Model employees.

• Author: Greenhouse, Steven
• Position: Business - Hiring practices of retailers that border on discrimination

There's something about Elizabeth Nill. At no fewer than three Abercrombie & Fitch stores, she says, managers have offered her a job. "Every time this happens, my little sister says, 'Not again,'" says Nill, a college sophomore who is 5-foot-6 and striking, with long blond hair.

Abercrombie's aggressive approach to hiring an attractive sales force is an example of what industry experts say is a growing trend: Businesses are openly seeking workers who are sexy, sleek, or simply good-looking. In doing so, some of those companies have been skirting the edges of antidiscrimination laws and provoking a wave of lawsuits, like one accusing Abercrombie of favoring whites over...