American Apparel is probably one of my favourite brands and stores but also just one of the most brillant business success stories of the past decade. What did they do that was so smart? They (or more precisely Dov Charney, the eccentric founder) simply reinvented the T-Shirt. Yes it all started from the idea of going after the hanes plain T-shirt with a slightly tighter fit (in the US a Large typically fits an XL in Europe), many colors and a sexy marketing (lots of UGC ads with pix from the fans of the brand in sexy postures). Add on top of this a “no sweat shop” position on manufacturing (based in LA and not in Mexico or the Philippines) and a ever enlarging multicolor and multi-style collection, and the success is now international. You can find 6 AA stores in London. And lots of them in paris, Milan, Berlin etc. This is the new Gap but much cooler and quite cheap, £15 for a T-shirt, £20 for a polo shirt, £40 for a pair of jeans with no apparent brand which is a big plus for me. A simple idea with now global appeal. Worth visiting, at least to see the vast choice of styles, I bet that you will not leave empty-hand.

This is definitely one of my new favourite shops. I have managed to find some really great items here, even if some are a little quirky. From leggings that look like something out of the mighty boosh, to just plain hoodies, this shop is practical as well as fun. The prices are not as bad as you might expect too, definitely great value for money on every item.