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With 200-and-counting shops worldwide, American Apparel, the cotton-spun empire, is the country's largest clothing manufacturer. It was just named 2008 "Label of the Year" by Britain's The Observer and Grazia Magazine, and founder Dov Charney was honored as Retailer of the Year at the Michael Awards for the Fashion Industry.

But this cult label isn't just about boy shorts and rainbow-hued hoodies. There are also those borderline porno ads starring AA employees; sexual harassment allegations against Charney; and a serious surplus of memorable, slightly ridiculous, hipster garments. Bottom line: We love it. We hate it. And just when we think we've cringed at our last pair of costumey lamé leggings, they pull us right back in with a sexy racerback tank. To illustrate our complicated relationship, here are some of the things we love -- and loathe -- about this cotton behemoth.

LOATHE: The Crotch Shots American Apparel's gritty, downtown ads are some of the most memorable of our generation, but do we really need to see another barely legal hottie -- or, God forbid, Dov Charney himself -- wearing nothing but some boy shorts with legs akimbo? (Above)

LOVE: Great Cotton Basics Sure, we know we could pop into the K-Mart down the street and get a three-pack of Fruit of the Loom tees for practically nothing, but there's something enticing about the saturated Rainbow Brite palette, the fashion-conscious cuts and that soft cottony goodness.

LOATHE: Dov's Sleazy Streak Hey, we're all for that "innocent until proven guilty" notion, but when a guy's been accused of sexual harassment five times (four of the cases were either settled out of court or dismissed), our perv radars tend to go off. (Above)

Click here to see what we love about Dov (yep, there's something).



LOVE: Dov's Entrepreneurial Spirit Say what you want about The Sideburned One (and there's a lot to say), but you've got to give Charney -- who got his start importing Hanes and Fruit of the Loom tees across the Canadian border in a U-Haul -- his due for building an international empire based on cotton basics, and for doing it with personality.

LOATHE: Shiny Leggings We love lamé as much as the next person (which is to say, not at all), and we can't help but get the urge to fling a pot brownie at every hipster girl we see strutting down the street in these brassy foil-like pants. (Left)

LOVE: Excellent Employee Practices In its quest to produce sweatshop-free labor, the devoutly pro-immigrant American Apparel pays its factory workers -- based in an 800,000-square-foot facility in downtown Los Angeles -- an average of $12 an hour, far outpacing the industry norm. Employees reportedly also receive paid time off, healthcare, bus passes, free ESL classes, free bicycles and on-site massages. Um ... can we have an application?

LOATHE: Shiny Suspender Swimsuits A little bit Borat, a little bit "Let's Get Physical," and a lot you've-got-to-be-kidding-me.

LOVE: Organic Options We're all about going green, and American Apparel's sustainable and -- get this -- affordable organic fine jersey tees and undies do us proud.

LOATHE: Tube Bras Never mind that the year is 2008 and that these suckers have Downtown Julie Brown written all over them, but these boob-squashing bandeau-style tops only work if you've got the cup size of an Olsen twin. Count us out.

LOVE: Sexy Tanks Body-conscious cuts -- think low necklines, racerbacks, wide arm openings -- have given the simple tank its groove back. (Oh, and is it wrong to like that they're called "boy beaters" now?)

LOATHE: Revival of the Bodysuit Two words we thought -- nay, prayed -- we'd never hear again: bodysuit and unitard. Note to American Apparel: We do not like having to get completely naked just to pee.

Tell us: Love American Apparel, or hate it? Leave a comment with your favorite AA moments ... and the garments you wish would just go away.