Shame on A & F, Well Done H & M and American Eagle

I am disgusted.  The company and CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch is doing nothing but propagating and encouraging exclusion and bullying of people who are of a "larger" size. Read:

Abercrombie & Fitch wants thin customers

While in his 2006 interview he did not say, "Thin, cool people should go and bully those who don't fit our company's ideal", he might as well have.  What is he telling the impressionable, teen-aged customer by only having "hot" models in their ads and stores, or only carrying up to a size large (a size 10, which apparently is about an 8 in other retailer's sizes) in ladies clothes?  He's telling them that those who don't fit their clothes are not good enough, or cool enough and that they should be excluded.  Exclusion is a gateway to bullying.  Sometimes, it's almost worse.  Loneliness can be as damaging as harmful words.

On the flip-side, I applaud H & M and American Eagle for opening their sizes to those who are of a larger body.  Does America need to be a healthier nation?  Of course we do!  But why should those who are heavier be forced to wear clothes that don't help their self-image?  When people feel good about themselves, they want to better themselves!  And while outward appearances are certainly not everything, it doesn't hurt to want to look good in what you're wearing, be it from H & M, American Eagle or Target.  Larger people have fashion sense too!

My challenge to you is this, no matter what your shape or size:  boycott Abercrombie & Fitch.  They don't need our business and we shouldn't be including ourselves in the business of hurting others.  Give your business to their competition, H & M and American Eagle, or whomever you can afford that isn't A & F.

Just my two cents.