It’s been a few years since the brand Brandy Melville started gaining traction in the world of fashion, becoming every teenage girl’s Instagram outfit of choice. The brand offers a selection of sweaters and shirts with to-die-for comfort, maxi skirts, an endless amount of crop tops, and a vintage vibe. The brand has proved to be a teenage dream, but with one major flaw in the system: one size fits all sizing.
Thousands of unhappy customers have proven that one size does certainly does not fit all, especially when that size is size-0-model small. A statement on the website’s sizing chart reads: “Most of Brandy Melville clothing is one size, a loose, over-sized fit that should fit a range of sizes comfortably,” and the label defines its mission as representing “diverse California girls.” The one size fits all rule has proved to be illogical, unnecessary, and often humiliating. When you see clothing labeled “one size”, and it doesn’t fit you, the feeling isn’t great. And sure, a plethora of body types may be able to squeeze into the small sized clothing, but how many customers will actually feel confident in them? When what they call an “over-sized sweatshirt” fits a bit too snug, it can be hard to hold your chin up, and frankly, it becomes easy to feel like an outcast.
If you scan though the model stats on the website you’ll find the following: 5’7 models with 24-inch waists, 5’8 models with 23-inch waists, and 5’9 models with 25-inch waists… not a lot of variation there. Now, there certainly are girls who appreciate Brandy as it caters to their clothing needs; I know girls who shop strictly Brandy Melville clothing, as it’s the style that fits them best and makes them feel confident — and that’s great. But I struggle to understand why it’s that difficult to produce an array of size options. It may have to do with the fact Brandy Melville has created a brand image, establishing a strict style of clothes and an expectation of the people they want wearing and representing their clothing — and according to their Instagram, that means size 00 models. Their Instagram, for the last 3 years, has developed a certain kind of aesthetic, which seems to be skinny, white, and typically blonde, girls. The lack of diversity itself is upsetting.
Promoting girls to love their bodies does not come with a brand that calls clothes that are often compared to “baby clothes.” Their sizing method constructs the idea “this is what girls should look like.” Brandy Melville, though producing many cute options, should not be the determiner of yourself worth, the way you view your body, or the way you view others (and neither should any other brand). We get it, you only want thin girls wearing your clothes, but at least call a small size a small, not one size fits most.
(Check out the great BuzzFeed video tackling the one size fits all issue here.)