When you think about clothing trends and what’s popular amongst teens, a very prominent brand that might come to mind is Brandy Melville. Brandy Melville is a pre-teen to teen clothing brand
that gained popularity in the 2010s for their aesthetic. Since then, it has been the norm for most teen girls to wear or at least own some clothing pieces from Brandy Melville.
If there were one brand that could define the current era of teen girl fashion, it would be Brandy Melville. Nearly every girl I know has bought from this popular fashion brand which prides itself on its minimalist, youthful aesthetic. Influencers and celebrities alike promote Brandy Melville. In some cities, lines of customers waiting to enter the busy store crawl around the block. So, given their enormous success and popularity, why is there so much controversy surrounding Brandy Melville’s ethics and marketing?
Brandy Melville prides itself for having trendy pieces, but the bigger issue is that they pride themselves more on the fact that they’re a one size store. Brandy Melville is not inclusive with their sizes, which creates a toxic environment within the company. It’s also harmful because it promotes toxic beauty standards in teenage girls. Not only are Brandy Meville’s beliefs in sizing outdated, but they also have an awful work culture. When hiring, applicants need to provide their Instagram because appearance and presentation are a crucial factor in the hiring process. If the girls don’t meet the typical standards of being thin, white, young and standardly pretty, then they likely will not be considered. Looks are valued more than the actual customer service, which can be felt in the atmosphere of a Brandy Melville store where employees seem judgemental and unhelpful. It is known that if you go to a Brandy Melville store there will be a very high possibility that you come across rude workers giving unwelcome looks.
The work environment is not the only thing that is very questionable about the company. The owner and creator of Brandy Melville is also known to have strange and creepy behavior towards the company and the workers/models themselves. Up until 2021, there wasn’t a CEO that could be found when looking up Brandy Melville. There was a full investigation just to finally be able to put a name to who created the brand. The hiring process that this CEO came up with was strange, with a lot of requirements for the application process. Basically if somebody was hired and they weren’t white, then they would be sent to the back and not able to actually be seen. That’s the work environment they had. Also, everyone was required to send a full body picture of their outfits everyday before work. Those photos were then sent to managers, who then sent them to the CEO. Something important to note is that these girls are typically underage. The company attempted to justify this whole situation by saying that they needed to make sure the girls were dressed in the right aesthetic, inspired by what teens are wearing these days to further appeal to the demographic.
Although there are controversies and scandals that are associated with the brand, the sad truth is the hype for it will truly never die down. Teen girls will continue to constantly buy their clothing and talk about the latest drops that just hit the store. The trend of shopping at Brandy Melville will always be popular, whether it’s the drama surrounding it or the talk of what the new season line will look like. In the end, Brandy Melville will always be a topic of discussion.
