultra skinny super sexy bitches for their print and TV ads.
I have hoodies and cardigans that I wear daily and have washed hundreds of times and they have all regardless of size or color held up impeccably. * I am super hard on clothes, step on them, leave em in the washer for 3 days, mop up spilled coffee with them etc.* I have never had anything but polite even friendly service from the kids who work there, on several occasions associates have offered to online order something for me if they have been out of the size/​style/​color of something I was looking for. In short, chubby girls with low or high moral standards don’t be afraid of the AA.

This American Apparel is far too cramped. I left after 2 minutes.

Politicians and corporate clothing makers…*sigh*…what do you do. Always looking to exploit hot young booty. As long as you get your job done I don’t care.
With that said, I like American Apparel. It fits me. All the basics I need in the colors I want AND I like the fact it’s made here in the U S of frickin’ A.
No flare here, though. So if you want good-​quality, basic clothing, shop here and then knit yourself a colorful poncho.
I bought my Chihuahua an American Apparel pink shirt. It was cute for a while but it’s ruined now. NOT AA’s fault. She’s an ass-​kickin’, coyote-​eatin’, country chihuahua after all.

here is a suggestion:
or even better, go to a thrift store.
this place is so homogenized.

Of course I want to buy sweatshop-​free clothing. And of course I think American Apparel’s garments are fetching.
Am I supposed to praise them though? It’s not as if they’re the only brand in this country that’s paying their employees over minimum wage and not exporting their labor to get it done cheaply.
Also, they’re not the first company to use sex to sell things, I realize, but the fact that they do it in this blatant and self-​aware way that’s supposed to mean they’re progressive is complete crap.
Everyone knows Dov Charney’s slept with his employees, jacked off in front of a reporter from Jane magazine, and is clearly an awesome business man (read: hustler).
I have clothes from American Apparel. I also have clothes made in China. I hate to be impetuous, but I think I feel equally guilty about them.

Oh, American Apparel. I want to like you more, because I truly do love the simplicity of basic cotton clothes. I wish you weren’t so expensive, though, as it’s hard to justify the high price for a t-​shirt. Nevertheless, I’m a sucker in your store, and I usually find something that I wish I could buy if only I could stomach the price.
The sweat-​shop-​free attitude certainly appeals to my politics but the sleazy ads you have which objectify women really rub me the wrong way.

The major complaint I hear about American Apparel is that it is too expensive for what it is. Almost as often I hear people complain that the clothes fall apart. I think that these are both accurate appraisals, but come on people is it really possible to have sweatshop free apparel come out of America as a decent product. When little fingers are working quickly and accurately under the pretext of a life or death situation, your purple hoodie is just going to come out a lot better, plain and simple.
Regardless, it is nice to be able to buy a variety of basics in every size and color under the sun. Also, the dude underwear is pretty good.
Personally, I prefer the downtown location

All American Apparels look sleazy– that’s the point, but this one seemed extra sleazy. The people were nice, and the clothes are what you would expect from AA, but the store just felt like a mix between a thrift shop and a vet’s office. I like AA for their values, but think that I will be shopping on line while in PDX.

I really like the sweat-​shop free aspect of American Apparel. While I could by something similar at another store for a cheaper price, I feel that having the option to choose a fair practice piece of clothing is really the way to go. So I just try to get more classic styles here, that can stay in my closet for a few years.
I love that the cotton clothes feel sturdy and they are great for silk-​screening and other personal additions. Plus they sell underwear and socks (which come in about 30 different colors).
Overall: worth the extra money to buy US, sweat-​shop free clothing that looks great.