One Size Does Not Fit All

Brandy+Melville+has+several+stores+across+the+world%3B+this+one+is+in+Miami+Beach%2C+Florida.+

Brandy Melville has several stores across the world; this one is in Miami Beach, Florida.

Over the last few years, social media and clothing brands have begun to advertise to customers that there isn’t one ideal, perfect body type. Although several brands are creating diversity through their models, their sizes aren’t really changing. 

Clothing made for tinier teen females is great, but the fact that items are often labeled as “one size fits all” while only fitting extra-small to medium-sized girls makes girls outside of that size range feel unconfident.

Brandy Melville, a popular clothing brand mainly bought by teenage girls, blew up when it launched in 2009. In the 11 years since the first store opened, the company has continued to flourish.

According to Fashion Law, “The privately-owned company likely brought in somewhere around $300 million in profits in 2018.”

The brand’s product-research team is exclusively but brilliantly made up of Malibu-based teenage girls. The prices are low, while the aesthetic is trendy. 

“Being pretty short and tiny, I love purchasing Brandy Melville clothing because it fits me, unlike other regular clothing brands,” said freshman Kiya Downs.

The store is especially known for its “one size fits all” clothing.

However, many people believe these items are made to be sold only to small, skinny teenage girls. If you are one of those girls, the store’s clothing is perfect, but the way it’s advertised is blatantly wrong. The idea behind this is being able to shop with friends without having to look through the sizes, but it is not realistic. 

On Brandy Melville’s Instagram page, the posts all feature long-legged, skinny girls in their clothing. There is nothing wrong with their body types, but if their products are being advertised as one size is fitting all, why are they only fitting tiny people?

How could a size 16 girl fit in an item modeled by a size 0?

While clicking through the page, you see 5’7 models with size 24-inch waists, 5’9 models with 25-inch waists, 5’8 models with 23-inch waists, a specific body type that few girls have.

“I feel like Brandy Melville, being a popular brand, should either make more sizes or just label it differently, such as one size fits some or just small clothing. By saying one size fits all, it is making it seem like girls are obligated to fit into that size,” said sophomore Jordan Stankley. 

No one’s body type is exactly the same. By creating one size fits all clothing, the brand is basically forcing their idea of an ideal body type on girls who want to wear their clothing. This idea can be hurtful to consumers who don’t fit into those clothes.

There are also other brands labeling clothes as one size fits all. American Eagle has released a clothing collection called, “Don’t Ask Why.” This collection has only one size for all the clothes, and it is estimated to be from a size 2-6. Amazon has also been selling one size fits all jeans, skirts, dresses, and more on the website. The sizes of these are also estimated to be around size 2-6.

Clothing brands advertising “one size fits all clothes” on items made for tinier people should just be called petite or just plainly extra-small clothing. There is nothing wrong with clothing for smaller people, but it needs to be advertised for them. This would be a better label then saying that one size fits all. 

Although the one size fits all message probably shouldn’t be advertised, that is why there are regular sizes and plus sizes for people with different body types. There are several brands that advertise plus-sized clothing and brands that are starting to, such as Maurices, Forever 21, Torrid and several other stores.

Clothing brands should not be labeling clothing as one size fits all because no, one size does not fit all. Teen girls already have too many insecurities and low self-esteem problems as it is, and trends worsening those drops in self-worth need to stop.