Abercrombie & Fitch defends its carrying of thong underwear in children's sizes from criticism by parents, a spokesman said. An Associated Press story Friday quoted parents accusing the New Albany, OH, cataloger of being “Fredrick's of Hollywood for pre-teens and teen-agers.” However, A&F spokesman Hampton Carney said the products have not generated significant numbers of complaints.
The thong underwear comes in sizes for ages 10 to 14 and does not come in small sizes, he said. “It's just a fun fashion accessory,” Carney said. “It's been very well received by our customers.”
Abercrombie & Fitch has a history of controversy with its products and catalogs. In April, it removed a line of T-shirts and apologized after Asian groups claimed the products reinforced negative stereotypes. In June 2001, A&F fended off calls by the lieutenant governor of Illinois to boycott the company to protest sexual content in one of its magalogs.
