Victoria Secret On A Slippery Slope
Tags: Body Positive, Women, Body Image, Sexuality, Victorias Secret

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L Brands, the holding company of Victoria secret announced after their second-quarter results which ended in May 2020, that it plans to close 250 of its stores in the US and Canada.

Victoria Secret billionaire Leslie Wexner has been involved in fighting over his refusal to hand over controlling shares of the business, but he has finally agreed to step down as chief executive and chairman of L Brands, amid declining sales. Or so they say.

The furor over the billionaire’s involvement with Jeffrey Epstein and the accusations that Epstein used the Victoria Secret name and connections to lure underage girls into his sex trafficking ring may have something to do with it.

Victoria Secret has a long history of sexualizing women. The brand is well known for it’s super skinny, scantily clad models strutting along the runway for the fashion shows each season. The Victoria Secret Angels were punted as the gold standard of look for women to aspire to. But this is changing.

As the end of the X, Generation is hitting their 40’s, the Millennials have become the main market for what would normally be their core target. Unfortunately for them, the Millennials are not buying into their image of what a woman should look like or wear.

Gone are the days of women’s self-worth being judged by the size of clothing they wear and what they look like. The Millennial women are questioning brands that are pushing the sexy image to please men, and resisting the messaging they are putting out into the market.

While some models may still be dreaming of becoming a Victoria Secret Angel, the consumers reading the publications, seeing the adverts, and buying the products are no longer aspiring to that image.

A failed attempt

It took Victoria Secret till October 2019 to release adverts that featured plus-sized models in its stores. Judging by the model, she is hardly plus sized though. This was a campaign that was run as part of the British lingerie firm, Bluebella, who featured their first transgender model May Simon Lifschitz.

Unfortunately, this was short-lived as the now ex-chief marketing officer, Ed Razek, made derogatory comments about not wanting to use “plus-sized” or transgender models in his marketing Stateside.

The issue is that the company is trying to show some level of compliance, but not actually doing anything meaningful to change the trajectory of the business or their image.

When looking at the Victoria Secret adverts, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to see the absolute lack of diversity in their model selection. The white man’s boys club is alive and well in the selection process with the token darker-skinned girl making an appearance out of a begrudged decision in a boardroom.

The brand has never fully embraced the regular girl and this tone-deaf attitude is causing the house of cards to crumble.

Adding the Epstein scandal to the mix should have the rest of the board of directors of Victoria Secret scrambling for solutions and a way to remove themselves from this highly buffed image they have built up over the years.

What should they be looking to do?

Firstly, one size NEVER fits all! Women come in all shapes and sizes, and everyone’s taste in lingerie is different.

They need brands that cater to a wider variety of needs and wants. There is a requirement for a more body-positive approach. For women who are looking for function and comfort, to those who are wanting to bring sexy back, the list is long of what can be done with the range of bras, nightwear, bodices, etc.

Women are looking for products and brands that uplift them in ways that are not only limited to their breasts!

Yes, women want to feel sexy, but this is not only for the pleasure of men. A positive self-image is what the new generation of strong and independent women are striving for. Understanding the psyche of a woman when she is getting ready for a tough workday, or the desire to feel sexy even after she has put her screaming baby to bed is so critical to resonating with them on that level.

Our young girls also need to be inspired. Seeing strong, independent, and successful women of all shapes, sizes, and colors are important for the next generation. It has been too long that the traditional skinny and predominantly white princess with the perfect flowing hair is the gold standard. It is an unattainable and unsustainable goal for the majority of the women on the planet. Add photoshop and airbrushing to that mix and you have a recipe for disaster.

We need brands that are representative of not only our body types but reflective of who we are as women.

Protecting our girls and women against the predatory circle of the Weinstein’s, Epstein’s, and Wexner’s of this world is the responsibility of the community at large and we need to hold brands and companies responsible for promoting these kinds of images. If it means boycotting the brand to the point of bankruptcy or closure, then so be it. We have established that the people do indeed have the power to do that if we choose to stand together against them.

So who are the brands that are supporting the good images of women?

There are so many other brands to support who are already promoting positive self-images for all. Here are some to look out for:

Sablier Lingerie & Shapewear

Not only do they use regular models in their posts and promotions, but their products are also suited for all body shapes and sizes.

They are functional and sexy and deserve your support.

Follow them on Instagram @shopsablier

Nubian skin

This London based brand promotes skin-toned lingerie and hosiery for women of color. They ship globally, so definitely worth checking out.

Follow them on Instagram @nubianskin

Savage x Fenty

If you are looking for something different, join their over 3 million followers on Instagram who are loving their new ranges.Follow them on Instagram @savagexfenty

See! It is not that difficult to do, we should be sending these to the product and marketing staff at Victoria Secret so they can see what they should be doing before it is too late.