Tees emblazoned with phrases deemed offensive to women have been yanked from Abercrombie & Fitch clothing stores thanks to a group of teen girls who launched a nationwide “girlcott.” Bowing to pressure from the public and supporters of the Allegheny County Girls as Grantmakers (the group of nearly two dozen girls who spearheaded the protest), the retailer announced Friday that it is pulling two shirts off the market: one with the slogan “Gentlemen Prefer Tig Old Bitties” and a second reading, “With These, Who Needs Brains?” across the chest.  “We recognize that the shirts in question, while meant to be humorous, might be troubling to some,” the company said in a statement. Several more questionable tees — with expressions like “Blondes Are Adored, Brunettes Are Ignored,” “I Had A Nightmare I Was A Brunette,” “Do I Make You Look Fat” and “No Money, No Car, No Chance” — are still available but could be pulled, pending negotiations with the girls later this month. The group has offered to help A&F come up with more empowering messages to put on its clothing in the future. The idea for the boycott came during a meeting the girls had at a retreat this summer. As they were brainstorming ideas of what they could do to make a difference in their community, discussion soon shifted to the Abercrombie tees, which many of them saw as “nasty and disgusting,” said 13-year-old Jettie Fields, the group’s co-chair. “There’s a certain degree to where those shirts can be funny, but with the one that said, ‘With These, Who Needs Brains?,’ I think that’s really pushing it and takes it too far,” Fields said. “Girls need to know it’s not necessary to wear these shirts, and that if they stop buying them, then Abercrombie will stop selling them.” The group held a press conference and then was blown away by the amount of support and media coverage the boycott received, Fields said. “We had no idea it would get this far, so we’re all just really happy,” she said. “I was like, ‘Wow, people are actually taking us seriously. They don’t just see as a group of little girls.’ The fact that we were able to take down a huge corporation and have them listen to us, that’s an awesome victory.” “We are delighted they won,” said Sarah Gould, president of the Ms. Foundation for Women. “These T-shirts … are potentially dangerous to girls and their health because it reinforces the message that girls are only as good as what their bodies are, and that’s very undermining to a girl’s healthy development. This girlcott just proves that today’s teen girl is much smarter, more aware and very socially active. She won’t blindly follow a trend or wear clothes from a brand just because it is deemed ‘cool.’ “ This isn’t the first time ...

Teen apparel retailer Abercrombie & Fitch Co. reports earnings for the fiscal second-quarter quarter on Friday. The following is a summary of key developments and analyst opinion related to the period.

OVERVIEW: Abercrombie & Fitch Co. has seen sinking sales amid the recession, as it kept its price points among the highest in the teen sector and waited for a rebound. Over the past few months it has planned more sales and offered lower entry-level prices, but sales are still expected to sink during the quarter ended Aug. 2. Meanwhile, competitors such as Aeropostale Inc. and American Eagle Outfitters Inc., with their emphasis on low prices and basics, have fared better....

The clock is ticking on Abercrombie and Fitch Co.'s strategy of selling high-priced teen clothing as the recession erodes sales and profit margins, and competitors outrun it.

The New Albany, Ohio, company, which is expected Friday to report a quarterly loss of seven cents a share excluding charges, has refused to offer deep discounts, allowing lower-priced rivals such as ...

After getting its first taste of Europe with a new store in London, Abercrombie & Fitch(ANF Quote) is looking to expand on the continent in a big way.

The Ohio-based teen retailer said Friday it has hired a New York commercial real estate company to scout sites in Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Denmark and Sweden for new stores. The expansion follows the March opening of the first Abercrombie & Fitch store in Europe, at Burlington Gardens in London....

Abercrombie and Fitch Co. raised eyebrows last Christmas when the teen retailer insisted it would ride out the recession without resorting to widespread price-slashing.

Then came months of massive double-digit sales declines and dwindling store traffic as shoppers defected to competitors that sold similar clothes at more affordable prices. Industry experts wondered whether the company was risking its business in its attempt to uphold its brand image....