TikTokers say Abercrombie is overcharging women for its sweaters - here's what experts think. Are shoppers paying a 'pink tax'? These are the not-so-simple reasons women's clothing can cost more, and what to do about it. Editor, Commerce Wed, October 14, 2026 at 7:20 AM PDT TikTok influencers are calling out Abercrombie & Fitch over its sweater selection. They're highlighting men's options that are made from 100% merino wool, comparing them to women's sweaters that are wool blends with substantial amounts of polyester or nylon. The bigger problem, they contend: Those wool-blend sweaters cost just as much as their men's 100% wool counterparts. While the company has not responded to a request for comment, a search of Abercrombie's inventory shows at least three women's 100% wool sweaters - not significantly different than the four it shows for men - aside from many wool-blend options. Still, judging by the responses to a recent Abercrombie Instagram post, the controversy is gaining steam. Abercrombie & Fitch Abercrombie's women's sweater selection relies heavily on wool blends, though there are a handful of 100% wool options. In this case, 25% of the sweater is wool; it's also 66% polyester, 6% nylon and 3% elastane. What is the 'pink tax'? The idea that women may pay more than men for similar products (or the same price for something that's not as good) is nothing new. It's called the "pink tax," and it's a larger issue than the sweater selection at one retailer, experts say. Researchers have been studying the pink tax for years, with conflicting results. For instance, a 2015 analysis of nearly 800 items by the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs found that women's products cost roughly 7% more than similar men's products. The gap was slightly wider (8%) when it came to apparel and greatest (13%) on personal-care items. However, a 2021 study presented to the Federal Trade Commission challenged those findings, saying price differences stemmed from slight differences in the products themselves rather than inherent gender bias. "The pink tax is both a perception and supported by some evidence," says Sheng Lu, professor and director of graduate studies in the University of Delaware's Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies. "Retailers sometimes charge more for women's clothing than for comparable men's clothing, even when the products have similar appearances and fiber compositions." Lu has researched the issue recently, tracking the sale of plain white cotton T-shirts across 10 major retailers from Jan. 1 through Oct. 1 this year. His preliminary findings: "Women's shirts were priced approximately 3%-20% higher than men's shirts, depending on the retailer and comparison," he says. Eric Turney, president of custom hat and branded merchandise maker the Monterey Company, says his experience with apparel sourcing and pricing makes him hesitant to "[treat] one sweater as proof of the whole issue." Instead, he says, "the better comparison is value per dollar. Say a men's and a women's sweater have similar construction, similar styling and the same price, but one is 100% merino wool and the other leans heavily on synthetic fibers. Women are completely justified in asking why. That's where the pink tax shows up, in what you get for the dollar, not on the sticker." Why can women's clothing cost more than men's? There are lots of factors at play, and most of them are too complex to fit neatly into a TikTok debate. * Men's clothing is simpler - and there's less of it. "Historically, men's clothing has tended to be more standardized in styles and sizing, whereas women's apparel often offers a wider variety of styles, fits and sizes, which can require faster product development and shorter lead times," Lu says. "As a result, women's apparel can incur higher overall production costs, not only for raw materials and cut-and-sew, but also for product development, labor input, logistics and marketing." Gayane Rakopyan, owner of women's activewear brand Flex Life Wear, agrees: "Women's lines carry more styles and colors per season, and smaller production runs cost more per piece. Women's cuts are often more complex, with shaping seams and built-in support, and fitted styles tend to be returned more for size." * Sales of women's clothing are trickier to forecast. "Women's fashion moves faster, creating more potential markdowns for brands, which they offset with higher initial markups," says Belinda Jacobs, founder and CEO of Tech Packs Co, a clothing and textile design and development firm. "Women's clothing in general is more trendy, and it's more challenging to accurately predict demand," Lu confirms. * Tariffs may play a role. Tariffs continue to make headlines, especially as holiday shopping season gets underway. "Certain categories of women's clothing tend to use more man-made fiber, which is subject to higher tariff rates than those using cotton," Lu says. "Meanwhile, U.S. fashion companies may source some basic men's wear from free trade agreement partners such as Mexico and Central American countries, potentially reducing or eliminating import duties when the applicable rules of origin are met. However, for women's wear, Asia remains the key sourcing destination, and it is difficult to avoid paying high tariffs." * Women may be willing to pay more. Turney sums it up this way: "I wouldn't say retailers are necessarily sitting in a room saying, 'Women will pay more, so add $20.' [But] retail pricing is often based on what the market has shown customers will pay, not simply manufacturing cost plus a fixed percentage." Confirms Jacobs: "Brands price based on willingness to pay. Women historically shop more frequently and buy a wider variety of styles, leading retailers to test higher price ceilings on trend items." How can buyers avoid the pink tax? Experts' overarching advice: Critique an item based on its own merits. "Retailers will have to get more comfortable explaining why two similar-looking products at the same price are made from very different materials" if that happens more often, Turney says. Consider unisex basics. If you're shopping for the basics - think T-shirts, sweatshirts, joggers and the like - some brands make unisex styles. However, Lu notes that the category poses challenges that are standing in the way of wider brand adoption, like "achieving a good fit across different body proportions and sizing needs." And you always have to factor in supply and demand, he adds. "Even if unisex styles help brands reduce product development or production costs, retailers may still raise prices when demand increases rather than maintain lower prices or pass the cost savings on to shoppers."

SC Johnson hires Kate Wagner as chief communications officer. Wagner most recently served as VP of corporate communications for Abercrombie & Fitch Co. by Jeremy Sodergren Don't have an account? Complete easy registration and receive: * Limited Article Views (Excludes Subscriber Only Content) * Select Newsletters (Excludes Subscriber Only Bulletins) Subscribe. To receive full access to PRWeek's content subscribe today and receive: * Unrestricted individual access to prweek.com * Breaking news and industry updates via PRWeek Daily News bulletin * Exclusive access to Agency Business Report, annual Salary Survey, Power List, 40 Under 40, Best Places to Work, and more

Abercrombie & Fitch's activewear brand, YPB launches multi-season partnership with Barry's. YPB by Abercrombie launches new line in collaboration with the fitness experts at Barry's. NEW ALBANY, Ohio, Sept. 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - Abercrombie & Fitch (Abercrombie), a division of Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE: ANF), announced a partnership between the brand's activewear brand, YPB (Your Personal Best), and Barry's, the original high-intensity interval workout studio. The multi-season collaboration brings together Abercrombie's style authority and Barry's authentic performance expertise through a collection designed to move seamlessly from workouts to life beyond the studio. The partnership introduces YPB to Barry's highly engaged community while also giving Abercrombie customers new ways to incorporate studio-ready activewear into their everyday wardrobes. The first collection, featuring performance fabrics, versatile silhouettes and functional layers, includes six styles for men and 12 styles for women. The collection will be available beginning Thursday, October 1, 2026, at Abercrombie.com and in select Abercrombie stores, followed by Barrys.com and 75 Barry's locations globally on October 15, 2026. With fit and design input from Barry's instructors Jon Herrmann, Amy Harioka and Lacy Mitchell and inspired by Barry's iconic Red Room, the capsule features bold red accents that reflect the energy of the space, balanced by black and neutral tones that make the pieces easy to wear before, during and after class. The collection reflects how both communities move through their day, balancing performance, versatility and style in pieces made to transition from a workout to what comes next. The partnership will also come to life through a series of in-person activations designed to integrate YPB directly into the Barry's community. YPB by Abercrombie will serve as the first official sponsor of Barry's newly launched Mobile Studio, partnering on a pop-up experience in Austin, Texas, on October 2 and 3, 2026, coinciding with Austin City Limits. Guests will have an opportunity to preview the YPB by Abercrombie x Barry's collection on-site. The experience will then continue in New York City, where YPB by Abercrombie x Barry's will take over Barry's NoHo studio from October 9 through 11, 2026. Guests can sign up for all upcoming classes at Barrys.com and on the Barry's app. "At Abercrombie, we're focused on outfitting our customers for every part of their lives, including the moments when they're moving, training and feeling their best," said Corey Robinson, brand president of Abercrombie & Fitch. "Barry's has built an incredibly engaged community around performance and connection, making this partnership a natural fit for YPB. Working directly with Barry's instructors helped us create a collection rooted in real workout experience, with the style and versatility our customers expect from Abercrombie." "YPB by Abercrombie brings an innovative perspective to activewear, pairing elite performance with the effortless and timeless style Abercrombie is known for," said J.J. Gantt, Barry's CEO. "This meaningful collaboration brings together two iconic brands that started with Barry's instructors playing a role in the design and creation of the pieces, ensuring the Barry's community can experience high-performance pieces designed to support them both inside and outside the Red Room." The YPB by Abercrombie x Barry's collection comes in women's styles in sizes XXS-XXL and men's styles in sizes XS-XXL for tops and bottoms. About Abercrombie & Fitch: Abercrombie & Fitch is an effortless, elevated American lifestyle brand, blending heritage and modern style through quality apparel, accessories and fragrance crafted for all of life's moments. Abercrombie & Fitch is the namesake brand of Abercrombie & Fitch Co. and is sold in more than 300 stores worldwide (including abercrombie kids) and on abercrombie.com globally. About Barry's: Barry's is the original high-energy cardio and strength interval training workout. Launched in 1998 in Los Angeles, it was the original pioneer in the global boutique fitness movement. Since then, it has grown from "The Best Workout in the World," to become not just a fitness leader, but a community and lifestyle brand with innovative in-studio and digital class modalities, Fuel Bars, retail offerings, and a competitive loyalty program. With over 100 studios spanning 19 countries, plus its digital offering, Barry's X, Barry's now brings its global Fit Fam community with its signature Red Room workout experience both virtually and physically. Following the success of the original workout, Barry's expanded its class offerings to include: LIFT (a 50-minute class focusing on strength training) and RIDE (a 50-minute class offering high-intensity interval training style indoor cycling paired with lifting.) Now a worldwide phenomenon with a cult-like following, Barry's makes working hard and getting strong, fun. For more information, visit: https://www.barrys.com/. Photos accompanying this announcement are available at