A style shift from hyper coloured leggings and lace body suits to preppy blazers and chinos may be to blame for the looming demise of American Apparel. The US fashion chain is currently on its financial death bed and to add further distress, the company is facing federal investigation over its change in accounting firms. 

Since opening in 2003, American Apparel still prides itself on producing all of its designs, dyeing, knitting, sewing and distribution from downtown Los Angeles. An obvious choice would be to ship everything off shore, but with an estimated loss of $5 to $7 million for the quarter of 30 June (compared to a profit of $7.3 million the previous year according to the Financial Post) the hipster brand may be too far long gone to save.

The colourful creep/loose cannon founder of the company Dov Charny, who owns 53% of the brand, opened the first American Apparel store in 2003 and still keeps a hands on approach with the business today.

With 279 stores in 20 countries, Dov still continues to work on designs and fabrics and is often the photographer for the label’s provocative (read soft core porn) advertising campaigns. He has also faced a numerous sexual harassment lawsuits filed by employees of the label.

In a desperate attempt to avoid flagging sales Dov announced earlier this month that the hipster trend of neon bike pants and nipples was indeed on the way out and American Apparel is shifting its focus to a more grown up preppy style of blazers and pleated pants. Like Chuck Bass but to the masses.

Whether there will be sales success on said preppy products is yet to be known. In the mean time now is the time to stock up on lace leotards and sleazy ad campaigns, the seedy leg spread days of the American Apparel we have come to love/hate are numbered.