Brandy Melville- only sells one tiny size. Why is this allowed to happen?

[S0rrel]

So since the first lockdown my dd is one of many teenagers contributing to the huge spike in Anorexia. It’s is deadly and incredibly difficult to beat once it has taken hold.

She needs new clothes and mentioned Brandy Melville. Went on to tell me they only sell one tiny size and her friends tell her she is small enough,barely able to hide her glee. Talk about putting dreadful pressure on already susceptible girls. How are we as parents supposed to battle crap like that. I did the women come in all shapes, how deplorable spiel. Went on complete deaf ears.

Why are they allowed to do this? What messages are we sending out to young girls.

It’s a con. These clothes are often the cheapie one-size fits all stuff you get in India and China. Small will say 24 inches but will often fit up to 28-30. If Medium says 30 inches then it will fit up to 34.

The clothes aren't that small.
The measurements quoted are obviously the dimensions of the garment ,probably unstretched. I've got plenty of tops that measure 16-17 inches armpit to armpit and I'm size 10-12 and wear a 34C bra.
It seems a strange business model to not stock multiple sizes, but I don't think this company is selling abnormally small clothes.

@JayDot500. I don't have daughters and I've not been thin since my teens, but BM clothes are worn like a badge of honour by many influencers. I didn't learn about the brand until I heard many references to it on youtube/instagram. Brands like BM are why social media can be dangerous for impressionable young girls, they know what BM is really about. A 'River Island top' is just another brand of top. A 'Brandy Melville top' is saying 'I am skinny enough to wear Brandy Meliville clothes.' Simply Be cannot be compared to BM, since being overweight has never been fashionable or aspirational.

This. I’ve just taken a look and the trousers/jeans are either S or M. M is a 26in waist, which is a UK 8. Yes, the stretchy stuff can be worn by larger sizes, but let’s not kid ourselves - it’s the non-stretchy stuff they aspire to. I speak as the mother of a very curvy young woman who did have some stretchy BM when she was in her teens. The non-stretchy stuff would have easily fitted her waist (tiny) ..... if she could have pulled it up over her hips. I know this made her feel ‘fat’ even though she was anything but - her less curvaceous BF always wore BM. Young girls really don’t need this shit with all the other pressures they’re under.

it's really cut out for a very niche teenage market - lots of teens are naturally very small and struggle to find clothes between the children's ranges and the adult ranges.

Tammy girl always seemed to have small sizes, but in reality teens were general slimmer than they are now. I do wonder how they would compare, social media is more of a contagion than an individual shop.

I didn't know they only sold one size, isnt that a bit odd?

Slim people come in a variety of sizes too & height also plays a part.

I agree OP. I have twins: one can buy from here, and the other can’t. It sends a clear message- you are not the right size to be fashionable and acceptable.

@Sceptre86 I don't understand why some posters are being obtuse. This shop only sells one size not a range of sizes.

But it doesn't only sell one size. It sells one option in most things, sometimes two, but the sizing is different for every individual style of item.
Their jeans range from 26-33 inches! It isn't only a skinny 13 year old fitting that.

It is weird. But I agree with @atrixie that despite being one size it isn't tiny sizing. I know girls of quite a range of sizes who fit their stuff because a lot of it isn't close fitting / is stretchy or oversized. But I do think it's weird, and commercially restrictive I'd have thought.

Also, not having accurate sizing on stuff during a pandemic when they can't actually try stuff on is particularly problematic.

Really sorry about your DD OP, we know a couple of families going through this at the moment and it is really really tough. I hope you and she have plenty of support.

I don’t know the brand. I can totally relate to teenagers and weight issues. My daughter is tiny... I really don’t know what to do, she is quite controlling about her calorie intake and exercises 6 days a week. Recently found out her periods have stopped, she has spoken to gp who said they will return once hormones rebalance.

But it doesn't only sell one size. It sells one option in most things, sometimes two, but the sizing is different for every individual style of item.

That's not a normal retail model though, I presume it's because cheap tat.

@S0rrel

It sends dreadful messages out re women- we should all be one tiny size.

Many other brands have petite sizes to go with their range of sizes. That I can live with.

No it doesn’t, not any more than shops like Evans and SimplyBe ‘send a message’ we should all be overweight.

@gigity That's not a normal retail model though, I presume it's because cheap tat.

Does it matter if it is a normal retail model though? They aren't claiming it is.

Most high street stores buy high volume fast fashion, hardly new.

People comparing it to others shops are though.

Having witnessed anorexia at close quarters, I feel desperately sorry for you and for your daughter. But it's not a shop's fault.

Brandy Melville clothes are each only available in one size - yes, there are some styles which are tailored and close fitting and wouldn't fit a curvier or large-breasted teen but equally as many styles that are absolutely not. I'm a curvy size 12 (12-14 on top) and can wear a lot of the hoodies, tea-shirts and trackybums which are stretchy and oversized. There is plenty of choice of styles for most teenagers of a healthy bodyweight.

Other stores like the late great Topshop nominally go bigger, but in practice they don't; you'd rarely find anything bigger than a 12 on the rack and I can't even get their classic skinny jeans over my calves!

Different shops for different demographics and bodyshapes. This one just happens to cater for slim, young teenage girls.

I'm a fashion buyer, thanks for the tip 😆

Just looked at Evans. They have 10 different sizes. Not comparable.

Most other shops have a range of sizes whichever spectrum they market too

Not saying it’s a shop’s fault. Saying it’s a shit concept, will hinder recovery for many and could even trigger an eating disorder for some. Also saying it sends a really crap message re women’s bodies.

Tammy girl always seemed to have small sizes, but in reality teens were general slimmer than they are now.

I think we were shorter back in the 80s. There's a bus stop that serves a high school just outside my house and (pre-Covid when I used to pass it on the way to work) all the teenage girls seem to tower over me, and I'm an average height woman (5'4). If you're shorter in general you will have a smaller frame and so be slimmer.

They’ve removed the logo at least but it used to be one size fits small!

The shop has less sizes to choose from and is generally one size. The hoodies and sweatshirts are designed to be worn more as dresses. If it fits a size 14 like a normal hoodie it’s too small!

I hate that my dd loves this shop. She’s almost 15 and buys lots from there. It’s her birthday next month and I’ve ordered her a few bits and a jumper that on the model is huge, looks like it would fit no more than a size 10 and that would not be in the oversized way it appears online.

Why is it okay to call a smaller size not normal?

By normal I mean “average”. Most teenage/young girls are not a size 6.

I think they are actually. Dd is 14, 5'7" and has both boobs and hips. She has a 24" waist as did I at 14. It is a normal teenage size.

BM fits her really nicely.

It isn’t normal for all. Far from it.Being a size 8 has caused my dd to end up in hospital. Bodies and metabolisms vary.

Completely agree with you OP.
It's not wrong that they sell clothes in small sizes. Women and men of all sizes need a choice of clothing that makes them feel good. It's wrong that they ONLY sell the small size and set themselves up as aspirational. It's really irresponsible and unpleasant.

Also the clothes look like my own crap clothes from the '90s from Tammy girl, Snob, River Island. But that's irrelevant.

I'm really sorry that you are going through this with your daughter OP. You sound like a lovely parent.