With football season in full swing, American Eagle Outfitters Inc. released a collection of university apparel channeling college tradition.
The collection includes T-shirts, tank tops, sweatshirts and sweatpants. The clothing made for Ohio State can be found in both scarlet and gray, sporting the block “O” symbol.
“The graphics are pulled from the archives and we have worked to make sure they feel relevant and unique to American Eagle by offering them in great fabrics, washes and a variety of fashion bodies,” said Roberto Croce, senior vice president of merchandising and operations of AEO Direct.
When asked about vintage collegiate clothing, students said they like the style.
Brandi Harris, a third-year in fashion and retail studies, said her favorite place to find clothing with a vintage look is Homage in the Short North, which sells a similar line. “I like the look of both (the T-shirt and sweatshirt) and the fit looks nice,” she said.
Fifth-year in electrical engineering and student manager of Station 88, Jason Thomas, is also a fan of Homage. One of his favorite T-shirts sold at Station 88 is the Homage brand “Victory Bell” shirt. He said he thinks he would like the look of American Eagle’s collection.
However, even though students seem to like the vintage style apparel that American Eagle designs, they’re not all fans of the brand.
“I do not shop at AE (American Eagle) because the quality of clothing is poor and they are priced too high, in my opinion,” said Samantha Morgan, a fourth-year in fashion and retail studies and a leader of the Fashion Production Association.
Other students weren’t interested, either.
“I don’t think I’ve shopped at American Eagle since ninth or tenth grade,” said Adam Smith, a fourth-year in economics.
Students said they shop for their OSU clothing in stores such as Barnes & Noble, SBX and Buckeye Corner.
When asked what they felt was a reasonable price for apparel, their responses varied.
Morgan said she is willing to spend up to $20 on a basic OSU T-shirt, but when it comes to jerseys or sweatshirts, $50 is her limit.
“A basic OSU tee with nothing more than block lettered ‘The Ohio State University’ I would think a reasonable price would be $6 to $8,” said Jacob Gorney, a first-year in biochemistry.
He said he would be willing to spend more for a more complex graphic like an image of Brutus or a football helmet.
Smith said he was willing to spend somewhere around $15 for a college T-shirt.
American Eagle’s prices for the collection range from $24.50 to $49.50. The collection can be found exclusively online at www.ae.com.
