I’m pretty sure I grew up believing that Victoria’s Secret was untouchable. It was hard not to, of course, what with the gorgeous images of women with perfect hair and gorgeous lingerie almost begging me to believe that I’d be happy, too, if I looked like that. These were the messages I was receiving from an incredibly young age, and it is something that has followed me well into my adult life. I wouldn’t say VS created the idea that skinnier women were more beautiful, but they have certainly perpetuated it.
On November 8, 2018, Ed Razek, the Chief Marketing Officer for the parent company that owns Victoria’s Secret, gave an interview in which he discussed the fact that there is no diversity when it comes to body type or gender expression in the models hired by VS. In the 23 years that the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show has been presented, not a single plus size, transgender, or gender non conforming model has ever walked the runway.
He defended the fact that Victoria’s Secret does not hire any fat or transgender models — and went on to say that this is something “no one had any interest” in. The obvious irony behind the fact that a man is leading these decisions for a corporation that caters to women aside, these comments are not only incredibly damaging on a societal scale but also indicative of the values at play within this organization.
If Victoria’s Secret, and the models they choose to represent them, are considered the paragon of feminine beauty in our society, what does that say about how they, and in turn we, view fat women? Trans women?
To consistently insinuate that only thin models are beautiful enough to grace the runways of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is to ignore the simple fact that most women do not look like this. These unhealthy standards only contribute to a cycle that consistently celebrates thin bodies and demonizes fat ones, and leads to a culture of self-loathing for everyone. Contrary to popular belief, the embrace of a ‘body-positive’ culture does not erase thinner women, but instead, celebrates all women of all body types, equally.
Likewise, to erase women who are not cisgender is to contribute to the fallacy of sex-linked womanhood, which continues to promote harmful stereotypes about transgender women, when we should instead be celebrating all women and the diverse beauty that this wide, all-encompassing definition represents.
Both commercially well-known brands like Aerie and Savage x Fenty as well as indie brands like True&Co, Neon Moon and Bluestocking Boutique (among so many others!) are doing the work that Victoria’s Secret is refusing to do, amplifying the beauty of a diverse community of women, all of whom want to look and feel beautiful in their lingerie.
It’s important to think about who is included or excluded from certain conversations, and what is being done by those in power to change that narrative. The next time you think about buying some new, cute lingerie… think about supporting a brand dedicated to flipping that narrative.