Friday, August 29, 2014

Brandy – one size – Melville

I recently discovered that a Brandy Melville store opened its doors in Vienna. I got really excited and decided to use my next day off work to check out the newest "fashion must-have-been-there". As I walked in I felt like I took a trip to the US. Love it! On second sight I felt old – really really old. One fashionista debated with the other if the tiny crop top she was trying on was making her look fat – both 14 to 16 years old and extra skinny. Oooookay.. Not my business. Let’s keep my eyes on the cloths and my ears to myself.

I decided that a woman at 27 is not too young to shop at Brandy and carried on with examining the shop. I really liked the cloths and jewelry and wanted to try on pretty much everything. Little did I know that Miss Melville does only “one size” aka. size small. And that small goes from “that could actually fit me” to “not even as a Christmas gift if I stopped eating today”.

I decided try on some unbelievably soft oversized shirts, two way too short crop tops and a sweater that was seriously miscut. While changing into the first item, I discovered that there are no mirrors inside the changing room. Seriously? Now I can’t even decide in private if I look ridiculous in a size iddy biddy crop top? Of course not, I have to show to everyone else in the store.

That was the moment the two crop tops died for me. But I will not give up! Next I tried on an oversized white shirt and left the dressing room to take a look. You’d never expect something that looks fine when you hold it in hand to be see-through enough for everyone in the store to tell every single detail of your bra while wearing it.

In the end I bought a white almost nontransparent oversized v-neck shirt that is so soft I just couldn’t leave the store without it, and a necklace.

Final conclusion
I did like the store’s design and their cloths. But I just cannot understand why a fashion label only produces one-size clothing and doesn’t provide mirrors inside every dressing room. Well, I can guess, but I think it is wrong in so many ways that I am seriously thinking of never ever shopping at Brandy Melville again. How dare them making women feel bad about themselves if they don’t fit into size small?

Isn’t there already enough that women have to deal with? Do we really need to add to the list that we are not allowed to dress fashionably if we don’t fit the extra skinny profile?

I know that Brandy Melville is not the only label who only produces one size. And I read that this actually is the message they want to send to the world. The question is how do we react to that kind of dictatorship? Yes, I did give in myself. But I will think twice about going back to that store ever again.

Where are the labels that take an actual risk and set the trend to love your body the way it is? They are all trying to be unique and come up with things no one has ever seen. Try to take a step outside the box.