Let’s Talk About Brandy Melville

Shoutout for the free stickers though.

by CAROLINE STEVENSON ★ NOVEMBER 19, 2020

I was 13 years old when I first shopped at Brandy Melville. Known at the time for their infamous “Honey” yellow crop top and holographic alien stickers, I was so excited to reinvent my wardrobe which had consisted of the same Vineyard Vines long sleeve shirts and black leggings from PINK. Grabbing nearly every shirt I could, I rushed back to the dressing room. I looked in the mirror at the shirts suffocating me, not even stretching past my boobs, the gray sweatpants I grabbed not making it past my thighs. I left the store that day red in the face with embarrassment, thinking about the fact that I didn’t fit into this category of “One Size Fits All.”

Five years, and a whole lot of body confidence later, I think about every single person that has walked into this store with the same optimism I had that day, and leaves with a feeling of not belonging to the superficial category encompassed by the “One Size Fits All” mentality. I think about every girl who has wasted time scrolling through the Brandy Melville Instagram, looking at these models, and looking at themselves as being “different” in a negative light, rather than recognizing the beauty of their own individuality. Most of all, I think about why we as a society can praise the idea of body positivity in one breath, then continue to support a business rooted in the idea of conformity in the next.

The idea that these pieces of fabric will be able to conform to all different body types is not only unrealistic but disheartening for extremely impressionable young girls, who now feel misplaced from this definition of “all.” From nearly zero size inclusivity to an Instagram page lacking almost any signs of diversity among their models (not to mention an account that turned off ALL commenting in response to backlash for their lack of support during the Black Lives Matter protests), why is it that we still idolize a store that is blatantly excluding and marginalizing so many young people? A store that continues to uphold the idea that being thin is equivalent to being desirable in society, and that “One Size Fits All” really translates to “One Body Type Looks Ideal.” 

Now, I’m not saying there aren’t people who look AMAZING in Brandy Melville clothing (the plain shirt-plaid pant moment always hits); I’m also not saying that you should rush to throw out every crop top and pair of sweats you own from them—what I am saying is it's time to stop ignoring the faults of this company, and consider shopping for different, size-inclusive, ethical businesses. Businesses that recognize and embrace the idea of diversity, rather than stick to the confines that is “One Size.”

Cover photo credit: Pinterest