Per Yahoo Finance (and PRNewswire), over 80% of consumers received a gift card during the 2019 holiday season, while gift card sales were up seven percent over 2018’s totals. I’d be willing to bet that a large percentage of us Dappered readers received some of that fantastic plastic. In this new series titled How to Spend It, we’re curating a bunch of items from a selection of stores you might/most likely got a gift card to (some very Dappered-y, some less so because Aunt Karen wasn’t sure). Our goal is to show you what’s worth it at various price points. You CAN spend it all in one place, dear!
Brand Note: If you’re over the age of 25, odds are good that your perception of Abercrombie & Fitch is heavily skewed by what you remember from the late 1990s to mid-2000s. Since 2015, the brand has worked relentlessly to overhaul its image in the face of tough competition from American Eagle, Zara, and even Forever 21. Gone are the hyper-sexualized ads, shirtless models, and the dark and heavily perfumed shopping experience. Today’s A&F focuses on a vastly more modern, casual vibe with a plethora of muted colors, softer fabrics, and bold graphics aimed at their slightly older adult audience. Of note, the infamous moose icon hasn’t left but has been minimized. Pricing, sizes, and availability will often vary greatly, so check your local store or online for the best deals.
TONS of goodies available under $50, just be careful with anything with high percentages of polyester or acrylic. And yes, there are plenty of options with the visible moose logo absent.
In the sub-$100 price tier, you can take home some new jeans, a nice hoodie, or even some sweet kicks.
The sub-$200 tier is chock full of decent looking sweaters, outerwear pieces, and some entry level boots.
Why $300? It’s a great starting point for a nice outfit (we’ll get to those, keep scrolling), a stylish winter coat, or other higher priced goods (you’d be surprised what they carry these days).
These are the stretch goals or the luxury splurge pieces. Even if you didn’t receive a gift card this large, maybe you want to make a sizeable dent in something that’s “investment” worthy.
Since A&F doesn’t have a ton of “grail worthy” items, we’ve pulled together ten outfits for some inspiration. It’s most likely that not only do people NOT get $500+ gift cards in general, they almost certainly wouldn’t get them to Abercrombie & Fitch. But, in case you do have a sizeable piece of plastic for A&F, here are ten ways to fill out that cart…
About the Author: Adam Terry is Dappered’s resident shoe & denim expert. He’s a thirty-something Technical Trainer in the heating and manufacturing industry. He enjoys bourbon, boots, sneakers, and raw denim. He’s also a new(ish) dad!
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