Popular Brandy Melville Clothes Come in Mostly 1 Size
Some say that although the clothes may look good, they make them feel bad.
— -- Brandy Melville is the trendy brand that virtually every teen girl wants to wear, but there’s a catch: the clothes don’t come in every size.
Indeed, the majority of the clothes at Brandy Melville come in just one size, and most of the time that means wearers must be small enough to fit into them.
“Good Morning America” visited one of the Italian retailer’s New York City stores.
When our correspondent asked whether they had a style in a size 8, the cashier replied: “Everything’s the same size.”
When the correspondent asked if the store had the style in any size bigger than a small, the cashier replied: "Not for those."
When the correspondent asked if every item in the store is one size, the cashier replied: "Yeah."
The average teen is around 138 pounds with a 31 inch waist, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The jeans sold by Brandy Melville fit roughly a 25-inch waist.
It’s a size that teen girls are clamoring for, and the brand is just as popular on social media. Its Instagram account, featuring photo after photo of tall, thin young women, attracts more than 2 million followers.
“GMA” spoke to some girls who fit into the clothes but who admitted that if they couldn’t, it would hurt.
And some say that although the clothes may look good, they make them feel bad.
In an open letter to the brand published on the Huffington Post in March, 18-year-old Lani Renaldo wrote: “By not offering several sizes ... this company is separating and almost purposely making the girls with chests and curves feel like minorities and outcasts. Not only is this not okay, but it just isn't right.”
Brandy Melville has not responded to a “GMA” request for comment, but the retailer has previously said it believes its clothes can accommodate almost everyone.
Barbara Greenburg, a clinical psychologist, is concerned about the message the brand is sending.
“This store is giving teens this message that to fit in they not only need to be similar to their peers but they also need to fit into a size 0 or 2 … It's a recipe for developing unhealthy eating behaviors,” she said.