Brandy Melville - AIBU to find it a bit toxic in its marketing?

[queenceleste]

They seem to be marketing to a specifically small size of young girl/young woman. The sizing has got to exclude a significant proportion of people but I guess that’s their USP?

Does anyone else find them a bit suspect?

There are always ridiculous queues and about 98 slightly different styles of white vest, or cami tops, none of which are apparently the particular one DD is looking for...🙄

Oh Polly does down to a size 4 I believe.

Their returns policy sucks too (credit note only). Their cotton jumpers are brilliant but the t shirts are pretty flimsy.

My daughter had health issues and it was one of the few places that had clothes to fit her. Even then, some of their stuff was too big. Places that have one size only are always going to exclude some.

She is now 21 and ball dresses continue to be a challenge :-(

I shop there with my teens and I’m 51. It’s great for basics - I have a few jumpers and they’ve lasted 4 years so far. It’s really cheap and the clothes quality are decent for the price. I don’t wear the tiny cropped T-shirts but they have some nice stuff in classic, plain designs which I like. There’s also an adults version in Notting Hill & on Kings Rd which is similar but sizes are S & M I think. Why not have a shop for slim people? If you don’t like it, shop elsewhere. I don’t get mad at shops where everything is massive and the size 8 doesn’t even fit (because it’s not a size 8 anymore) so don’t come at the shops for slim people.

I think this is a pretty silly and misleading statement. Skimpy “baby tees” have been around for yonks. I wore them myself in the 90s.

I am not sure about the Brandy Melville business model but their sizes are actually not that small. They are definitely aimed at the 12 to 16 age group and their clothes do fit the average girl of that age group. Of course this does exclude anyone who is not “average”.

Do any smaller women actually feel they are missing out through not being able to shop at Evans?

It’s great for DD but so many other shops aren’t. Let the little ones have something for themselves.

What do you mean, admit they aren’t “women’s” sizes? I’m a woman. I’m a size 4 on top, 6 on the bottom. Yes I’m small, but I’m not “not a real woman shape” of whatever other illogical nonsense people might say.
I’ve never actually heard of this brand (my children are too young, and I’m guess I’m too old) but I do find it pretty hard to find a decent range of clothes in my size.

My daughter has always sneered at BM, but then she’s a size 12 and can’t fit into their stuff! Calls it clothes for mean b*tches. Everything looks tiny in there.

That is pretty mean of her, isn't it?

So smaller girls buying clothes that actually fit and suit them are “mean”, but sneering at a shop and the girls that buy their clothes is not mean? Delightful.

What a delightful girl you’re raising. Some of us have daughters with illnesses that mean they’ll probably never be more than a size 8 - they need shops that cater to them. Also, they’re not sneering at size 12 girls. ….

This made me laugh out loud. Last time I went into an Evans admittedly years ago it was predominantly cold shoulder tops and waterfall cardigans presumably to warm up those cold shoulders. I didn’t have to battle a huddle of wistful size 6 women to get to them!

Was just going to say that, every time I iron my daughters t shirts I think these feel really good quality. They also (in the UK) play excellent music in there , unlike the dreaded Subdued which blasts out men shouting rude things.

I do look at some of the staff and think if you are not anorexic I will plait fog but conversely, why shouldn't there be a shop that sells things for that size, some young women are very slight - the t shirts will fit up to a size 10 so it's not like you have to be a size 4 to go in there.

I think their recruitment policy can be a bit suss ie you appear to need to look like a model to work there and interestingly, the only non white person I have ever seen working there was in the changing room which did make me wonder. My daughter and I do talk about these things - but then the bloke that owned Lululemon was similarly problematic , except apparently he was quite open about not wanting people above a certain size to wear his leggings.

Perhaps all the people on here who, when slim people say they get abuse, say no they don't it's only fat people - may want to remember this comment. You are a mean bitch if you are a size 8, ok then. I can't imagine hearing my child saying that and feeling anything other than embarrassment.

Why do women find it acceptable to have a go at women who are thinner than them. It is absolutely bizarre. We've had mean bitches and now we aren't women. Womens weight just makes people absoutely mental.

Yep. I am a 51 yr old who wears Brandy Melville stuff still (hand me downs from my teens) - I am neither mean, nor a non-woman. I suspect the girl that says all size 8 girls are mean bitches has a bit of a chip on her shoulder.

It’s not even a consistent ‘one size’ some items are much bigger than others

Yes it’s actually good quality my dd1 had loads and it’s now all dd2’s and is still in good condition

Does she have any redeeming features? Why haven't you pulled her up on her hypocrisy.

Being petite is not a personality trait.

My 16 year old often steals her younger brother's t shirts. In the 90s the baby tee was a thing and I have noticed it coming back. I also don't think there is anything wrong with one size

I agree. It seems designed to stoke insecurity about size, even borderline pro anorexia behaviour.

A friend’s daughter, who is 17 and has had a long history of eating disorders, got scouted to model for them because she apparently had the “Brandy look”. It’s very obvious this child has eating disorders and I thought it was cynical and irresponsible.

No of course it doesn’t have to be for everyone but they are targeting impressionable young women and I think they ought to provide a more realistic range of sizes.

They have shops all over the world and always seem packed. So what do you mean by 'realistic sizes'? Clearly many many young women and girls are shopping there, are they not real?

My 16 yearold is a fan. She is very tall and between a 4 and a 6. She is NOT anorexic nor a 'mean girl'. Ffs.

This thread is pretty crazy. There's nothing wrong with marketing to a specific audience. Not all teenagers are in size 16 clothes.