A Look at the Dark Side of Fast Fashion Brand Brandy Melville
Why Brandy Melville is One of the Worst Fast Fashion Brands
If you haven’t watched the new documentary Brandy Melville & The Cult of Fast Fashion on HBO, we highly recommend doing so. Not only is this brand contributing to workers exploitation and overconsumption like most fast fashion brands, but they also have a dark toxic culture among the young women who work in their stores and shop there frequently. Let’s dive into all the reasons we avoid this fast fashion brand…
What is Brandy Melville?
Brandy Melville is a multinational fast fashion brand that originated in Italy in the early 1980s. However, it didn't achieve international popularity until its expansion into the US and rebranding to a California-inspired style in 2009. The brand caters to young women and is recognized for its 'one-size-fits-most' sizing. As of 2023, their revenue exceeded $300 million, and they currently operate 97 stores. Their products range from intimates to everyday clothing, including their popular graphic tees.
Why We Avoid Brandy Melville
Lack of Transparency
Brandy Melville does not disclose any information about its labor practices. We don’t know if the people making their clothing are being treated fairly. However, with price points as low as they offer, it is very difficult to pay a living wage.
Sizing Practices & Fatphobia
The brand has a significant issue with its unique sizing. Brandy Melville claims that “one size fits most” with the majority of its clothes only available in size XS/S. This promotes the idea that all women should be very skinny, making many girls feel uncomfortable in their own skin and encouraging them to lose weight, even when it's unnecessary. The brand's body-shaming is unacceptable. Several girls discuss their sizing and body image concerns in the documentary "Brandy Melville & The Cult of Fast Fashion." Many employees reported being fired for cutting their hair or gaining weight.
Racial Discrimination
The documentary also highlights racial discrimination among Brandy Melville workers. People of color who worked at Brandy Melville stores were mainly assigned to work behind the scenes restocking, rather than being in the front as the 'face' of the brand. As one former Black woman employee stated, "If you're white, you have to be in sight." Young women were hired based on their looks, even if they were reported to be terrible employees. In an interview with Business Insider, Luca Rotondo, a former senior vice president, stated "If she was Black, if she was fat … he didn't want them in the store".
Sexual Harassment
Another shocking revelation in the documentary, Silvio Marsan, the founder of Brandy Melville, allegedly requested full-body pictures, specifically asking for images that included the chests and feet of the Brandy Melville girls. Business Insider’s Kate Taylor found a reported sexual assault that happened to a 21-year-old Brandy Melville employee where she woke up the in the "Brandy apartment” naked. The hospital records said she was “r**** by her boss and didn’t want to report it” to the police for fear of losing her job and being forced to leave the country, as she was working on a visa.
Environmental Concerns
Brandy Melville creates incredibly cheap disposable clothing made from cotton and synthetics. Synthetic fabrics are derived from petroleum and are essentially plastic. They hurt our environment throughout the production process, and take hundreds of years to decompose. Conventional cotton is also very harmful to the planet and the farmers.
Pushes Consumerism
With millions of followers on social media, Brandy Melville has created a cult-like following and regularly shares new clothing styles.
What is Fast Fashion?
Fast fashion refers to brands that produce high volumes of clothing throughout the year. These brands now make clothes at a fraction of the price they used to, enabling consumers to update their wardrobes quickly and affordably.
But this over-consumption of cheaply-made clothes is leading to the huge growth of textile waste, pollution, and the depletion of natural resources. It is raising social issues that we can no longer ignore, such as human rights violations.
The best thing we can do, as consumers, is to stop supporting this industry. We should avoid fast fashion brands and start supporting sustainable clothing brands, shopping secondhand & loving what we have.
Interested in learning more about Fast Fashion Brands and Why You Should Avoid them? CLICK HERE
While we highly suggest you use and take care of the things you currently own, if you do want to shop for something new, please check out our approved brands here.