Mainstream brands are struggling with producing clothes for all body sized. This is common and not a new issue, but as certain brands rise to popularity, the consequences can be dire.
If you walk into any high school, including T.O., you will probably see girls wearing clothes from a brand called Brandy Melville. These clothes are also extremely popular in colleges, and even middle schools. Lots of girls love and wear their clothing because it’s trendy, not very expensive, and easy to find.
However, most of the clothing at Brandy Melville is in only one size. The models from this brand are all skinny and look like stereotypical California girls.
In a world that’s filled with eating disorders and insecurity, this can be extremely harmful. Girls who cannot fit in their very limited size range will begin to feel uncomfortable, and their body image will most certainly be harmed.
This problem has been going on since the store first became mainstream. The lack of diversity in both clothing sizes and models has proved to be very problematic throughout the years.
Lots of teenage girls walk into Brandy Melville and they see that they can’t fit in any of their items. Self-esteem is important. Stores that cater to only one size can cause issues with it.
The popularity of Brandy Melville is continuing to grow, so the store should make an effort to be more inclusive for everyone. Many girls feel uncomfortable with their bodies because to be “trendy” they have to fit in a size 0.
The issue works on the other side of the spectrum too. Along with plus-sized people struggling to find their sizes, petite people are having issues too. If you are very small, you probably won’t fit into a good amount of items at Brandy Melville.
A solution for this major issue is for stores like these, who cater to girls with long legs and slim waists, is to create more sizes in an effort to be more inclusive to girls everywhere.