by Monica A.
***Crème de la Fem is not sponsored by Victoria's Secret***
Victoria's Secret is likely the best known lingerie brands in the United States. From their yearly fashion shows to their easily recognizable television commercials, Victoria's Secret is not a secret well kept. It is easy to get lost in the stores, with trellises of brightly colored, bedazzled bras hanging on the walls and mazes of adorable underwear tables. Between Victoria's Secret and their sister store PINK, it appears that options are near endless. However, even in 2019 Victoria's Secret's success should seek to reach out and make a more accepting realm for women of all body types. On a personal level, I stream into the store for their 8 for $28/ 10 for $35 panties sales. As I browse for my underwear I know to steer clear of the bras and other adorable clothing options, because as much I love the styles, I know that VS and Pink do not carry my size. Now as many who know me know, I am not a big girl. In fact I am pretty average on the standard of women. Average height, average build, just a little extra pudge in the front. And while I am well aware that there are stores that can serve the needs of my clothing, the quality is key.
Victoria's Secret, while producing amazing styles, also produces clothing in qualities well worth the brand name. The underwear I have, is some of the best on the market. They are not easily ruined in the washing and drying cycle like most cotton underwear, and they have a very wide variety of materials so you aren’t reduced to only choosing cotton underwear. Many of my friends who do fit into Victoria's Secret sizes have articles of clothing that are 5-7 years old. Now for men, that does not seem to crazy but trust me as a woman, to have a pair of sweats, leggings or a sweater that last more than 2 years is a miracle in and of itself. So that fact that the quality of Victoria's Secret products hold their value is an art many companies have yet to master. So why is it that a company who can produce quality materials can not produce something inclusive?
Well a lot of it is based on pressure. The lingerie market sells through sex. It is just the way it is, and because of societal notions, like ‘big girls can’t be sexy,’ the type of sex that sells is the sex that is “socially acceptable”. Society says it is OK for the skinny, pretty girls do be desired, but not for the girl with a tummy roll or stretch marks to be desired. So purely to maximize selling margin, they have stooped to the market low. So far, it has worked and why fix what is not broken, right? In the most unfortunate way this leaves much to be desired for the brand. With the spring of the new year, it can only be hoped that new societal notions and change in the norms of beauty impact the market. Hopefully, Victoria Secret and other brands can be more open to the production of their clothing lines. Regardless of societal norms, big women will always exist, and big women will always be sexy. Not including more body types in clothing lines only limits a company's ability to grow in the future.
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