Brandy Melville, from teenage girls’ toxic dream to real California dreamland
Known for its laid-back vibes and Instagram-worthy aesthetics, Brandy Melville has successfully captured the hearts of many teenage girls seeking to emulate its chic yet casual style.
A quick scroll through their website or social media pages reveals a sea of slim, seemingly perfect models sporting the latest pieces from their collection.
Recently, #BrandyHellville & the Cult of Fast Fashion, an HBO Original Documentary that uncovers the toxic origins and culture of the teen brand and the global ramifications of mass-produced clothing, premieres April 9 on @StreamOnMax.
The concept of one-size-fits-all might seem like a beacon of inclusivity, promising garments that can adapt to any body type or size. However, here’s the reality: slim-fitted designs that cater exclusively to a narrow definition of beauty. This deliberate exclusion not only highlights Brandy Melville’s bias towards a certain body type but also sends a damaging message to their target audience. By perpetuating this narrow standard of beauty, they effectively alienate those who don’t conform to it, leaving many young girls feeling inadequate or unworthy.
Former Brandy Melville employees exposed the brand’s racist and fat-phobit culture — that they only hire slim, blonde, white girls who fits the brand’s ideal image of “what kind of girls should wear Brandy Melville”.
Meanwhile, text messages sent by company executives and practices they supported that were allegedly sexually exploitative.
Starting from last year, Brandy Melville launched a new series on their social media account — girls who are talented musicians performing in their clothes.
Although there are still comments on “racist”, the overall comments focus more on the angelic voice, sophisticated performance, and clothes they wear.
The products Brandy Melville offers are still “one-size-fits-all” and “girl-next-door in California”, but the social media contents pivots from only showing girls’ body (skinny, white, and tall) to music.
I think the strategy is successful by focusing on inner talents rather than body image. It’s somewhat very hard to completely change the brand identity from “one-size-fits-all” to true inclusivity, so by pivoting the focus to music can navigate customer to focus less on sizes of clothes and maybe diffuse the controversies it faced in the past.
Brandy Melville’s targeted customer is still teenage girls looking for chic, casual, “girl-next-door” vibe who want a “teenage bubbly Californian dream”. And Brandy Melville’s new approach on social media by incorporating young female bands and singers give them the dream-like inspiration, while also “low-key” shows support for musicians from diverse background, race, and ethnicity.
Will I buy Brandy Melville? Yes, because it’s relatively affordable and gives me the teenage girl’s effortless chic. Yes, because despite its past controversies, it has made a change.
Brandy Melville is in its changing phase. It may be a toxic dream in the past, but it could become the real California dreamland for teenage girls.
