Sydney Sweeney Showcases Love of Denim Post American Eagle Controversy

Sydney Sweeney is doubling down on her love of blue jeans.

On Friday, Aug. 15, the actress, 27, posted an array of Instagram images in which she hung out with loved ones while wearing a white tee and jeans. This comes three weeks after the release of her controversial American Eagle denim campaign.

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Denim appeared to be the theme for the night as her friends she went out with all incorporated the color blue or denim into their outfits for a night of dancing.

In one photo, she appeared to be singing karaoke alongside a friend, and another photo showed her holding drinks surrounded by a group of friends. Sweeney captioned the post, “duval diaries.”

When Sweeney got the call to be the face of the American Eagle’s newest denim campaign, called “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans,” she thought it was the “perfect” fit.

“I am a sweats girl. But yesterday I wore a pair of American Eagle jeans on a plane, and I was like, ‘Oh, this is great. They’re so comfy,’ ” she said, noting that this made working with the company “perfect.”

“When they were like, ‘We want it to be a denim campaign,’ I was through the roof,” she added. “I was like, ‘This is it. This is Syd. I will be able to bring this to life. You have no idea.’ ”

Promotional videos for the campaign published to American Eagle’s social media channels show Sweeney wearing various denim styles as she works on a car, auditions for a new spot in the campaign, and speaks straight to the camera about the new collection.

Critics, however, found an issue with the word “jeans” being used as a play on “genes,” claiming that it is racially charged and hints at genetic superiority. Others also took issue with the campaign catering to the male gaze and taking inspiration from Brooke Shields’ controversial 1980 denim campaign.

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On Friday, Aug. 1, however, American Eagle issued a statement on Instagram, where it doubled down on its campaign, despite the backlash.

” ‘Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans’ is and always was about the jeans,” the brand wrote in a graphic. “Her jeans. Her story. We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone.”