Abercrombie & Fitch to ditch 'sexualized marketing': Washington Post

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Retail clothing chain Abercrombie & Fitch will end by July its "sexualized marketing," after years of blanketing its web sites, store windows and shopping bags with photos of half-naked men, according to the Washington Post. It will also stop using shirtless models or lifeguards at events and store openings for both the Abercrombie & Fitch and the Hollister brands, the newspaper reported late Friday, citing an announcement. Rather than call its staff "models," the teen-focused retailer will refer to employees as "brand representatives," and it will no longer hire workers based on "body type or physical attractiveness," as well. Abercrombie & Fitch had come under fire in recent years for its strict dress code and sexualized marketing, and has been in a Supreme Court case for denying a Muslim woman a job because of her head scarf. The changes come as the company faces slumping sales, as teens increasingly move away from the brand, according to the Washington Post. (Reporting by Lisa Lambert)