The largest clothing manufacturer in the United States has taken fashion advertising to another level. Over the years, it has made a point of posing models in highly provocative and overtly sexual positions for its advertising campaigns. Nudity is fine too, and the retailer even went as far as hiring porn stars to showcase a new range of underwear and socks at the end of 2008. I’ve never seen anything quite like it.

The controversy goes beyond risqué advertising. American Apparel CEO Dov Charney has been accused of sexual harassment, and the company is reportedly being investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Take a look at these eye-catching American apparel ads (warning: this may not be safe for work) and let’s hear your thoughts on this very controversial form of marketing. I’m sure you have a lot to say.

It’s “boyfriend” everything at the moment. First the cardigan and now the jeans, thanks to Katie Holmes and her stylist. With the new “boyfriend jean” the shape of denim has expanded beyond the four main silhouettes (skinny, straight, boot cut and wide-leg) for 2009.

Boyfriend jeans are supposed to look baggy, worn and distressed, although some versions are less so. The style is usually rolled up at the hem and worn with heels for a final feminine touch. The look reminds me a little of when us gals wore men’s Levis 501’s in the 80’s. Baggy crotches, turned up hems and belted waistbands were so in back then. The look has been revived and updated. Celebrities in Hollywood are all over the trend.

The style can be adorable worn with flats or a small heel on a preteen and teenager. They seem like an arty, hip and cool expression for that age group. Cute (don’t shoot me, Mums). But for anyone older I vote for giving this trend a miss. Maybe I’m getting old, but I am so over ripped jeans of any description. It’s not a stylish look. How do you vote?

Clothes swap parties are great, but unless there are items in your size and to your liking, you will come home empty handed. Ideally you need to find a person or group of people with a compatible style and size (or size they used to be). The forum members found just that and in the spirit of saving money and the environment by repurposing current wardrobe orphans, they started successfully swapping clothes, footwear, handbags and accessories with each other for free.

It all started when forum member Tanya received a pair of jeans in the wrong rinse and offered to send them to forum member Maya. Maya ended up paying Tanya for this particular swap because the jeans were brand new. But the incident sparked a recycling trend in the forum that is gathering momentum.

Our YLF gathering in Manhattan was no exception. Here are some of the swaps we did:

• Tanya had several ill-fitting blouses that she brought for Maya.
• Maya brought Swann Flats for me because they were too large and fell off her feet when she walked. I’ve been trying to triplicate these but my size was sold out, so I really scored.
• Laura brought a jacket for Tanya (it was too tight on her) and a coral sweater for Maya. She also brought me a pretty black skirt that will fit well when I’ve had it altered at the side seams.
• I brought Tanya a scarf that worked better with her skin tone than mine. I brought Maya a vegan yellow sling bag and my first white watch. I also passed along a funky necklace to Laura because I’m a pearl gal at heart.

It was a stylish, cost saving and win-win situation for all. Not to mention fabulous fun. Laura wore her “new” necklace that evening and on the plane back home (I love it). Tanya sported her scarf next work day. Maya instantly used her yellow tote and wore her white watch on the way out of the restaurant. It’ll be a while before I can go sockless and wear ballet flats, but I’ve been prancing around in my new peds at home.

Give clothes swapping a try with friends and family. Alternatively, post your items on the forum and it won’t be long before you’ll have takers and receive treasures in return.

Swapping in Manhattan. Sign up to the forum today to start participating in the fun online.

Today’s post about the shopping part of our fabulous Manhattan gathering was written by arty and colourful New Jersey native and ex-Manhattan resident Maya, a long time YLF supporter and cherished forum member.

Angie was in Manhattan last week and met with a few forum members for a day of eating and shopping. Most of us were seeing each other for the first time, but there were no awkward moments and the entire day was a tremendous success. After breakfast, we immediately hit the dazzling array of shops in Soho. It was bitterly cold, but we bundled up in our hats, boots, and gloves for a stroll down Broadway.

Our first stop was H&M, where I found plenty of gems: a waistcoat, a fuchsia blazer, and a sweet printed trapeze top. Angie had me try on the waistcoat over the trapeze top and I was over the moon. I probably wouldn’t have picked up these pieces on my own, thinking that they wouldn’t work together. The lesson I took from this is to try EVERYTHING. Nothing ventured, nothing gained!

At breakfast, Laura showed us a beautiful Tory Burch top that had unfortunately become a wardrobe orphan. This is where Angie’s talent really came through. Laura tried on the blouse on in the H&M fitting room. Angie borrowed a few accessories from me and Tanya, and totally transformed it from unwearable to fantastic! It was quite a treat to see her at work, doing what she does best and breathing new life into something that almost made the trash pile. Laura looked amazing in a skinny belt and a short, chunky necklace.

Our next stops were Uniqlo, Mango, Zara and Ann Fontaine. Angie came away with an adorable gray jumper dress, while Tanya found a beautiful ruffle blouse and purple umbrella (umbrellas are accessories too!).

Our last stop for the day was a Macy’s in midtown that I generally avoid at all costs. This is the world’s largest department store building, covering an entire city block. Navigating through this labyrinth can be an overwhelming experience, but it became less painful with an army of supporters and a specific goal in mind: to find dresses for Laura! Laura suddenly went from having no options to having too many! Eventually she narrowed them down to three amazing dresses.

On the way out, a black knit biker jacket was spotted in a medium on the wrong rack, but it was too big. Eventually Angie tracked it down in my size and I was over the moon once more. I had to return the fuchsia blazer to H&M to get it, but this was the statement piece of a lifetime and I don’t regret the trade-off one bit. It was a fabulous end to a fabulous day.

A year ago, I would have never imagined myself doing something like this. I actually dislike shopping, and my social circle is mostly people my age who are pretty similar to me. Despite that, I felt perfectly comfortable and at ease with the ladies of YLF, and I had a lot of fun shopping with them! We are different in many ways, but we had a marvelous time and were all able to find something to take home and love. We hit every price point from H&M to Ann Fontaine, with all different bodies, lifestyles, and ages. If there is one thing to take away from this experience, it’s that style truly is for everyone! If you get a chance to attend a YLF gathering, drop whatever plans you might otherwise have and do it! It was an unforgettable and amazing experience that I hope to replicate again soon!