If you shop at Brandy Melville, you are probably aware of the accusations against the teen fashion brand for perpetuating fatphobia and instilling harmful values in young women and girls. The brand notably offers only one size of clothing that can be classified as a US small/extra-small, something that is glaringly obvious as soon as you spot the “one size” tag on each and every one of their items.
Even though they are aware of the brand’s controversial practices, Lick-Wilmerding High School’s generally “woke” students frequently sport Brandy garments, myself included. The reason for this phenomenon? Brandy Melville’s skillful marketing techniques.
It is a rarity to find traditional advertisements for the brand, directly contrasting their fast fashion competitors who continually make use of flashy social media campaigns and unavoidable billboards. “I don’t see marketing for Brandy… I think it’s because they already have an audience: teenage girls,” said Olivia Sze ’25.
As of now, Brandy Melville has garnered millions of followers on Instagram and TikTok, many of whom are girls our age. Their simplistic posts usually feature an image of a model or models wearing several Brandy pieces in a cohesive outfit.
These photographs are aesthetically pleasing and appear as candid pictures that could have been shot on a friend’s iPhone camera. This creates an illusion of effortlessness associated with the brand, fostering an idea that one could realistically look like Brandy Melville’s models, who are overwhelmingly thin, blonde and white.
photo courtesy of @brandymelvilleusa on Instagram
These visually harmonious images come off more like outfit inspiration from an influencer than the advertisements that they actually are. The ads create an identity for those who theoretically wear Brandy Melville clothing as someone who is fashionable and attractive. Consumers can only claim this identity once they purchase a Brandy product, in turn, weaponizing consumers’ insecurities, and forcing them to engage in the brand’s exclusivity, thus keeping them hooked.
Due to the algorithms on many social media apps that curate personalized content, as soon as I like a post featuring Brandy Melville, or something similar, I’m flooded with images featuring their garments. Soon, I find myself purchasing Brandy Melville clothing, which I think validates my interest in fashion, but is actually the culmination of an insidious marketing campaign to gain customers. Brandy Melville targets me by blurring the line between my interest in their aesthetic, and my envy of their models’ appearances.
Brandy Melville’s “basic” aesthetic, offers a refreshing catalog in comparison to other fast fashion brands who opt for trendy garments rather than classic pieces. They offer an affordable solution to my desire for more staple clothing items in my closet, that can be easily styled in a variety of ways. I do not have extensive time to spend researching ethical brands that sell the ideal, high quality “basics” I am looking for, particularly not when Brandy Melville easily solves this problem.
photo courtesy of Brandy Melville
Brandy’s style philosophy extends beyond their merchandise, however. Their brand identity is built around the picture-perfect “Brandy girl” and her covetable lifestyle. While the brand lacks the more traditional collaborations with celebrities, many influencers routinely wear the brand, associating an enviable, wealthy lifestyle with their clothing. Brandy Melville preys upon my personal aspirations, promising this glamorous life as a result of purchasing their garments.
When I put on a Brandy top, I think to myself: Maybe I could travel to the many iconic American cities Brandy references on their clothing? Or I could gain popularity by sharing images wearing Brandy items on social media? Brandy Melville sells more than products; they sell the hope of becoming a specific type of person.
Hiding behind these savvy methods to gain shoppers, Brandy Melville conceals many of their controversies. Similarly to countless other fast fashion brands, Brandy has been scrutinized for their lack of information about their internal operations and environmental impact.
Good On You, an organization that rates fashion brands on their labor conditions, animal welfare and overall environmental impact, scored Brandy Melville a “We Avoid” or 1 out of 5. In their assessment, they cited Brandy’s “lack of sufficient information” about these factors as reasoning for the low rating.
photo courtesy of Good on You
Unfortunately, many young girls start shopping at Brandy Melville at an early age, typically around middle school, before they know any better. “[I’ve been shopping there] since I was in seventh or eighth grade. That was when I started to think about [my] style more,” said Sze.
By the time they realize Brandy Melville’s unethical practices, exclusivity through their sizing policy, establishment of beauty standards and poor commitment to sustainability, these young shoppers struggle transitioning to other brands. After all, they’ve spent their entire adolescence outfitted in the brand’s clothes.
As a younger girl, I was more susceptible to the toxic ideologies spewed by the brand. I was inundated with the idea that if you had Brandy Melville, that made you cool and stylish, and if you fit into Brandy, that made you pretty. “[Fitting] into Brandy clothes, that’s like a… badge of honor to people,” LWHS Sustainable Fashion Club leader Cameron Kwok ’25 said.
Brandy Melville helps sustain a cycle where young people easily equate their worth to items of clothing, and their overwhelming popularity discourages mass resistance against the brand, making it nearly impossible to stop shopping there. “I think that [Brandy Melville’s large following] has contributed to their popularity. [The idea is] that if other people like it, you’re going to like it,” said Tara Manning ’25, another Sustainable Fashion Club leader.
As much as I would like to completely stop purchasing clothing from Brandy in the future, I would be remiss not to admit the way Brandy Melville’s business strategy has conditioned me to continue supporting them. In spite of the guilt I feel for funding the brand, I do not know how to completely repair the harm I have experienced and perpetuated, whilst shopping from them.
At the same time, the societal issues that Brandy Melville upholds are larger than the brand itself. We live in a world designed to make young women and girls feel insecure in their own skin as a result of unattainable beauty conventions. Ending all future purchases from the brand would only be one step towards breaking down this oppressive system.
