I visited Abercrombie & Fitch for the first time in 12 years. I was shocked by how much it's changed and now I see why Gen Z loves it.

• I shopped at Abercrombie & Fitch's new store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. 
• I was surprised by how sophisticated everything was, including the store's design and the clothing.
• As millennials grew up, so did the brand. It sells suits for the office and dresses for weddings.

I don't think I've been in an Abercrombie & Fitch store since I was in high school. So I was surprised to see the company's new location on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan — it felt like a different brand.

Abercrombie has quite literally grown up alongside millennials. In place of logo-emblazoned tees and polos we once wore with pride in school hallways are crisp linen suits for the office and elegant satin gowns for attending summer weddings. 

But it's not only for millennials — a recent study by Earnest found that Gen Z's spending at Abercrombie was up by 44% from January to June. 

The company says this shift in aesthetic has contributed to the brand's newfound popularity and success. Abercrombie surprised Wall Street in August by reporting a 16% year-over-year increase in second-quarter sales, to $935 million, and posting net profits well above expectations. CEO Fran Horowitz said the company's playbook was working and "we are no longer a jeans and T-shirt brand."

"This is truly the most powerful brand transformation that I've seen in my career," Horowitz told analysts in May. "By listening to our customers and putting them at the center of everything we do, we are delivering product, voice, and experience that are tightly aligned and continue to resonate."

That brand transformation was evident during my recent trip to Abercrombie's store.

I visited the store on a Tuesday afternoon, as swarms of tourists filled Fifth Avenue in a shopping frenzy.

The store's exterior was a preview of what was to come: clean lines, retro wooden panels, and high ceilings.

As I entered through two sets of heavy glass doors, I was struck by the elegance the store exuded. It was filled with bright light — a far cry from the dark clublike stores of the early aughts.

I started at the front left corner, where the women's section began.

I was impressed by the subtle yet trendy styles. Pieces like this square-neck column dress could become wardrobe staples.

In the center of the store, Abercrombie's "best-dressed guest" collection had a wide range of elegant dresses, pantsuits, and two-piece sets.

The vibrant colors and prints could work for many occasions year-round. Horowitz told investors that the brand was becoming a destination for dressing up. I certainly made a mental note for the next time I have a special event to go to.

There were shorter dresses too, like floral puff-sleeve midi dresses that would be perfect for a summer garden party or bridal shower.

And there were more-casual dresses that could be worn to work or on the weekend.

I was pleasantly surprised to see suiting. Blazers and trousers came in cream, tan, and black.

Pants came in several fit options: loose, straight, tailored, and ultrawide.

The women's section had plenty of basics like T-shirts, bodysuits, and tanks to layer with. The sweatshirts were minimal — not a logo in sight.

The traveler collection featured simple mini dresses and slouchy jumpsuits.

Mid-century modern furniture and fake plants provided a homey vibe. I couldn't help but think these decor features were chosen with millennials in mind.

Women's denim was toward the back of the store near the registers.

Many of the styles were '90s- and Y2K-inspired loose fits. I'm not a low-rise gal, so I loved that most of the jeans embraced the high-rise waist.

Artsy pieces like mini sculptures, globes, and framed photos sat on some shelves. If you look closely, you can see this picture is of an espresso martini — how very millennial New Yorker of them.

The store was pretty busy. I frequently had to squeeze between people and clothing racks, and the checkout line had a handful of customers each time I glanced over.

Working my way to the back-right side of the store, I saw a bar area displaying Abercrombie's fragrances. Additional bottles were stacked on shelves behind the counter.

Mirrored trays displayed two moose-eared fragrance bottles and five variations of Abercrombie's Fierce cologne.

Among the fragrances were stacks of store sweatshirts printed with a colorful New York City skyline.

I moved on to the men's section. Jeans came in baggy, loose, straight, slim, and skinny fits.

There was a section devoted to cargo pants, which have been a trend for both men and women lately. Horowitz told analysts that cargo was a major part of Abercrombie's strategy to diversify its bottoms offerings.

In a nod to the '90s, this varsity jacket was made to look like one an athlete from Brooklyn might've worn in 1995.

Like the women's sweatshirts, all the men's hoodies were minimal.

The linen collection was my favorite part of the men's section by far. Sophisticated knit polos were folded in the front.

These gave such a luxury-vacation vibe, and I kind of want to go back just to buy one for my husband.

As far as I could tell, these hoodies were the only apparel on the first floor with Abercrombie branding. It was small and subtle.

Once I was done perusing the men's section, I made my way upstairs.

The midcentury vibes continued with wood panels and potted plants.

A tiered glass chandelier added drama to my ascent.

At the top I was greeted by more wood paneling and a gallery of works from the fashion photographer Alvin Kean Wong.

The second floor felt a little more crowded. The ceilings were lower, and there were a lot of collections to cover.

To the left, I walked into prep central: Abercrombie's golf shop. There were plenty of polos, button-downs, and khaki shorts.

This was where the moose-logo polos were hiding.

Next I walked into Abercrombie's athletic collection, YPB, which stands for Your Personal Best.

This collection features leggings, shorts, sports bras, and jackets in neutral and muted colors.

Some of the leggings and sports tops had trendy contrast piping.

Tennis dresses are big this summer.

There were athletic pieces for men as well. The collection is very earthy and streamlined — no neon sportswear here.

I headed across the room to the kids' section. Some of the boys' clothing mimicked the men's with race-car graphics.

In fact, a lot of the boys' clothing looked like younger versions of the menswear, only the Abercrombie branding was much more noticeable.

There was even a mini version of the golf shop with moose-logo polos and khaki shorts.

The hoodies were more playful and came with matching sweatpants.

The girls' section reminded me of shopping in Limited Too when I was in middle school.

I got a little lost in the girls' section reminiscing about all my favorite clothes I wore when I was 12.

I got a kick out of the throwback tees. But I also felt old now that the Spice Girls, a girl group of my childhood, were commemorated among classic rock icons like Pink Floyd and the Rolling Stones.

I loved this lemonade-color ruched tee. The font harks back to classic Y2K Abercrombie baby tees.

Once I peeled myself away from the adorable kids' clothing, I realized it was time to try clothes on. These rattan chairs outside the dressing rooms kept the mid-century vibes going.

A store associate opened a room for me, and I was shocked by how beautiful it was. There was a minimalist ladder to hang my clothes on.

I could charge my phone on the shelf and adjust the lighting on a screen. You could set it to bright white, daylight, soft white, and warm white. I kept it on the last setting.

I tried on three pairs of pants and two tops. The high-waisted jeans fit perfectly, but I really liked the third outfit with the white ruched shell top and the crepe tailored ultra-wide-leg pant.

I considered buying the top and the pants but decided to take a little more time to think it over. I left the store astounded by how fresh and sophisticated Abercrombie's new style was. I was most impressed by the women's clothing, but overall everything felt more elevated than I imagined Abercrombie could be.

That night I couldn't stop thinking about the top and the pants I'd tried on. So I found them online and ordered them along with a couple more basics that were on sale.

In the future, I could see myself buying more staple pieces from Abercrombie like suiting and shirts for work and dresses for special occasions.