Brandy Melville, known for their “one size fits all” clothing has been adopted by influencer marketing, mainly for its “skinny aesthetic.” Shaming young women who possess a body type anything other than petite. Accusations of the brand targeting and promoting unrealistic standards among young girls have been hinted at throughout the documentary, “Brandy Melville & the Cult of Fast Fashion” by HBO. 

Since the early 1980s, Brandy Melville has been a growing reputable brand, opening its first US store in Los Angeles’ Westwood neighborhood. Italian businessman, Silvio Marsan and his son Stephan founded Brandy Melville, illustrating the name from a fictional story about an American girl named Brandy falling in love with an Englishman named Melville. Melville was attracted to Brandy because of her American style, and they fell in love in Italy.  As of 2024, Brandy Melville has opened stores in a total of 133 locations. 

Allegedly, Brandy Melville’s marketing strategy of limiting sizes is publicly criticized. Models of Brandy Melville with a height of 170 to 175 centimeters with a waist size of 63.5 centimeters are claimed to be the ideal body type. People who are able to fit into these clothes are reassured that they are part of the beauty standard. The validation people receive from fitting into petite-sized clothing encourages them to return. 

Josephine Lee, a senior at Cypress High School said, “It’s hard to shop at Brandy because it’s a hit or miss. You never know how the clothes will fit. I wish they had more sizes.”