Anybody who has been inside a Brandy Melville knows the experience of finding the cutest top, looking through the racks for your size, only to find that they all say “one size.” One size fits who? You ask yourself in the dressing room when this top is clearly pinching your sides. That’s Brandy Melville for you. A store that only sells “one size fits all” – and somehow makes you feel like you’re the problem for not fitting into that “all.”
The cut of all its mini skirts, crop-tops and low-rise jeans are clearly for one specific body type. That being thin, petite and often white. Brandy Melville has built its brand on this curated image. Its trendy Instagram and cult-like teen following are proof that this label isn’t just selling clothes – it sells a lifestyle. A lifestyle they make clear not everybody can have.
This exclusivity is not a misstep, however, it is a very intentional strategy. Sell young girls a specific image of what is admirable, and they will buy. Brandy Melville has exploited the emotional vulnerability of teen girls by reinforcing narrow beauty standards under the guise of effortless style.
For young shoppers the message is clear – to wear Brandy Melville is to belong. So many teen girls wear the brand almost as a signal of worth, consciously or not. “I’m good enough because I can fit into these clothes.” It’s rhetoric that doesn’t stop once leaving the store. Videos titled “Brandy Haul” on YouTube and TikTok rack up hundreds of thousands, even millions, of views. And, it leaves so many wondering, why can’t I just be like them?
It’s this exclusion that fuels an already messy world of body insecurity. The pressure to squeeze into those jeans has nothing to do with the jeans itself – it’s all about feeling worthy. It’s this that fosters low self-esteem, body insecurity and even eating disorders. Just so Brandy Melville can make a quick buck.
And it is those girls that practice bad eating habits to fit into the top that become the brand’s greatest supporter. They’re loyalists now because they have proven they can be a part of this lifestyle. This devotion only strengthens Brandy Melville’s image, creating a loop where exclusivity drives loyalty, and loyalty drives exclusion.
So yes, Brandy Melville, your “one size fits all” mantra might drive sales, but at what cost? Fashion should be for everyone, even if your tiny tees (which, let’s be honest, aren’t exactly high quality) say otherwise. Maybe if you open up your sizes you’ll make even more money, and not drive girls crazy in the meantime.
