Brandy Melville: One Size Does Not Fit All

Brandy Melville is an Italian company that was founded in 1970 by Silvio Marsan and his son as clothing stores for young women. The first store in the U.S. opened near the campus of UCLA in Los Angeles. Since then, the company has taken off. As of 2018, the company has 65 locations in major cities in America, as well as London, Calgary, Vienna, and Hong Kong. The company has a website that constantly features new clothing items and affordable jewelry and accessories. At first glance, this company sounds like a normal, growing store advertising to young women and continuing its success. But how does it continue to grow at this solid rate? Well, one thing about this store might affect this: Nearly everything sold at Brandy Melville is one size.

Clothing companies offering only one size are not a completely new concept. Abercrombie and Fitch was notorious for only offering sizes up to a size 10. The reasoning behind this, according to the CEO, Mike Jeffries, was to only market to ‘cool’ kids. Exclusivity was allowed and encouraged for people wearing this brand. Abercrombie would also only hire people who are considered attractive to work at their stores. This seems to mirror exactly what is happening at Brandy Melville.

Brandy Melville’s sizes are generally too small to fit the average American woman. Their tee shirts are short and small and their pants typically have the waist size of ‘23 or ‘24, which is below a size 0. So why does Brandy Melville only make items in one size? Most likely for the same reason that Abercrombie did: to create an image of exclusivity, which promotes arrogance. Women often gain a sense of confidence that comes from being small enough to fit in their clothing, and thus, this perpetuates a culture of negativity and body-shaming, which is already prevalent in society today. Shopping at Brandy Melville encourages this, and allows it to continue happening.

Social media is another tool Brandy Melville uses to showcase their stick-thin models and the clothes they sell to them. Their Instagram account, @brandymelvilleusa, has an astounding 3.8 million followers. This is a way to constantly share their brand and advertise to girls who want to look just like the girls in the pictures.

I have been in several Brandy Melville stores, most of them in California. The demographic of girls shopping in Brandy Melville is almost all very thin teenagers who waltz into the store wearing their Brandy Melville clothes and showing them off as though it is an accomplishment. Personally, I feel very uncomfortable shopping in Brandy Melville partially due to the employees. The workers at Brandy Melville look you up and down, obviously judging how thin you are and if your outfit is up to their standards. This does not create a comfortable shopping environment.

Despite all of this, I have to admit that I like the clothes from Brandy Melville and have a good amount of t-shirts and tank-tops from the store. When it comes down to it, I wish I could protest the company by refusing to buy their one-size tops and support them, but it’s hard when the store fits my style perfectly. I’m trying very hard to stop shopping there, and I recommend everyone at least recognize what they’re doing and supporting before buying clothes from Brandy Melville.

By McKenna Ching