So I always joked that American Apparel was the best goth store, since they have a whole lot of shiny black things for sale, but really they had the best basics around. But after declaring bankruptcy and ousting the CEO and drastic changes, they were finally bought by a Canadian brand and are now closing all their stores. Here's a look back at some of my favorite outfits (sorry you probably have seen most of these before!)
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| high-wasted shorts |
They were my favorite brand for a number of reasons. First off, I never, ever regretted a purchase from there. They are my most-worn items. Since they are basics (as in, plain clothes with no designs or details...pure minimalist clothing) they go with everything. From an over-the-top occult shirt to something for the office. It's surprisingly hard to find just a plain black t-shirt, t-shirt dress, turtleneck without stupid shit on it. No lace, no decorative stitching or design, gathering/pleats/darts, slogans. Especially if you have an accessory-heavy look like I do, you really just want clean lines and minimalism.
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| Sheer oversized t-shirt (with no stupid shit on it!) |
Of course, most people remember them from their sexy ads (the ceo was kind of pervy), and some of their clothing was pretty racy. There aren't a whole lot of brands that would have a plunging neckline that went down to your crotch lol. The below bodysuit was my absolute fav for going out on the town.
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| bodysuit |
This fit-and-flare turtleneck dress is my favorite to wear with loud leggings. Also I still own jewelry made out of
questionable metals that I don't want touching my skin, so I wear turtlenecks...and no cool brand wants to make lame turtlenecks (and when they do, they never are tight enough around your neck!!) Just bought a bunch of mock-neck shirts from AA for this reason.
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| turtleneck dress |
Yeah, it was more expensive than F21/H+M, but when you consider that it was ethically made and good quality, it's really not that bad. There were many times I'd see something "ethically made" and "high quality" being sold for hundreds of dollars, and I'd see the same damn thing at AA for like $50 bucks. I try to buy from companies who pay their workers a living wage, and I for real don't know where I'm going to go now. I'm just going to stick to the sale racks at high-end department stores for brands I know. I honestly don't think I need anymore clothes anyway.
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| plain black collared shirt that I added collar clips to. |
My favorite crop top! I HATE the sleeves on 99% of t-shirts out there. Like, most of them don't cover your armpit! Men's t-shirts always go mid-bicep. Women's shirts barely cover the shoulders! Why?? Is it because men need them for their armpit hair? Well I don't shave sometimes either! Also my upper arms get cold..if I wanted to wear a tank I would! Thank you to the feminists working at AA who gave us a real damn short sleeve! Every time I see a bullshit sleeve I want to scream.
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| crop top t-shirt |
So, a lot of people stopped shopping there after finding out that the CEO was a perv (even though he was ousted years ago). The scandals stuck around. As you can guess, I don't really care about the personal lives of the people who work at any company. Does the company pay their workers a living wage or employ children? It's hard to know for any company, but AA prided itself on being fair-trade--plus they only had one factory, in LA.
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| All AA |
So sad! The below skirt is my everyday skirt at the office. Looks good with corp looks and goth looks.
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| Pleated skirt |
The skirt that matched my nails perfectly...
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| my favorite leather skirt!! |
And this look from not long ago! The best deal I ever got. I don't know how much this holographic leather skirt was (I want to say $200), but I got it for like $40 bucks!
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| All AA. LOOK AT THOSE SLEEVES!! the perfect length! |
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| Two-way toned tights |
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| Mock-neck top |
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| Mock-neck top, sheer skirt. I bought 4 of the mock necks when they were on sale for 10 bucks each. They are the perfect top. Look at that perfect sleeve length. Also super thick fabric. |
Any recommendations for high-quality ethically made basics that are less than $80 (dresses) $40 (t-shrits)??
