American Eagle Outfitters

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Founded in 1977 by brothers Jerry and Mark Silverman, American Eagle Outfitters began as a subsidiary of the popular Silvermans Menswear family business. The brand was initially positioned to sell casualwear, footwear, and accessories with an emphasis on outdoor sports. The first retail stores were also supported by a popular mail-order catalog business. Silvermans, which changed its name to Retail Ventures, Inc. (RVI) in the 1980s, was gradually acquired by the Schottenstein family over the next decade. Finally, in 1991, the founders were completely bought out, and the new owners of American Eagle Outfitters began to take the company in a new direction.

The brand was repositioned to create its own private-label clothing rather than selling name brands, and an in-house design team was hired to develop unique merchandise. With the new retail strategy in place, American Eagle began to grow exponentially, and the company went public in 1994. The manufacturer changed its target demographic slightly to focus more on young adults. It also introduced the Aerie intimates line and 77kids line of children's clothing for boys and girls aged 2-10. 77kids was quickly deemed a failure, however, and was discontinued in 2012. Today, the company no longer manufactures apparel for young children, but its adult sizes are very popular among tweens and teens.

Babies & Kids Merchandise

Products

The men's and women's lines from American Eagle Outfitters cater toward a younger demographic, which is why the apparel from this brand is a favorite among older kids. Women's tops include tees, graphic tees, crop-tops, V-necks, tunics, baseball tees, tanks, henleys, button-down shirts, blouses, and more. Polos are also popular options for school uniforms. Sweaters and cardigans feature different knits, materials, and cuts, making them an excellent choice for light outerwear. American Eagle has long been known for its jeans, which are available in several different colors, cuts, and washes. Other pants for women include leggings, jeggings, cords, sweats, yoga pants, and joggers. A selection of shorts and skirts rounds out the line.

American Eagle men's tops include tees, graphic tees, mock necks, hoodies, henleys, thermals, polos, and sweaters. Jeans are the most popular bottoms, though the brand also features slacks, cargo pants, shorts, and more. Since the manufacturer doesn't have its own line of underwear and accessories for men like it does for women, the regular American Eagle brand also includes boxers, boxer briefs, trunks, and socks. Both genders will find a selection of heavy outerwear for winter that features parkas, wool jackets, and denim jackets.

Swap.com's Rating of American Eagle Outfitters

Considering the brand has really only come into its own over the last couple decades, American Eagle Outfitters manages to feel like a tried and true staple in most wardrobes--partly because of its presence in shopping malls across the country. It's a shame that the 77kids line didn't work out, because the clothes offered by American Eagle are always of a very high quality. Still, older kids will certainly find it easy to get into this brand because its styles keep up with the latest trends without ever going overboard. As a parent, you can definitely feel comfortable dressing your tween or teen in the brand's clothing because the clothes are built to last and are often available pretty affordably. We give American Eagle Outfitters 5 stars out of 5.