Kevin N.

Kenneth Cole is full of do-gooder marketing gimmicks (but I like their shoes) - Kenneth Cole's marketing message on billboards, print ads, and on its website is always, "Make a difference in the world. Buy our stuff." Honestly, I find it completely ridiculous and vaguely condescending that they believe anyone would believe their gimmicky marketing message. I would be willing to bet Kenneth Cole donates no more money than the Gap or any other large clothing company.

That said, I am a big fan of their shoes. Not unreasonably priced, stylish, and they last. I just bought these:
http://www.kennethcole.com/product/index.jsp?productId=*******&cp=**************245&parentPage=family

American Apparel's anti-sweatshop message is just marketing BS (but I like their tshirts) - I really hate companies that pretend to be all "green" or "sweatshop free" and make it seem like they are super ethical. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy they are. But I could do without the overt marketing of it. American Apparel is a great example of this. I heard their dirt-bag CEO Dove Charney and he admitted that the real reason they manfacture their clothes in the US is because it's actually cheaper (easier to manage, shorter market lead times, and no shipping costs).

That said, I do like my American Apparel light jackets and tshirts. They fit pretty well. Can't beat em, join em.