This article may be a bit off topic for my regular followers – and for that I apologize, but I wanted to chime in on the news that abercrombie and fitch
has decided to close their Ruehl concept stores throughout America.About 5 years ago abercrombie and fitch launched a new concept – Ruehl 925 – the premise was the store was based in Greenwich Village NYC, in the mansion of a rich family with the surname “Ruehl”. The clothes were somewhat Abercrombie-like, but had a much more adult feel, were still a little expensive, but overall seemed to be less expensive than abercrombie and fitch.When I was younger – I definitely fell for the whole Abercrombie & Fitch look, the smell of the stores and just the overall “coolness” that seemed to exude from the brand, the clothes and the stores. As I got older, I realized I hated paying as much as I did for the clothes from abercrombie and fitch, they always seemed to shrink, and the styles just seemed to continue to look more and more ridiculous.You wouldn’t find a jacket and tie appropriate for a business meeting at Ruehl, but you could easily find leisure or “going out” clothes that were eons away from the Guess/Armani Exchange look.
has decided to close their Ruehl concept stores throughout America.About 5 years ago abercrombie and fitch launched a new concept – Ruehl 925 – the premise was the store was based in Greenwich Village NYC, in the mansion of a rich family with the surname “Ruehl”. The clothes were somewhat Abercrombie-like, but had a much more adult feel, were still a little expensive, but overall seemed to be less expensive than abercrombie and fitch.When I was younger – I definitely fell for the whole Abercrombie & Fitch look, the smell of the stores and just the overall “coolness” that seemed to exude from the brand, the clothes and the stores. As I got older, I realized I hated paying as much as I did for the clothes from abercrombie and fitch, they always seemed to shrink, and the styles just seemed to continue to look more and more ridiculous.You wouldn’t find a jacket and tie appropriate for a business meeting at Ruehl, but you could easily find leisure or “going out” clothes that were eons away from the Guess/Armani Exchange look.
But the thing that really drew me INTO the Ruehl stores was the store design.
Instead of the storefront being floor to ceiling windows, it looks like a brick mansion that you’d find in Greenwich Village. Right down to the wrought iron fence, concrete walkway, subway/air grates and doors that look like they could come right from an a building in Greenwich Village.There are only 25 Ruehl stores in the US today, and anyone who has ever visited one will admit – its a VERY unique store.
The amount of detail that was designed into these stores was amazing – and the prices of the clothes did reflect that, but it really made you feel part of the story, made you feel part of the clothes – made you part of the experience, something that you will never get at The Gap, or Express.
For those unaware of what Gilly Hicks is – it’s a women’s lingerie store, with pricing CONSIDERABLY lower than you’d expect to find at an abercrombie and fitch/Ruehl store, and a lot lower than a comparable item at Victoria’s Secret as well.The poll also found both Neil & Mufi with strong leads in head-to-head contests against Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona, the presumptive Republican candidate in the gubernatorial race.
Oh, and once – sometimes twice a week – I’m now getting emails advertising their “Summer Clearance” sales in the stores and online from all the Abercrobmie brands.. How ironic. Not the least of which we’re just heading into Summer now – and they’re already doing Summer Clearance.
