The fashion industry has always been one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. The only thing constant about it is change. Fashion holds the power to control other industries as well. Changes in fashion are often like unnoticeable ripples; one small change by fashion companies ends up making enormous differences for other industries depending on it. Whether it be beauty products, fitness, raw material, or even pharmaceuticals, they are all indirectly reliant on it.
A few days ago, I stumbled upon the Brandy Melville Store in Chelsea, London. It had a pleasant collection of clothes to look at. There were many items in the store that l personally recognized from TikTok. When I picked out some clothes to try on, I realized that they all belonged to ‘one size.’ As someone who doesn’t fit perfectly into the size zero category, I observed that while the employees were of the perfect size which the brand had to offer, the clothes weren’t too flattering on my body.
In today’s day and age, as communities and companies are becoming more and more accepting of different shapes, sizes, and individual bodies, brands are also trying to be more inclusive through the way they manufacture and design their clothes. Within most stores today, one can find separate sections with clothes tailor-made for plus-sized customers.
As a result, an international brand, like Brandy Melville’s, negligence to produce size-inclusive items can have a very negative impact. Melville’s target audience are girls of impressionable ages who are often insecure about their own bodies and face criticism for not being of the ‘right size’. When a brand encourages just one particular size it propagates a kind of nonchalance that, while on paper is a good thing, borders on negligence and could result in deeper issues within the customers, like eating disorders and anxiety.
Charlotte Lang, who works at the Covent Garden Branch, told me: “Even if there is a variety of sizes within the shop if someone likes that set product and it doesn’t fit them, they are excluded from wearing it and they have to find some other product in the store that would fit them. So, there is that exclusivity.” The manager of the store agreed that most of the customers who bought clothes did not vary a lot within their sizes.
The brand has tried giving out the message saying one size can fit all but it has a completely opposite effect of the positive message. It is impossible for one size to fit every shape or body in it.
Social media has taken over the entire world and many young girls can be found obsessing over and heavily influenced by trends started by influencers. The current ongoing trends are the soft girl aesthetic or the downtown girl aesthetic. There are influencers making ‘GRWM’ (get ready with me) reels. These kinds of reels give ideas to their audience about what kind of clothes they can wear. People are then influenced to buy those specific clothes and end up being disappointed. Some may forget about it but some may end up feeling horrified and triggered by it which could lead them to hate their bodies which eventually leads up to Eating Disorders.
When they see a brand like Brandy Melville endorsed by them, they feel encouraged to buy it. Unfortunately, not a majority of them feel pleased after actually trying the clothes in real life.
I spoke to a girl who visited the store and she said, “I have come here for the first time. I have never really shopped here but I came today to have a look after all the TikToks but now I am regretting my decision. This place is not for me” The girl wishes to stay anonymous.
The brand spoke to Verde magazine online and their representative Sara had an answer to the backlash being faced by the brand. She said, “Brandy is finally starting to head down that road of being aware that they would have more customers if they decided to do different sizes [of clothing]”. Sara also added, “So I think we have had a bad reputation but we’re trying to go down the right road.”
It seems like the brand has finally understood the negative impact it has had on the people around and now they are ready to take responsibility for its actions. The fashion industry has been taking drastic measures in order to be more inclusive with sizes, but with such brands, it still has a long way to go.