In light of a former (anonymous) American Apparel employee’s allegations that the hiring policy is heavily weighed by the attractiveness of the applicant, the international company has issued a statement denying such claims.

“American Apparel does not hire or retain applicants based on ‘beauty.’ Our main priority is finding people with a strong sense of style who can inspire customers as they make selections from our extensive line… It has never been the policy of American Apparel, as some blogs claim, to fire employees who are not “good looking” or any of the other accusations implied by the anonymous or unverified third party sources. The company legitimately reviews current photographs of job applicants and employees to consider their sense of style and the way in which they present themselves… This is a standard practice among fashion-forward retailers.

While they may call it “style,” I’m inclined to believe that it’s just another word for “beauty.” I mean, have you seen the hipsterbots at the store?

Moreover, the press statement addresses the topic of hiring process, but has made no mention of its irksomely precise grooming etiquette... If you’d like to talk to CEO Dov Charney about any of this, he’s made his phone number available to the public:

“American Apparel has built itself on being open and honest, so we’re happy to answer questions and personally address the concerns of anyone interested in having a dialog. You can reach our CEO directly at 213-923-7943 or at dov@americanapparel.net.”