American Apparel has always been known for their provocative and explicit advertising campaigns, but more recently the company has been running advertisements that focus on a political issue - immigration reform. Instead of butt cheeks, long legs, and rainbow colored cotton, the new black and white ads feature real American Apparel immigrant workers. The ads have run in The New York Times and Los Angeles Times over the past month, and contain a strong message with apolitical words such as “apartheid” and “purgatory,” and they even include a quote from President Bush.

While I welcome the change from bare skin to “real” faces, and believe that Dov Charney, CEO, really does mean well, it’s hard to take these ads seriously. American Apparel has such a sordid past, with ads that shout “cotton-clad hipsters=sexy style,” that these new ads which speak of “reform” lie buried beneath all those tri-blend v-neck tees and neon leggings. Change is good, and a point has been made by the company, but can an ad that says, “Legalize L.A., Legalize USA” really conquer such a sensitive and controversial topic? It’s a start. If the clothing company wants the message to hit home, then major billboards may just do the trick. There’s not a better place to start than with AA’s billboard on the Lower East Side at Houston and Allen. If reform is really “in,” then the metallic short-shorts need to go. I hope to see more of these powerful faces and a push for their rights, but I won’t hold my breath, because spring is steadily approaching, and I heard that cotton is once again “in.”