It seemed like the coolest place on the high street - but little did we know what was going on.
In the early noughties, Abercrombie & Fitch was clearly not a traditional workplace - it didn't hire employees, but 'models', and club bangers were pumped out at all hours.
The American chain was hugely popular over here - with a flagship store in Savile Row London proving how successful it was.
But the huge success of the all-American chain took a nosedive in the mid-2010s - as it faced accusations of racist and sexist behaviour, which A&F claims it has since changed.
New Netflix documentary White Hot: The Rise And Fall Of Abercrombie & Fitch examines the culture.
One employee who worked at the London branch said she knew 'something was not quite right' when she was asked to dance.
Journalist Olivia Petter wrote in The Times : "But before I could protest (my hips are as rigid as a plank) there I was, on a balcony turned stage, flapping my limbs about next to a stupidly good-looking 21-year-old man I'd never met before.
"For two hours I toiled there - it was my job too."
She claimed that a manager ordered her to leave early after turning up with sunburnt arms, which they said made like " she had leprosy."
She added: "My old manager, whom I got in touch with for this piece, told me that she had to rank the staff in terms of looks, personality and aspiration. Those who scored poorly were given the fewest shifts or relegated to positions with less visibility.
"Those who scored highest were put at the front of the store, working as shirtless male models or as the "camera girls" who photographed them with customers."
The Mirror spoke to one employee who worked at the American chain - and gave an insight into the strict rules employees faced.
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Most staff were allegedly hired on the basis of their looks, with some attractive people kept on the rota for visits from management.
A brutal hiring and firing policy saw managers allegedly rank employees by how cool they were deemed to be - and it didn't matter what your sales were, according to the Netflix show.
A guide for staff encouraged employees to look "natural", "classic" and "American" alongside demands for clothes, and even underwear (which should be "appropriate.")
It also described which hairstyles are acceptable - with neatly combed styles approved, while dreadlocks were not.
Kaitlyn Fisher, 30, worked as a greeter - who helped photograph customers with the shirtless models - as well as a shop floor employee between 2011 and 2013, at a store in Asheville, North Caroline.
She said:' "Seeing a trailer brought back flashbacks.
"I remember going in for orientation and watching videos on the 'Abercrombie brand.' I remember them telling us they wanted people to look All-American."
"I was never one to wear makeup anyway. During that time the only thing I would wear is maybe some powder foundation like very and mascara and that was fine.
"I walked in with eyeshadow one day and then I remember one of my managers came up to me with face wash.
"I had to go the bathroom and wash my face off. There were similar rules for hair - I wasn't allowed to dye it the entire time I worked there.
"I got my tragus pierced and they said I had to take it out. It was all kept in a book called the Triple-A guide, which detailed approved hairstyles, alongside those that weren't."
Staff had approved outfits they could wear on the shop floor - and the looks would change each three months. You got 50% off two t-shirts, one bottom and a pair of shoes.
Before regional managers visited, staff would work hard to ensure the store was spotless - with one manager once allegedly accusing Kaitlyn of 'dipping out' early after she worked from 8am to 2pm to help prepare.
Kaitlyn was selected to be a greeter at her store - with all employees photos sent to corporate, with some selected to become models.
This meant she earned an extra $100 for the shift - but her regional manager told her she almost hadn't been selected "because she didn't photograph well."
She claimed: "He never saw me in person and said I didn't photograph well. He then came in and met me and I got to do it."
But overwhelmingly, the 30-year-old remembers her small store as an inclusive friendly place - with a spokesman for Abercrombie highlighting how the chain has changed.
Abercrombie and Fitch CEO Fran Horowitz said: "At Abercrombie & Fitch Co., we live by our purpose and show up for our customers, associates and partners on their journeys to being and becoming exactly who they are.
"Our ongoing evolution has been so rewarding, and we want to be clear that the recently released documentary is not reflective of who we are now.
"We own and validate that there were exclusionary and inappropriate actions under former leadership.
"Since I became CEO in 2017, we’ve overhauled Abercrombie and transformed with intention into a place of belonging.
"We've evolved the organization, including making changes in management, prioritizing representation, implementing new policies, re-envisioning our store experiences and updating the fit, size-range and style of our products.
"We’re focused on inclusivity—and continuing that transformation is our enduring promise to you, our community. Because without you, we wouldn’t be who we are now. Thank you for being on this journey with us.
