FASHION Magazine

It seems like Abercrombie & Fitch just can’t stay out of the news. First there was the lawsuit regarding the employee with the prosthetic arm who was forced to work in the stockroom so no one would see her. Then there was that time the retailer tried to pay off Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino so he wouldn’t wear their T-shirts on TV. Weirdest of all, though, is the news today that the Milan flagship store forced its workers to undergo boot camp-like punishment for their misdeeds.

When store workers weren’t cheery enough or didn’t follow orders they were forced to do 10 push-ups (for the men) and 10 squats (for the women). The company has yet to provide a comment but has seriously stepped in it, especially as a company email (written in April) was quoted as saying that the push-up and squat protocol “will bring about a great result—we will learn from our mistakes.”

Ignoring the blatant sexism (women can do push-ups too!), this is one of the most ridiculous things we’ve ever heard. How anybody thought this was a) a good idea or b) a feasible idea is completely beyond us. I mean, did the shop clerks just “drop and give them 10” on the floor? Mid-sale? Shirt-less? Bi-zarr-o.

Remember when Abercrombie & Fitch was selling graphic tees that read “The Fitchuation”? Well, apparently, neither do they. In fact, they have recently offered pay Jersey Shore’s Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino to stop wearing their clothes. Seriously.

The official statement voiced the company’s concern that by wearing A&F clothing, Sitch was undeniably hurting their image. They even went as far as saying that this association with the label is contrary to the nature of their brand. We don’t understand how they forgot about every single shirtless-boy-in-jeans-with-an-eight-pack ad campaign they’ve ever released. The best part? The statement was titled “A Win-Win Situation.”

We understand the concern of being associated with Jersey Shore–esque behaviour, but there’s something fishy about A&F’s request. It came just in time for the company to report a 64.4 per cent rise in second-quarter net income during their quarterly earnings call this morning. It sure doesn’t seem like the Sitch is actually that bad for business!

As we eagerly await tonight’s premiere of Jersey Shore’s fourth season, reports are flying that Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino will be fronting a line of tuxedos. The reality star seems to be following the example of fellow cast members JWoww, Pauly D, and Snooki by expanding his brand to include clothing.

The deal, a line also called “The Situation,” (natch!) comes courtesy of a New York–based manufacturer called FLOW Formal, a company hoping to reach a younger demographic. What’s more is that Sitch is supposedly raking in a whopping six figures for a role that still seems sketchy. It’s still unclear whether he’ll only serve to promote the collection or actually have some design input.

The scheduled launch of February 2012 and the emphasis on a younger customer base bring one thing to mind: prom season. For the sake of 2012’s graduating classes, we’re keeping our fingers crossed that things are kept classic. Thinking about the product of a Jersey Shore star’s venture into formalwear is a bit terrifying: rhinestones on lapels, backs printed like tattoos, shirts purposefully left undone indecently low… We could go on, but we won’t.