Sydney Sweeney Returns for American Eagle

Last year's ads stoked controversy. But she's all about jean shorts now

Sydney Sweeney gets the last laugh, apparently.

In a montage clip for American Eagle, Sydney Sweeney dons jean shorts and asks “What brand am I wearing?” She provides the answer: “Yeah, that one,” and giggles, too.

It’s a cheeky nod, surely, to last year’s divisive AE campaign with the actress—equating jeans with genes—that drew considerable fire.

Here, Sydney—that’s “Syd for Short” (the tagline)—seems to revel in self-awareness, the textured denim images providing a stone-washed backdrop to our collective cultural memory.

It’s savvy and short. Perhaps titillating for some. But inoffensive—we think.

“From the free-spirits of the 1970s to the trendsetters of today, jean shorts have been the highlight of summer fashion for generations and no one perfects the warm-weather style like American Eagle,” says Jennifer Foyle, president and ECD.

“Summer is defined by a rare kind of magic, an opportunity to live confidently and in the moment. Pairing classic cutoffs with Sydney Sweeney’s signature ease makes AE denim the must have shorts this season.”