Instead of trolling people on the Internet and watching reality television like one would assume most American youths do after school, wonder child Abby Richmond has penned an essay calling out a popular retailer for body shaming in Women’s eNews. Her target: Brandy Melville..
You might know Brandy Melville as the decently priced tweenie store with non-tacky cheap jewelry, ripped boyfriend jeans, and plain Jane white tops you could find anywhere else. The thing that sets Brandy Melville apart, though, is that their clothes don’t run in your average XS – XL. Instead, their sizing policy is “one size fits most.” Because that’s a way to make your customers feel really great about themselves when they think they might need scissors to cut themselves out of a striped crop top. I’m speaking from personal experience here, and realizing you might suffocate in a crop top marketed as fitting the majority is just as fun as it sounds.
Luckily, Richmond’s not here for Brandy Melville’s games, and she calls out the brand for catering exclusively to thin young women and how this body shames any customer who doesn’t fall into the barrel of “most.” Check out this gem on Richmond’s (and her friends’) experiences with the brand:
I have seen how horrible the store makes girls feel about their bodies, and I’ve felt it myself. I’ve seen my friends scroll through Brandy’s Instagram feed, gaze discontentedly at the gaunt, digitally-edited models flaunting the store’s cute clothes, and say, “I wish I could look like them.” I’ve walked into the store, regretfully picked up a doll-sized shirt that would never fit me and, bam, my self-esteem is automatically lowered for the rest of the day. I try not to let the store get me down, but when you’re a teenage girl full of insecurities, that’s hard to do. Brandy Melville preys on teen girls’ self-doubts, and instead of encouraging us to love our bodies and wear clothes that make us feel good, they promote an exclusive, 90-pound ideal for all of us to worship. I want to love my body. I want my friends to love their bodies.
If only the rest of the world were as wise as this high school girl. She’s already self-published three books, and she’s only a sophomore in high school so cue the feelings of inadequacy. If Richmond’s any indication of the future, though, we’re here for it like a Rihanna concert.
