Leading teen clothing brand Abercrombie and Fitch has publicly stated that they will never sell women's clothing in a size XL because they don't want overweight women wearing their brand. In fact, the only reason the brand sells clothing to men marked XL or XXL is to accommodate the larger athletes. By coming out and directly stating this is their market, Abercrombie risks offending or alienating potential customers - but they don't care.

CEO Mike Jefferies isn't ashamed that his company focuses so much on appearances. “It’s almost everything. That’s why we hire good-looking people in our stores. Because good-looking people attract other good-looking people, and we want to market to cool, good-looking people. We don’t market to anyone other that,” he said. “In every school there are the cool and popular kids, and then there are the not-so-cool kids. Candidly, we go after the cool kids. We go after the attractive all-American kid with a great attitude and a lot of friends. A lot of people don’t belong [in our clothes], and they can’t belong. Are we exclusionary? Absolutely."

Although competitor H&M carries women's clothing to a size 16 and American Eagle sells up to a women's size 18, Abercrombie has remained adamant they will never carry women's pants larger than a size 10. Perhaps if Jefferies had taken a retail management training course, like the one offered at Ashworth College, he would understand better business practices to avoid alienating potential consumers.

What do you think of this? Do you shop at Abercrombie? Will these statements change your perception on the clothing giant?

Opening your own small retail store is a great way for people working in retail management careers to maximize their creativity and control over their product.  While owning a small boutique, specialty gift store, or another niche shop can be fun, it also can seem intimidating.  Competing with the big name and widely known store doesn't have to mean your store won't survive.  In fact, just the opposite may be true. Here are some ways to make your small store work for you.

• Big merchandise stores often have a little bit of everything.  Instead of copying their model, use your small store as a chance to become a specialist.  By focusing on one type of item to create and sell, you become somewhat of an expert on that item. 
• Having a small store gives you the opportunity to be flexible with pricing.  This isn't saying give everything away, but for large purchases or regular customers, you can give them slight discounts here and there.  This generates good business and great word of mouth.  Because smaller businesses have more flexibility than big box stores when it comes to pricing, this personal touch will make them remember your store.
• Speaking of personal touches, having a small store allows you to interract with your customers and develop great personal relationships with customers and really be able to help them.

Do you have any other tips?

With everything being made by machines in bulk or being made in foreign countries to save on cost, it's often hard to remember that America used to have full neighborhoods where everyone worked in fashion retail careers.  In Brooklyn, New York, there once was an entire area known as the garment district where people made clothing and accessories by hand.  Now, only one of those factories is still in existance.

This piece of American history, called LaCrasia Gloves, is owned by Lacrasia Duchein and her husband, Jay Ruckel.  Twenty years ago, the store had 35 employees and made about 60,000 pairs of gloves each year.  Now they're down to six employees and are hoping to make 5,000 sets of gloves.  This isn't to say they don't have some noteable clientele.  From first ladies to Lady Gaga, LaCrasia Gloves is still relevant in Hollywood.

How does this story make you feel?

When the weather gets warm, people naturally start wearing less clothing to remain cool.  Although this is perfectly natural outside of the workplace, once you get to the office, you need to maintain a sense of professionalism and class.  This being said, you can still have fun with your summer fashion inside the workplace too.  Here are a few tips to stay classy and cool in your summer couture.

• Wear a clean, white shirt to add a summery, light look.  This look works great if you have bright or patterned bottoms and don't want to look too busy.  Also, a white collared shirt always looks professional.
• Stay away from wearing flip flops.  They tend to look very casual and laid back so unless your job is working as a lifeguard, it's probably best to leave the flip flops at home. 
• Summer is all about bright colors so don't be afraid to wear statement jewelry.  It's a way to bring some of that color and fun to the office setting.  It also allows you to show off your personality.
• Invest in some blazers or cardigans to wear over your summer tank tops or dresses.  It's a great way to show off your favorite summer pieces in a more conservative way.
• Be concious of showing too much leg.  Shorts and mini skirts may keep you cool and comfortable outside, but inside too short is just wrong.  If it's too short for church, it's too short for work.

As someone in fashion retailing school, what other tips do you have?

Springtime is here which means summer is right around the corner.  Summer usually means fun in the sun, delicious cookouts, long days, and family trips, but for some, there's one part of the season that's more stressful than the others: bathing suit shopping.  With very little material and bright lights, the idea of trying on swimsuits causes a little bit of anxiety for some people no matter what shape they're in.

The article from ABC news says that those in fashion retailing careers should "consider ways to mitigate the stress that their customers, especially overweight women, experience while trying on clothing in harshly lit, mirrored dressing rooms. Clothing store owners and managers should take care not to make things worse by displaying mannequins and posters of only very thin women or making comments on women’s size.”

What are your thoughts on bathing suit shopping?

Shopping has always been divided into categories: department stores vs boutiques, consignment vs full price, and shopping malls vs free standing shops to name a few.  All of this then raises the question - where would you rather shop?  Shopping in a brick-and-mortar retail store allows you to browse and get an idea of how outfits look on the hanger.   You can feel the material, coordinate outfits in person, and get opinions from the sales people.  More importantly, you can try things on in the store and get a good idea of how they fit and how you like them.

On the other hand, shopping online saves in time and convenience.  You can shop from the comfort of your own home and have more of a selection to choose from.  Typically everything you're looking for is somewhere on the internet.  You can also easily compare prices of clothing and shoes from other sites before making your purchase.

Would you rather shop in store or online?  Why?

The snow is barely thawing in some parts of the country, but retail stores are already rolling out their spring and summer looks.  One trend seems to be popping up everywhere, from Fendi to Forever 21 - neon.  Those brightly colored hues are showing up on shoes, purses, dresses, and everything in between.  Because it's such an overdose of color, there are tricks to making this look work for everyone. 

• Start small - adding a pop of neon will brighten up any outfit and will give you the look without going overboard.  Pairing hot pink shoes with a little black dress or carrying a lime green handbag will instantly give you that sassy edge that neon really brings out.  If even that is too much for you, paint your nails with a bright color to add just the slightest update.
• Don't over accessorize - Neon is bright and too much can be an eyesore.  Just remember to keep it minimal except for that little bit of neon.  Pick one bright thing and work around it.  Pairing the bright color with lots of accessories will just make you look cluttered.
• Make it the star - What goes best with neons? Neutrals.  To make the neon the main focus keep everything around it simple and basic. 

Would you try this trend?

Next time you're shopping for something to wear for that special occasion or want to really make a statement, don't go for just any designer, reach for Salon Du Chocolat.  This French designer's clothing hit the runway last month, sometimes literally.  Every piece of their runway collection is made up entirely of chocolate.  While it may seem impractical to wear something that melts if it gets too hot (which did happen under the hot catwalk lights) or ruins if it gets wet, it certainly would be a conversation starter.  It would also be something to snack on if the food at the party is terrible.

Men don't worry, there are clothing options for you too.  Jackets and suits as well as the occasional top hat all graced the runway too.  The biggest draw for the crowd though, were the dresses.  The expression "cupcake dresses" doesn't have anything on dresses you could literally eat.  In fact, one skirt did have miniature cupcakes on it. 

My question for you is, what kind of fashion retail store would you sell this at?  A giant walk in refridgerator?  Do you think this collection is crazy or cool?