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The Official Victoria's Secret Thread


Kevork89

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Off topic:

Was just reading a new review on The Lingerie Addict I thought was interesting and had a lot of good points.

 

Victoria’s Secret has released its newest “Designer Collection” for Spring/Summer 2015. As with last year’s release, the collection is targeting customers who want something “special” from a name they already know well. Yet so much of what makes a piece truly “special” is in the purchasing experience itself. And here is where the Victoria’s Secret “Designer Collection” is really lacking. These campaign images are pure catalog. There is no sense of fantasy or luxury in these images. Considering the collection is crafted of polyester blend fabrics, you would think they would elevate their photos to help elevate the pieces themselves (and justify the price point!).

Victoria’s Secret is resting on its name recognition and the fact that their target audience doesn’t know to look for “more” in a special occasion piece. They are banking on their customers not realizing that at this price point they should expect stronger editorial images, richer fabrics, and more innovative silhouettes. Instead they are getting more of the Victoria’s Secret same. Other than a few details, it’s hard to tell this is a “Designer” collection. It would be easy to stumble onto these offerings from another area of the Victoria’s Secret site and not know you were looking at the brand’s “luxury” offerings. The silhouettes, models, and styling are indistinguishable from other collections on the site.

Full review: http://www.thelingerieaddict.com/2015/02/victorias-secret-designer-collection-springsummer-2015.html

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Victoria's Secret is under pressure to offer larger sizes

 

Consumers are increasingly pressuring the world's most dominant lingerie brand to offer plus-size lingerie. Thousands of people have signed petitions in recent weeks for Victoria's Secret to offer larger sizes.

 

Victoria's Secret controls a whopping 35% of the lingerie market, far more than any other retailer. The largest panty size it offers is XL, or equivalent to a size 16. The fashion industry defines plus-size clothing as sizes 12-24, though many retailers offer up to a size 28 to meet demand. Bra sizes are inconsistent.

 

Some styles are offered up to a D, while others go up to a DDD. Still, many women feel they don't have a good selection at Victoria's Secret. The author of one petition, Dana Drew, said she loves her California Victoria's Secret store so much that she has a credit card there. She can't, however, buy lingerie there.

 

"My money and my credit are good enough for them, but the fact that I can only buy items like perfume, lotion, and body spray sends the message that my body is not," Drew says. "Every year I watch the Angel fashion show and would love to purchase the items I see on my screen but can’t because Victoria’s Secret doesn’t sell plus sizes."

 

Other petitions are encouraging Victoria's Secret to show more diverse body types than the ultra-thin models at its annual fashion show. Victoria's Secret models like Doutzen Kroes and Lily Aldridge are known to work out for four hours a day in the weeks leading up to the show. The brand recently ignited controversy with an ad campaign portraying a series of stick-thin models with the tagline "The Perfect 'Body.'" While the phrase was a play on the brand's "Body by Victoria" bras, many people were offended by how models were portrayed. Victoria's Secret eventually ditched the campaign and changed the headline to "A Body For Every Body."

But a recent petition on Change.org calling for curvier models suggests that the annual fashion show promotes unrealistic expectations for the average woman.

"Victoria’s Secret should consider their bottom line when making this decision," according to the petition. "There are over 100 million plus size women in the United States and we spent over 17.5 billion dollars on plus-size clothing last year."

We've reached out to Victoria's Secret to ask if they plan to offer more plus sizes in the future.

businessinsider.com

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I agree completely with that article. When I was in usa my sister wanted to shop at VS and sadly they didn't have any size for her and same for one of my friends. They weren't happy at all. To be honest at the end of the day it's the fashion industry they don't necessarily need to have a fuller figure girl as a spokesmodel if they don't want. Lots of other brands don't. But at least other brands offer better sizes.

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Best of luck with that petition. I'd love if they sold plus sizes but I get the feeling that VS is totally cool with their snobby standards. All I can think of is the 2013(?) fashion show where in one of the casting vids one of the head chicks said they were looking for "voluptuous" girls, and all their models were sticks.  :ninja:

 

Adding a wider range of sizes would mean diversity. And we all know how VS feels about diversity.

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What sizes are considered "plus size"? I thought XL was plus size?

 

I´m little bit confused here, hope someone can help me. Here in Slovakia, sizes bigger than XL can be mostly found only in specialized shops (it´s better with guys, where XXL is quite accessible). The general range includes sizes XS, S, M, L, XL - generally.

 

Is the situation same in US or different?

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Honestly, it's the same here. They're just targeting VS because it's the biggest name. 95% the lingerie chain stores in Canada (La Senza, La Vie en Rose, Aerie, etc) that are in the same price range as VS carry XL and DDD as their largest sizes. To get anything larger, you usually have to go into a boutique store, or a plus sized store. It's the same for clothing too. Most women's stores don't carry anything over an XL. Not saying that VS shouldn't consider extending their size range, but it's the same across the board. It isn't VS being 'snobby.' 

 

I also think that article about the designer line is ridiculous. La Perla and Agent Provocateur both have pieces that are completely synthetic that they charge over $500, and have models on a plain background on their websites. They're selling a product- the most important thing is being able to see the pieces clearly. Not how artistic that shot of Candice is.   

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For US, regular sizes are small or extra small through extra large. Plus sizes are bigger than extra large and usually are called 0X, 1X, 2X, or 3X. Some stores just say XXL or XXXL, etc. We also mostly just have them in specialty stores, which are few and far between (at least where I live), with only a few stores here and there catering to all ranges.

 

I don't think VS is snobby just for not catering to plus sizes, I think it's snobby to only promote super thin women (as far as their models and shit are concerned). No, they're not the only ones who do it, but that doesn't make it any less snobby just because they're not alone. But I'm not trying to start a full on rebellion against the fashion world; I just don't approve of how narrow-minded it can be about body type sometimes. Obviously people will disagree, but that's my personal opinion.

 

In the clothing store I work in, the most popular/common sizes we sell are about 8, 10, or 12. That's pretty average. Most models are around 0, 2, or 4. [These are US sizes.] This is just one example, but still. 

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Thank you both for your inputs! I highly appreciate it!

 

I have nothing against the fashion world being more diverse with introducing models with sizes 6 and higher (I actually think that the fashion world is getting more diverse each year, at least that´s my personal view) but I have to say that I find it cringe-worthy when someone is trying to promote sizes that are evidently over-weight, obese and unhealthy (mostly labelling it with "voluptuous", "womanly", "curvy").

 

I understand that shops will sell products in demand and those that sell well (addressing the general public), the investment in specialization is costly.

 

Maybe one day there will be a petition for building plus-sized aeroplanes, who knows? Joking here. (but you never really know :ninja: )

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Thank you both for your inputs! I highly appreciate it!

 

I have nothing against the fashion world being more diverse with introducing models with sizes 6 and higher (I actually think that the fashion world is getting more diverse each year, at least that´s my personal view) but I have to say that I find it cringe-worthy when someone is trying to promote sizes that are evidently over-weight, obese and unhealthy (mostly labelling it with "voluptuous", "womanly", "curvy").

 

I understand that shops will sell products in demand and those that sell well (addressing the general public), the investment in specialization is costly.

 

Maybe one day there will be a petition for building plus-sized aeroplanes, who knows? Joking here. (but you never really know :ninja: )

 

+10000

And on the other hand, the fashion industry isn't about showing reality! It's about our perception of beauty, many people want to look like them. For us it's more appealing to look on a thin, toned body rather than an over-weight body.

But I certainly agree that they, not only VS, should use healthy/skinny and not just toothpick models.

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Well I will give VS the benefit of the doubt a little bit because their models are fairly healthy skinny girls and aren't necessarily unhealthy skinny girls. Sure there was some bad choices like Anja and even Karlie at the beginning but Karlie did gain weight and has a much healthier body now. VS are all about promoting the healthy fit girl now, compared to how they used to be before. For me out of their Angels the only girl who looks a bit on the unhealthier side is Behati. All their other girls are very fit and healthy and girls who work hard to keep their bodies in shape. I get the direction VS are heading in. Especially with the VSX line. So you can't fault them for that. A lot of businesses now are promoting health and fitness.

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Thank you both for your inputs! I highly appreciate it!

 

I have nothing against the fashion world being more diverse with introducing models with sizes 6 and higher (I actually think that the fashion world is getting more diverse each year, at least that´s my personal view) but I have to say that I find it cringe-worthy when someone is trying to promote sizes that are evidently over-weight, obese and unhealthy (mostly labelling it with "voluptuous", "womanly", "curvy").

 

I understand that shops will sell products in demand and those that sell well (addressing the general public), the investment in specialization is costly.

 

Maybe one day there will be a petition for building plus-sized aeroplanes, who knows? Joking here. (but you never really know :ninja: )

 

Amen to that, and I say this as a curvy girl (who always has an incredibly hard time when shopping, even if I'm an average 12, if that conversion site was right). Virtue stands in the middle, and in acknowledging the fact that this "middle" is made of many tipes of body, all of them healthy, so all of them should be represented, in the fashion world AND in the stores. People should just stop calling unhealthy skinny models "fit" and unhealthy obese girls "voluptuous". Both extremes are bad. When everyone will get that, things will be way better for everyone.

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I am sorry and I will sound like a bitch here but if you are over XL you are most likely overweight instead of curvy and probably can't buy clothes in any regular store and not just VS. People need to cut the bullshit and leave VS alone because it's tiring to see them get bullshit for everything when other brands do the same and don't get anything. I also cringe at the thought of am XXXL woman walking the VSFS, just like I cringe when i see Anja's pictures from 2011. People forget that VS is selling us a fantasy, it's absurd to expect something else and if they addes some "diversity" I can only imagine the amounts of shit those models would get.

And as far as the designer collection goes, while it is true that the pictures look the same as Very Sexy per say or whatever i bet it's selling anyway so why bother spending the extra money when something regular would sell just as well? I loved the first shoots with Barbara, Sara and Anais but that was VS introducing us to the collection, now people know about it and will buy it regardless of the pictures.

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