As 2020 progresses, people are more into the idea of body image and the acceptance of this for others. So, if this is the case, why are there still brands that don’t provide body-inclusive options? 

A prime example is Brandy Melville. It is notorious for its one size fits all or more petite options. You may be wondering “How can one size fit everyone?” 

It can’t. 

As expected, the “one-size fits all” approach created lots of backlash but still seems to remain a definite size on their website. 

Most of their jeans and pants fit around a 23 or 24-inch waist. The brand does in fact have different sizes such as small, medium, and large but there is little variation between the three. The large is said to fit around a person who wears size 2. This may be a size that is true for some females, but it is not very inclusive.

Just a simple glance at their website portrays mostly extra small or small sizes, seeming to be out of their larger options. 

To make matters worse, this brand is very popular. With lots of high schoolers struggling with the idea of fitting in, this only enhances those insecurities.

One former employee spoke out during the summer about their discriminatory policies that were put into place while she worked at Brandy. 

In an interview with Today, Callie (calliejeanxo) said, “The majority of them were white. They were really skinny, they were really tall; clearly, it was an aesthetic of that store. You’ll see that they have a certain type of people they hired.”

Senior Ani Kreegar agrees with the idea that Brandy Melville is inherently toxic and that stores that cater to plus-size individuals have to continue to exist unless there are significant changes in retail.

“This in and of itself is the definition of fat-shaming, because the average woman is a size 16.” Kreegar said, “Why do companies feel the need to shame women into becoming the discriminatory beauty standard?” 

Even in stores like Forever 21 or H&M, there is a separate section for Plus Size. This creates more of a divide and makes these individuals feel out of place or different. 

Fortunately, stores have opened up for the specific need of plus-size clothing such as Torrid. The company has a size range from 10-30, quite the opposite in variation compared to Brandy. Some might even be ignorant as to what stores carry due to not having a personal struggle with finding clothes that fit right. Kreegar realized this during middle school as some peers poked fun at the plus-sized clothing store.

“At the time, I honestly thought everyone went to Torrid. Just like everyone goes to Target, Nordstrom, and Macy’s.” Kreegar said, ”But it all changed when one of the individuals there pointed at the entrance to Torrid, and openly stated ‘Look, that’s where the fat people go.’”

This kind of comment is a prime example of the store having a bad connotation. This may lead to makes some people feeling abnormal.

So, although; it is great to have sizing for people who are not normally represented, it still brings up the question. Why do plus-sized individuals need another store to get what they should normally get in every other retail store?