Victoria's Bull****

I admit I’m not a regular Victoria’s Secret customer.     Although the store does carry my bra size and I’ve indulged in the occasional lacy bra or bottle of sparkly lotion, the styles I tend to wear are more about cost effectiveness, shape and comfort than being pretty.                After all, the only person who sees them besides me is my husband and he’s usually too preoccupied with removing this particular garment to actually notice it.

However when I saw the most recent “I love my body” advertisements on television, it pretty much killed any chance that I will become a regular patron of any Victoria Secret products any time in the near future.

The commercial I am referring to features a string of women posing sensually for the camera in their underwear and declaring “I love my body…” as though they hope they might be left alone soon so that they can get down to the business of making love to themselves.

The ad’s voiceover then goes on to stress that the “Body by Victoria” line of underwear is for every body…

If that’s the case, then I have to ask – why does the ad only feature a string of identical, slender, tiny breasted, small hipped size two models?  I mean they're lovely, but they're not exactly a good representation of every body.

It’s for “every body” that’s a size two supermodel?   Thanks, that’s a really useful product in the life of the average sized twelve to fourteen American woman.

I realize that Victoria’s Secret has always been a haven for the pinup model and that even though the store carries other sizes they would never dream of using a model who would actually need to wear one.   However, I would like to strongly recommend that the company wake up, shake off the addiction to extreme-slender-chic, and join the rest of us in this century.

A woman does not have to be a waif to be beautiful anymore.  Go look at the line of recent Dove “real woman” ads if you need proof.  This is what we, the consumer, want to see.

We want to see people that look like us, like our sister, like our best friend and like our mom.

We are aware that we’re beautiful just as we are, and that we don’t have to starve and sacrifice flesh to get that way.

So – to Victoria’s Secret I say – feel free to join the rest of us as soon as you get over the idea that women should hate the natural way their bodies look.     My shopping dollars eagerly await your reply.

Regards,

Carolyn

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Dear Carolyn,

Thank you for your e-mail regarding our selection of bra sizes. We apologize for any disappointment this may cause.

Unfortunately, we are unable to carry a larger selection of certain bra sizes due to low sales. We regret any inconvenience this causes.

We assure you that your specific comments have been forwarded to the proper department. We appreciate your comments and take them seriously. In fact, customer suggestions and comments often provide direction for changes in future merchandise and services.

If we can assist you further, please reply to this e-mail or call anytime.

Carolyn, we thank you for your interest in Victoria’s Secret. We hope you enjoy our products and look forward to serving you in the future.

Sincerely,

David P.
VictoriasSecret.com Customer Service

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Dear Mr. David P.

Your response to my message confuses me a good deal as it has virtually nothing to do with the email I sent to Customer Service.

As I stated in my first email - Victoria's Secret does in fact carry my bra size.

The issue I have with the corporation is simply it's refusal to place a woman who wears anything larger than a size two in any of their print or television advertisements.

I apologize if my statements made this in some way unclear, although I believe it more likely that my letter simply went unread and this is a standard form letter you send to unhappy 'fat girls' who can't fit into your sizes.

I write and run a nutrition oriented blog that often touches on incidents of discrimination in the food, beauty and clothing industries - and rest assured that my letter as well as your bizarrely unrelated response to it will be appearing there for my readers to see.

As I said - until I see more models in your advertising who look a little more like people I actually know; I will not be patronizing your establishments. After your inability to even address the issue I sent clearly, I will be encouraging others to find their undergarments elsewhere as well.

Best Regards,

Carolyn

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Dear Carolyn,

Thank you for your e-mail regarding our models. We appreciate the time you took to inform us of your concerns.

Victoria’s Secret is a brand that celebrates women’s curves. One way we do that is through our models who are physically fit women who we believe portray our image of sexy, sophisticated and forever young.

We appreciate your feedback and will share your comments with the appropriate individuals within the company to ensure that our values are being reinforced.

If we can assist you further, please reply to this e-mail or call anytime.

Carolyn, we thank you for your interest in Victoria’s Secret and look forward to serving you in the future.

Sincerely,

Denise S.
VictoriasSecret.com Customer Service

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Below is a picture of the aforementioned “physically fit, sexy, sophisticated and forever young models” in question from the company that “celebrates women’s curves”.

You decide.