Buy Walking VideosA.N.A Does NOT Mean “A New Approach”
Something has gone terribly wrong at JCPenney. They have started a new clothing line called A.N.A.
Their signage says that A.N.A means, “A New Approach,” but either they are consciously trying to get the pro-ana girls to buy their clothing or they are COMPLETELY out of touch with teens.
The pro-ana movement is a group who believe that women with anorexic bodies are beautiful. They don’t believe anorexia is a disorder. They aren’t necessarily an organized group, but there are MANY pro-ana sites on the Internet that glamorize the anorexic form. Wikipedia has a good article about it:
In fact, JCPenney’s advertisements could be used on a pro-ana site for “thinspiration.”
I don’t believe that JCPenney could be evil, so I have to deduce that they are just clueless about the pro-ana movement. They need to think of a new approach in naming their clothing lines from now on.
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December 21st, 2008 at 3:05 pm
Does that girl have any breasts? In the picture? Maybe I’m missing them.
Yeah, I can see how this advert would appeal to the pro-ana groups… sigh.
December 21st, 2008 at 8:28 pm
i can’t get what’s so wrong with the girl on the poster… looks normal…
December 21st, 2008 at 8:56 pm
My husband saw an ad for them a while ago and busted out laughing. Even HE knew what ana meant!
Unfortunately I really like their clothes. They fit me well. Sadness.
January 8th, 2009 at 8:53 pm
This clothing line has been around for at least 2 years so it’s not really new. I doubt that they knew anything about the pro-ana group but since it’s not a.n.a. to me it’s not related. And I don’t see anything particularly wrong with the picture either.
February 5th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
Everybody knows what ANA means, what were they thinking…?
March 26th, 2010 at 5:23 pm
If you’re looking for subliminal messages, clearly you’ll find them. This clothing line has absolutely nothing to do with being pro-ana. The girl in their poster would actually be considered a little heavy in the modeling world — she looks completely normal to me.
I love a.n.a clothing. They fit me perfectly — and at a size 16, I doubt that I would find well fitting clothing from a pro-ana company!!
May 31st, 2010 at 10:48 am
Maybe anarexia had something to do with it but I have a very hard time finding clothes that fit. I can wear anything from a size 2 to a size 11 because of the length and butt size. These clothes (especially jeans) actually fit and I am NOT ana.
July 22nd, 2010 at 9:30 pm
Jc penny start lowering your sizes because every girl with an eating disorder will buy from you now. Congrats on that achievement even though most of the girls don’t care about any fashion or style if they have a legitimate E.D. Because they exclude themselves from society. But still, maybe if they are in recovery, their clothes could come from you.
August 19th, 2010 at 11:49 am
This is ridiculous.
Sure, if they only sold tiny size, then it would be inappropriate, but the fact that they sell all sizes shows that it’s not done with that in mind.
They’re just three letters, you can’t stop using them just because of one group use it to describe an illness. Does this mean that the letters MIA can’t be used because it’s related to bulimia? And what about other illnesses – BPD, for example. Are they three letters that should be banned because other people may get negative connotations. What about AID, because it relates to that disease? Aid is a word on it’s own, and Ana and Mia are also GIRL’S NAMES. Should the parents of these girls be ostracised because they’ve given their child a name which has connotations of eating disorders?
This isn’t news, it’s basically the kind of trash that certain types of “journalists” think they can post as news. As Jill says, if you’re looking for something, you’ll find it. JCPenney’s isn’t the problem, it’s the kind of people who write these kind of piece, basically informing people of a problem that isn’t there.
[/End Rant]
October 27th, 2010 at 7:02 pm
A.N.A. styles are for larger women too. I wear a size 18 and I was so grateful to find pants that actually fit me right! I like the way they fit so the name is not an issue, let it go.
December 4th, 2010 at 3:31 pm
I love a.n.a. clothing from JCPenny. I was actually doing a search for clothing to buy more and I got this website. I had NO idea it had anything to do with anorexia (and yes, it IS spelled “ano-rexia”. I highly doubt JCPenny was aware, as most people are not aware. I honestly dont think people have anything better to do with their time than to look for or make up false associations with two different unrelated things. Crazy. If anything, I think a.n.a. clothing discourages people from being anorexic because it is clothing that helps women feel good about their bodies no matter what size they are.
January 18th, 2011 at 7:41 pm
Hi, yeah, you guy’s are ridiculous to think that this is a “pro-ana movement” at JC Penny!! You must be out of your mind. And even if It was, why would you get mad? Sounds like a positive thing, to want to promote clothing that fits a certain body type (although, this line is not prejudice). Anorexics are people too.
This is a quality clothing line and I’m a size large.
Get a life!!!
March 18th, 2011 at 6:33 pm
I was appalled by this when I came across it in the store recently. I (at the urging of many friends and my dietitian) have turned the campaign in to the NEDA Watchdog group. This feels like a blatant kick in the face to something that almost kills me daily. Whether intentional or not, this does not portray healthy body types and makes a mockery of those that suffer from this fatal disorder.
March 18th, 2011 at 6:59 pm
The specific offensive ad I am referring to. I personally find this worse than the images shown above:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/60843172@N08/5538884900/
June 8th, 2011 at 6:56 pm
I like a.n.a clothing and shoes. With my body being plus size curvy (I have average top body with small waist and curvy big butt so its hard to find clothes to fit curvy comfortable but there clothes fit me so much better and not all this low waist bull crap that dont even fit the “anorexic” people right– all your butt crack showing and the muffin top effect…. I still have to take them up slightly in the waist but they are comfortable and they make me feel sexy and confident. SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO SEE WHERE THE NEGATIVE OF PRO-ANA THE ANOREXIC IS BEing CANCELED OUT BY THE POSITIVE OF a.n.a the new aproach of more women of size.Because what these companies are seeing now – that plus size women will be loyal to a product if it fits right and makes you feel and look good and will go out of the way to get it I bought 5 pair of the same jeans because I was scared i wouldnt be able to get them again. until I see something different in their clothing i will be a spokesperson for their clothing and shoes. But I do feel that they should use a different model I dont like for a company to want to sell to plus size and have a skinny model and not have a more average to plus size model too. my experience and my friends will not waste the time or energy because we are visual people and if we cant see it from our view too then it we will consider not wearable by us.
June 5th, 2013 at 1:17 pm
When I first saw A.N.A clothing the first thing that came to mind was the name Anna or ANA, I just saw it a name brand. At the time I first saw this brand I knew what pro-ana was but it just isn’t on my mind enough for me to assume there was a connection. Also models on the runway can be way skinnier than this catalogue model for A.N.A clothing. I would assume runway models and skinny celebs would be used for “thinspirations”. So I think this is totally about making something out of nothing.
July 1st, 2014 at 9:53 am
Okay first of all this is bullshit. They should name the clothing line a different name. I am anorexic and the way i see it is that JCPenneys is promoting young girls and teenagers to develope and eating disorder so they will be able to fit the clothing. Im am proud to be an Ana beacuse some people sure as hell wont have the guts to admitt it. Im not sure if i will shop at this story every again. Sure it is great that the made a clothing line for anorexic girls but…This is an outrage..!!
August 2nd, 2015 at 12:30 am
These negative comments regarding super products ranging in size from petite to Ex large has absolutely no relevance to the a.n.a. products, but rather appears to relate to the writers own eating disorders or a projection of their fears upon a company. I have purchased super down jackets and vests and am IMPRESSED. I continue to look for more products from this tasteful company with the beautiful name of a.n.a.!!!