Blog: Americans in Paris

The United States may be in debt internationally. We may not be having quite the influence with NATO or The World Bank that we once did. But apparently, to young consumers across Europe, we’re still the country that gives them glee (as well as “Glee”).

An article in The New York Times reported that shoppers along the Champs-Élysées on a summer Sunday afternoon were wearing “tailored sweatpants and frayed oxfords — American casual — [replacing] Chanel jackets and knotted scarves as the clothes many teenagers aspire to own,” lining up to shop in Abercrombie & Fitch, Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Kors and Banana Republic.

In Italy, it’s Gap and Tory Burch. In London, Victoria’s Secret.

And this during a period of austerity, of economic and political instability pouring across the continent. So did Europe find a stash of euros it forgot it had in one of its coat pockets? American retailers are crying the recession blues at home but killing overseas – at least over that sea, the Atlantic, the one that laps up onto the Jersey Shore.

For Gap, it must be a sweet reminder of the ’90s, when it was the jive dancer to the world. I remember reading about a woman who took her high school-age daughter to Paris and all the kid wanted to do was go to Gap stores with all the French kids. (Well, the Louvre doesn’t sell separates!)

According to the article, one of the reasons French teens are standing in line at Abercrombie & Fitch is that it’s such a cool store. This being Abercrombie, of course, the retailer preceded the store opening by having (male) models parade shirtless in front of the store while teens screamed.

“Shoppers enter through iron gates that are flanked by male models, walk down a path of precisely raked butter-colored gravel lined with trees, and turn the corner to enter the building,” wrote The Times’ Stephanie Clifford and Liz Alderman.

“Inside, a four-story staircase serves as an artery connecting glass display cases stuffed with jeans, stacks of faded T-shirts, and a perfume bar for sampling fragrances. Abercrombie pumps its Fierce scent throughout the store, along with techno versions of ’80s songs, giving it the feeling of an underage dance club.

“The walls, ceilings and floors are painted black. Pairs of dancing models are stationed inside, all dressed in a uniform (boys: checked shirt with the right shirttail tucked in, cuffed jeans, flip-flops; girls: flouncy top, thin cardigan, rolled-up jean-shorts, flip-flops.) … They are required to greet shoppers with the same phrase — on this Sunday, it was ‘Hey, what’s going on,’ with a heavy French accent.”

What’s going on is this: Vive le store design!