Getting dressed can take some time and effort, but it goes a long way toward proving to smug forest critters that humans can be stylish, too. Put furry coats and feathery downs to shame with today’s Groupon: for $25, you get $50 worth of in-store merchandise at American Apparel, which has retail locations throughout the country.

At its massive garment works in downtown Los Angeles, American Apparel designs, knits, cuts, dyes, and sews an eclectic lineup of stylish, well-fitting fashion basics. Feed a hungry closet with a chic cornucopia of comfortable classics, such as the stalwart T-shirt ($17) or flex fleece zip hoody ($46). A new line of knitwear will introduce fashionable femmes to familiar pieces recast in new fabrics and colors, such as a unisex knit cardigan ($74).

For the winter months or long summer staring contests with obstinate air conditioners, American Apparel also packs a full line of outerwear featuring denim jackets ($79) and sweatshirts ($48). Or shop for a smaller version of yourself by browsing American Apparel's kids collection, stocked with miniature versions of many of the chain's most popular products.

A socially responsible vertically integrated production model and a systematic aversion to waste allow American Apparel to staff its sweatshop-free facility with 7,500 smile-wearing workers while keeping its prices low and its environmental impact to a minimum.

In-store prices may vary from those listed online.

Reviews

More than 350,000 Facebookers are fans of American Apparel, and the brand has appeared in dozens of publications in the United States and worldwide. The Observer named it Label of the Year in 2008, and New York magazine profiled the company:

• The designs are simple and inexpensive enough to layer, though each season brings a few more sexed-up items in step with current trends…No two stores are exactly alike, but all share the same minimalist, DIY design of fluorescent lights, adjustable shelves, and large voyeuristic photographs, and a social scene of young, hip customers seeking anonymous garments they can infuse with their own sense of style. – Katy Ansite, New York