When I was in middle school, the era of Tumblr and romanticizing your life was in full swing. Yes, we all needed Lana Del Rey’s
Born To Die album on vinyl, we took artsy photos with our Polaroids, and we thought we were so different.
I was also introduced to two brands that would impact our shopping experience for life: Urban Outfitters and
Brandy Melville. Urban carried the boho chic, semi-overpriced clothing, and vinyl records so you could live the edgy life of your dreams…and Brandy carried “one size fits all” clothes that were super soft and basic.
Quickly, everyone who was anyone was wearing Brandy Melville. We existed in a time when everyone thought they were destined to be on the coast of California with their tortured artist boyfriend and a camera. So, obviously, Brandy was the epitome of that dream.
When Brandy Melville partnered with Pacsun, it was over. We all were rushing to the mall to get the next one-size-fits-all garment…but the catch? One size didn’t fit all.
It became a running meme- Brandy Melville stores were geared towards women under a certain weight. And, to make matters worse, the workers were intentionally cliquey and rude when you tried to shop in one of their standalone stores.
For years after Brandy Melville’s prime, girls made social media posts jabbing at the old Brandy workers for their behavior.
And we all moved on. People realized this brand didn’t really care about its customers…so they shopped elsewhere. Until recently.
You know a documentary is good when it gets the internet talking. Because if there’s one thing the public loves, it’s drama and a good sob story. So when we heard about the new
HBO documentary, Brandy Hellville: & the Cult of Fast Fashion,everyone thought it was going to cause the evisceration of the brand.
And while the documentary does detail horrifying stories of racism, employee mistreatment, and admission to ripping off designs in the name of fast fashion…it didn’t stop Brandy Melville from resurfacing.
No, it made Brandy Melville more popular than ever.
Because the documentary reminded the public how damn comfortable the Brandy Melville sweat sets are. They’re reminiscent of a simpler time, when we were all younger vying over the brand’s clothes.
I’ve watched countless TikToks where girls show their new shopping hauls and mention Brandy. I listen to podcasts where influencers are once again gushing over their Brandy sets. It’s like suddenly we’re back in 2014 and none of this ever happened.
In fact, Brandy Melville has never experienced a financial crisis because of all the controversy. They’re still a very successful fast fashion brand, and it’s just getting worse.
I can’t even lie to you, I recently purchased a Brandy Melville denim skirt from Pacsun and it barely fits me. Some of the items are so small I can’t even fathom how
“one size fits most.”
But what’s equally impressive is the world’s indifference to this. We’ve seen it before: shopping on SheIn for discounted prices despite knowing how unethical the site is and not to mention other fast fashion stores like Forever 21, H&M, Missguided, Boohoo, and yes, even Zara.
These days, it’s hard
not to shop fast fashion– even if you feel bad about it. Soaring prices of clothes, the replicability of the market makes it so easy for every store to recreate the same clothes…even if the quality is a massive difference. And unfortunately, stores with past scandals like Hollister and Lululemon, where issues like size inclusivity and racism have surfaced, have taught us that shoppers don’t seem to let controversy affect them.
In 2023, Brandy Melville did around $212 million in sales- a sharp increase from the $169 million they did in 2019.
Not only that, but Brandy Melville’s reign of terror is showing no signs of stopping. Instead, social media users recently caught Brandy Melville’s attempt at targeting an older group of women: the 25 and up crowd. A new store under the Brandy umbrella has launched called St. George.
At St. George you can get more mature versions of Brandy Melville favorites, home goods, and more. Yes, you can get St. George olive oil (which I’m sure is the best of the best) when purchasing your St. George tank. And, yes, their sizing includes large.
And if this is their attempt at saving face in the wake of the documentary, it’s hilarious. Genuinely funny. It’s what they should’ve been doing all along…but instead of truly addressing controversy and making change, they’ve reincarnated.
