American Apparel has opened its doors at 37th and Walnut streets, greeting customers with a rainbow-colored selection that ranges from plain T-shirts to men's briefs and even clothes for dogs.
The opening of the store, originally scheduled for Sept. 16, was first pushed back to Oct. 6 due to delays in setting up the store. The store finally opened on Oct. 8.
The delays did not diminish customers' interest, according to the company.
"The store is actually doing really great," American Apparel spokesman Mathew Swenson said. "It kicked off really well, with lots of traffic."
He estimated that at this rate of sales performance, annual revenue should reach $1.5 million for the campus store.
At least as for now, it seems as though the flow of customers in and out of the store is greater than that of the previous tenant, Smith Bros.-- a clothing store that some felt was too expensive for students.
American Apparel "has a broader appeal" than Smith Bros., said Nursing freshman Leigh Rosen, who browsed the new store.
Founded in Los Angeles, the chain features cotton apparel basics. Though many of the pieces are simple in design and one solid color, the store offers a wide assortment of clothing that ranges from girls' tube dresses to one-pieces for babies.
"There's a good variety," fourth-year medical student Andra Mariotti said as she finished browsing.
Some customers -- such as Mariotti and Drexel freshman Sasha McCune -- find the simple designs appealing.
McCune, who has shopped at the branches in Los Angeles and New York before, said she was drawn by the variety of colors and the comfortable clothing.
"Sometimes you can look for a [plain] black shirt for an hour and not find anything. Here, they have 30 black shirts in different styles," she said, adding that she believes the store will appeal to college students.
College freshman Penina Braffman agreed on the necessity of basics but added that the store has limited appeal to her since its designs are not original.
"Some items are overpriced" despite being very basic in design, she added.
Penn, however, selected the store to open on campus because officials found the price range suitable for students.
Though many customers find the prices acceptable, some are hesitant to spend $20 to $30 on basic shirts.
College freshman Artemis Azima shared this sentiment, citing a $14 pair of underwear she saw in the store.
Braffman, who had never heard of the brand, said that it would be easier to trust the design of more familiar brand names.
While students on campus may not be familiar with American Apparel, the store has been attracting attention from the media with its provocative ads.
The ads, plastered on the walls of the store as oversized posters, feature Japanese neon signs and Orthodox Jews in yarmulkes -- but mostly barely dressed men and women in briefs.
The store became even more controversial after sexual-harassment lawsuits were filed against the company's CEO this past summer.
Still, customers like Braffman and McCune say these controversies are unlikely to affect their decision to shop at American Apparel.
"You get [sexual-harassment controversies] wherever you work. There's always some sleazebag that does something like that," McCune said, emphasizing that such issues do not affect her view of the product.
American Apparel - Store opening originally scheduled for Sept. 16 - Opening pushed back to Oct. 8 due to delays in setting up - Chain, started in Los Angeles, features cotton apparel basics in a variety of colors - 37th and Walnut streets locale was former site of Smith Bros., another apparel store
