American Apparel No Longer Wants 'THOTS' for Its Ad Campaigns

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Now that the brand has gotten rid of nipples and pubic hair, it's looking to change the look of its models as well. According to a casting call obtained by Animal, American Apparel isn't hiring "Instagram hoes or THOTS" (an acronym that stands for "that hoe over there") anymore:

Casting email obtained by Animal

The email was sent by PhotoGenics media, the company that American Apparel hired for the casting. PhotoGenics Agency Director Phira Luon told Animal that the email wasn't approved by the retailer and he assumed full responsibility for its contents. "The comment made at the end was made in jest with models whom I have a personal relationship with and did not reflect the views, or directives by the client," Luon wrote in an email to Animal. "I apologize to all those who were offended or affected by my comments, as it was not my intention."

The anonymous employee who leaked the casting call to Animal confirmed that American Apparel's Senior Vice President of Marketing, Cynthia Erland, is behind the new branding. She pushed for the new airbrushing policy and for changing the type of model that American Apparel casts for photo shoots. According to Animal's source, she's said that "current women featured on the site are too 'short' and 'round' and wants to cast models who look Eastern European or Russian."