Sweatergate: The Abercrombie Pink Tax
I am a huge Abercrombie fan. I shopped there as a teenager, and watching its evolution over the past few years, it feels like the brand grew up with me. Its comeback worked because Abercrombie did more than change its image; it fundamentally reconsidered who it was designing for.
Moving away from its famously exclusive past, the brand started designing around how women actually live. Curve Love addressed the dreaded waist gap, and new categories took Abercrombie into workwear, activewear, wedding guest dressing, and the elevated basics it's known for. Inclusivity became part of the product strategy.
Which is why Sweatergate is so interesting. Earlier this month, creator Rachael Brownfield compared two $95 Abercrombie sweaters on TikTok. The men's sweater was 100% merino wool. The women's was 66% nylon and just 30% wool. Her video reached more than two million views, and the comparison quickly took over Abercrombie's comment section.
People immediately started calling it a pink tax. If a man and a woman both spend $95 at the same retailer, why does one seem to get substantially more premium material for the same price?
There is nuance here. A blend isn't automatically inferior. Nylon and elastane can add stretch, help a garment retain its shape, and improve durability. The two sweaters aren't identical products either. But put the product pages side by side, $95 for 100% merino wool versus $95 for 30% wool, and you don't need a textile degree to understand why shoppers started asking questions.
And I think this story is bigger than Abercrombie. Fashion consumers are becoming material-literate. Social media has taught shoppers to flip the label, compare fiber compositions, and question whether the material actually justifies the price. An expensive looking product can create an impression of value, but consumers check whether the garment itself supports it.
That creates an interesting problem for Abercrombie because its comeback was built on listening to women. Curve Love told customers that the brand understood something as specific as how jeans fit different proportions. Once a company proves it is paying that much attention to women's bodies and lifestyles, consumers naturally start expecting the same consideration in quality, materials, and value.
Abercrombie doesn't need to make every women's sweater from 100% wool. But if a synthetic blend serves a functional purpose, for example, helping a fitted sweater hold its shape, then the product and price should make that value clear. And if the men's assortment intentionally offers premium natural fibers at this price point, women have every reason to ask what the equivalent is for them.
Sweatergate doesn't erase what the brand has built. But Abercrombie raised women's expectations by improving fit, design, and inclusivity. Now quality and value have to meet that same standard.
Dania Khalife
