Skip to main content

Abercrombie & Fitch

American

Abercrombie & Fitch — a brand that spans over one hundred years — was initially famed for its wide variety of expensive sporting equipment and attire. It was said it carried everything from “exercise balls to elephant guns.” The company started as an outdoorsman and hunting store in the late 19th century before transforming into the clothing mecca for teens in the 1990s and early 2000s.

In New York in 1892, David T. Abercrombie — a former miner, trapper and railroad surveyor — opened the Abercrombie Company as a sporting goods and camping equipment store. Ezra Fitch — a wealthy lawyer, real estate developer and one of Ambercrombie’s best customers — became a partner in the company in 1900. In 1904, the company was incorporated and renamed "Abercrombie & Fitch Co." Fitch bought Abercrombie's share of the business and became the sole owner from 1907 to 1928. 

Fitch anticipated a clientele far broader than merely those who had to camp to earn a living. Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) became the go-to retailer when the wealthy planned safaris and other international excursions.

While it’s true that military style by now has truly invaded fashion, A&F is credited with bringing the safari suit, a hunting outfit based on British colonial military uniforms, to the urban consumer. For more than half a century, their goods were the image of correctness and opulence — inspiring a humorist to mock a perfectly-outfitted, affluent fisherman as an “Abercrombie and Fitcherman.” Fitch retired in 1928, selling his interest in the company to his brother-in-law, James S. Cobb.

By 1939 A&F was touted as the greatest sporting goods store in the world. During A&F’s peak, its customers included Ernest Hemingway and Teddy Roosevelt. The company outfitted the polar expeditions led by Roald Amundsen and Admiral Richard Byrd and provided equipment to the famed aviators Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart.

Hard times fell on A&F in the 1970s, but the brand pivoted and emerged as a trendy clothing chain for teens and young adults in the '80s and '90s. Whenever it expanded during its heyday, the company confined its new stores to downtown areas of large cities and luxury-destination hotel stores. The company then attempted to widen its customer base by moving into the suburbs and adding less-expensive items to its usual stock. 

For fashion lovers, the 1990s have become associated with styles adopted by today’s supermodels and influencers, and today’s enthusiasts of the era’s aesthetic don’t have to look much further than to vintage Abercrombie & Fitch to get their fix.

On 1stDibs, find Abercrombie & Fitch coats, jackets, vintage leather goods and more.

Average Sold Price
$1,876
Styles
Materials
Related Creators
Antique Noon Day Gun Cannon Sundial by Abercrombie & Fitch
By Abercrombie & Fitch
Located in Sandwich, MA
Rare noon day gun cannon sundial by Abercrombie & Fitch circa 1910. Unique garden instrument which fires a small signal charge when the magnifying glass directs the concentrated sun ...
Category

Early 20th Century Abercrombie & Fitch

Materials

Metal, Brass

Abercrombie & Fitch 1892 Belt Buckle Brass and Leather
By Abercrombie & Fitch
Located in Chula Vista, CA
Vintage 1892 Belt Buckle Abercrombie & Fitch Brass and Leather 2.88 w x 2.25 h x .38 d Preowned vintage Refer to images
Category

Late 20th Century Mid-Century Modern Abercrombie & Fitch

Materials

Brass

Large Leather Rhinoceros Footstool Dimitri Omersa Abercrombie & Fitch, 60's
By Abercrombie & Fitch, Dimitri Omersa
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage leather rhinoceros decorative footstool designed by Dimitri Omersa for Abercrombie and Fitch, circa 1960s is hand-stitched and features aged leather. This Charming fellow is ...
Category

1960s British Mid-Century Modern Vintage Abercrombie & Fitch

Materials

Leather

Early 20th C. Abercrombie & Fitch, Thermos Co. Seven Person Picnic Set C.1920
By Abercrombie & Fitch, The American Thermos Bottle Company
Located in San Francisco, CA
About An original picnic set for seven. Monogrammed leather case with brass locks. Includes 3 enamel and metal containers stamped Abercrombie and Fitch, 7 enamel mugs, salt and pepper shakers, 7 enamel plates, 7 sets of silver and nickel flatware, 2 large thermos with corks, and 6 stainless steel cups (one is missing). Enamel plates and mugs stamped KER Sweden...
Category

Early 20th Century Industrial Abercrombie & Fitch

Materials

Silver, Brass, Enamel, Stainless Steel, Nickel

1950s English Abercrombie & Fitch Georgian Style Mahogany Stick Barometer
By Abercrombie & Fitch
Located in Kennesaw, GA
This is an English Georgian style mahogany stick barometer hand crafted by Abercrombie & Fitch. The mahogany has a band of inlaid satinwood. The glass front opens via a tiny hinge an...
Category

Mid-20th Century English Georgian Abercrombie & Fitch

Materials

Glass, Mahogany, Satinwood

Vintage Leather Abercrombie Hippo Footstool c1950s
By Abercrombie & Fitch, Dimitri Omersa
Located in Oakland, CA
Fantastic early hippo footstool with beautiful leather patina by Omersa for Abercrombie and Fitch. No repairs have been done. Single owner who lived between Kyoto and New York.
Category

1950s British Modern Vintage Abercrombie & Fitch

Materials

Leather

Largest Leather Rhino Stool by Dimitri Omersa for Abercrombie & Fitch, Signed
By Abercrombie & Fitch, Dimitri Omersa
Located in Lisse, NL
A wonderful and original collectors example of the large-size rhinoceros footstool by Dimitri Omersa for Abercrombie and Fitch. This impressive size and highly decorative design Rhi...
Category

Mid-20th Century English Mid-Century Modern Abercrombie & Fitch

Materials

Leather, Glass

Vintage Omersa for Abercrombie & Fitch Rhino or Rhinoceros Leather Footstool
By Abercrombie & Fitch
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A fine vintage leather footstool. Designed by Daniel Omersa for Abercrombie & Fitch in the 1960's. In the form of a standing rhinoceros with its signature folded eyes, floppy ears,...
Category

20th Century Mid-Century Modern Abercrombie & Fitch

Materials

Leather

Browse all Furniture from Abercrombie & Fitch
Shop Now

Creators Similar to Abercrombie & Fitch

Abercrombie & Fitch furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

Abercrombie & Fitch furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of leather and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Abercrombie & Fitch furniture, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original furniture by Abercrombie & Fitch were created in the mid-century modern style in europe during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Omersa, Hille, and David Leach. Prices for Abercrombie & Fitch furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $350 and can go as high as $4,950, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $2,923.
Questions About Abercrombie & Fitch
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 26, 2024
    Abercrombie was made in 1892. It was then that David T. Abercrombie opened the Abercrombie Company as a sporting goods and camping equipment store in New York. Ezra Fitch became a partner in the company in 1900. In 1904, the company was incorporated and renamed "Abercrombie & Fitch Co." Shop an assortment of Abercombie & Fitch apparel and accessories on 1stDibs.

Recently Viewed

View All