I feel you’ve reached this article by way of staring down the selections of American Eagle at your local mall and wondering if there’s anything you can wear there besides graphic tees and deliberately faded jeans. Well allow me to direct you to… selective pieces you may want to buy from American Eagle.Oh, you didn’t? Well allow me to paint you a picture: It’s Saturday afternoon and you find yourself at the mall.
You’re thirty-four (okay, sorry, I’m thirty-four. I’ll stop saying that). You wander into American Eagle because hey, you remember buying jeans here that actually fit well many years ago.
And suddenly you feel old. There’s pounding music you can’t hear over your own heartbeat, lights so harsh they probably don’t care about your retinas, androgynous teenagers wearing inexplicably high waters, and teenaged employees who give you funny looks when they see you trying things on. * WHERE ARE MY TROUSERS? *I don’t work at American Eagle, this is all assumption based on repetitive shopping traumas.
You immediately ask yourself one question: Am I too old to be here?
As you shuffle awkwardly past groups of teenagers debating whether crop tops are still in style**, you ponder your crippling mortgage payments, your newfound fascination with fibre content, and how you legitimately care about how a garment is put together. The teen thwarting your attempt to leave the store with your dignity grins at you knowingly as she slides your number through. **They are if you want them to be, grandma. “It’s three, right?” She asks smirking at you like you just walked in wearing Jorts and thought oversized tees were cool in 2005. Last month I found myself in that exact situation.
I walked into American Eagle because I read about their selvedge denim program and was curious to see what else they offered for actual adult men with lives and established style outside of skinny jeans and graphic shirts. After hours of wandering through the store doing what I lovingly like to call_people shopping,” I realised that there are actually quite a few pieces you can buy from American Eagle without fear of judgment or hiding your head in shame while you throw your hard earned cash at their wall of tee shirts. Which is why I decided to compile a shopping guide (you’re welcome) to shopping American Eagle when you’re old enough to know better (i.e. past the age of 25).First, why should you even bother?
Surely there are better brands that cater to your age group. Sure. But!
1.) Price to quality ratio on certain items is actually amazing. 2.) They have a lot of great sizes and fits you don’t find at every brand 3.) They secretly have some great material and construction on certain items you’d never expect Skinny jeans and baggy tees aren’t for everyone, and fortunatelyAmerican Eagle caters to more than just your basic hipster teenager. But you have to know where to look!
Let’s break it down… Why Should You Even Shop American Eagle Past Age 25? Jeanstakes that bike shorts are making a comeback: American Eagle makes legitimately great jeans When done right, jeans from American Eagle are up there with my favourite brands for affordability and quality. I know, you’d never guess it by looking at their shitty backpack jeans and poorly constructed graphic tees.
If you autumn into the previously mentioned_people shopping” category, you’ll know that good denim these days is scarce. You’d be hard pressed to find an american brand that makes quality jeans at an accessible price point (trust me, I tried). American Eagle’s “AE77” selvedge denim line is actually made using mills and construction you’d expect to pay double, if not triple, for at other denim brands.
Real selvedge denim starts at $128, which is about half of what you’ll pay somewhere like Earnest Sewn or ArvidK. The denim is made in Japan/Turkey and constructed the way denim should be constructed. It also fades beautifully with wear.
I actually spoke to Marcus, a denim expert at a high-end denim shop in Brooklyn who told me he had a few pairs in his personal rotation. “I sell jeans that are three times the price. But their selvedge program is actually really good. The weight is great for daily wear 13.5- 14oz. and they’ve really nailed their washes to not look so….manufactured.” Marcus explained.
The key with American Eagle is avoiding any jeans with pre distressed holes/rips and any embroidery aka what they think is trendy right now. The Slim and Athletic fits are much more mature looking cuts that work for men with curves. For guys that are more on the athletic build, American Eagle’s jeans often have room for your shoulders and thighs without puffing out at the waist like many high end brands tend to do.
Another standout style is their selvedge in “rigid” finish. Basically their version of raw denim that will fade and whisker based on your wear pattern instead of how Ed from Basic Feet Washing Co. thinks your jeans will look cool. Pair those jeans with a nice oxford shirt and a casual blazer and you’d be hard pressed to know they were from American Eagle.
Dress them down with a t-shirt and trainers and you’ve got yourself a solid weekend outfit. Button-Downs: Definitely didn’t expect to find these… …but they’re here. I’ll admit, you have to dig through some pretty gross looking shirts to find these.
Their button down section is hit or miss, but they have some surprisingly well made basics that hold their own with brands charging double. The difference between shirts to look for and garments that are clearly trying too hard to be trendy is their Oxford cloth button downs and chambray shirts. I’m talking white, light blue, and university stripe.
These shirts really do offer some of the best value at around $45. The fabric has weight to it and feels sturdy. It also gets softer with each wash unlike most $.20 a pound button ups you find at malls.
These guys fit great too. They have enough of a modern fit that they don’t look like your grandfathers shirt, but aren’t so slim that you’ll feel restricted. What makes these ooes and breeches work?
The biggest thing is they aren’t trying to make basic clothing young. Sure their stuff targeted towards teens try way too hard (looking at you graphic section), but their core offerings of chambray and oxford shirts are actually timeless. The collar has a traditional button down shape with a good amount of roll.
Placket is standard and the cuffs are traditional barrel cuffs. StandardFit” actually translates to Slim Fit at most other brands. It’s slightly slimmer than an original straight fit but isn’t body hugging like most slim fits are nowadays.
They really stood up to multiple wears and washes. Collars didn’t curl, buttons didn’t autumn off, and the fabric developed that slightly loved in look that makes oxford cloth so great to begin with. To test this out I picked up an Oxford from both J.Crew Factory ($55) and Uniqlo ($40) and wore and washed each multiple times.
The AE held up far better than both, especially when you consider how similar all three prices are. T-Shirts & Henleys: SometimesGood! Scrolling through the t-shirt section is like a game of fashion russian roulette.
You never know when you’re going to click on a shirt with a cool graphic that’ll make you look like you work at a Sublime cover band. But if you dig deep enough you’ll find they actually have some solid basics that go overlooked. Let’s start with their Slub Cotton tees.
They’re priced around $20 and are probably the best thing in their whole t-shirt section. The material has texture and actually weighs enough that the shirts hang on your body as opposed to cling to your body. Everything comes in solid colours and doesn’t have any slogans or cartoon character prints screamingmall kid.” Similarly their waffle knit henleys also offer some solid value if you pick them in a solid muted colour.
Fabric has substance and actually feels heavy enough to where you don’t feel like you’re wearing a baby’s onesie. The buttons are secure too. Buttons coming off is another place malls seem to cut corners.
Neck doesn’t stretch too wide but also not tight enough where you can only wear it buttoned. Sleeves are also a great length to allow you to roll them up if you want to dress the shirt down. I compared their henley to both J.Crew ($65) and Target’s Goodfellow brand ($20) and the American Eagle version sat right in the middle quality and construction wise.
Yet comes in at a price closer to Target. Score! Coats: Highly selective, but worth it.
MALL BRAND OUTTERWEAR, GUYS. The dreaded mall brand outterwear section. If you’re not paying attention you’ll find yourself buying a pink windbreaker that looks like something Nikki Minaj would wear if she were trying to be Janet Jackson.
BUTAmidst all the horrific track jacket wannabes you can actually find some solid staples. Let’s start with denim jackets. If you steer clear of anything washed or with heavy distressing you’re going to find some really well made denim jackets for about $80.
The denim has heft to it unlike a lot of the other flimsy denim jackets you’ll find at other mall stores. They also have proper articulation where your arms meet the body of the jacket. I’ve always been a fan of the classic trucker jacket and American Eagle’s fits males of all ages when paired with the right basics.
It’s somewhere between a slim fit and a regular fit so there’s room to layer up underneath on cool days, but won’t look ballooned out. Steer clear of any bright colours or weird washes if you don’t wanna look like you’re wearing your brothers old jacket. Their chore coats and shirt jackets also worth checking out.
A lot of brands have incorporated some version of these into their casual wardrobe and Eagle’s don’t disappoint. They ring in around $80-100 and come in a few different colours and patterns. Like their denim jacket, the material has weight to it and the seams are properly reinforced.
Again, I compared American Eagle’s offerings to other brands I know guys flock to and consistently find theirs falling somewhere in the middle quality wise but on the lower end price wise. The menswear shopping landscape has changed drastically over the past few years with more options than ever before. WhileAmerican Eagle won’t be the one stopping your rotation, certain items from them sure as hell can hold their own with brands charging twice as much.
What to absolutely AvoidShopping American Eagle like an adult isn’t always sunshine and rainbows though. Here’s the stuff you should avoid at all costs. Obnoxiously loud branding Tank tops Certain trendy graphic tees Bike Shorts Jeans with embroidery, heavy whiskering/distressing, or bright colours Button downs with quirky cuts/long sleeves Crop Tops On that note… Shopping through American Eagle can feel like running a gauntlet.
Obnoxiously loud music. Teenagers reading your senior yearbook over by the Hollister. Employee’s giving you judgmental looks when you ask where thepants are.
Unless you know what your looking for or like tormenting yourself people shoppingAmerican Eagleisn’t ideal. My suggestion is if you’re set on buying anything in store, go during the week. Malls are significantly less crowded and you won’t have to hear some teenage boys reciting Green Day lyrics down the aisle.
Oh and bring two sizes with you into the changing room.
I learned the hard way that you’ll have minimal conversation with the folding brackets guarding the door so might as well shortcut the whole So you’ve decided you want to shop American Eagle past the age of 25, now what? Style them like an adult would.
Pair their jeans with a nice shirt and loafers and you’re good to go for casual Friday. Throw on a chambray shirt under a nice blazer for work (assuming you work in a creative environment). Throw on their denim jacket with some chinos and a tee for an easy weekend look.
American Eagle doesn’t have the best stuff for every category. But they sure as hell have stuff that can hold its own with the big dogs. Don’t ignore a whole store of potential just because you don’t wear graphic tee shirts and skinny jeans anymore.
TLDR: Should You Shop American Eagle Past 25? Yes! If you know what you’re looking for!! !
