Brandy Melville is sartorial Marmite. The California inspired clothing brand has four shops in London and is loved by some for its cotton basics like vests, long sleeve tees and pyjama shorts. But there’s a catch: those cutesy pointelle camisoles and baby tees come in a “one size fits most”, which is usually somewhere between an extra small or small.
As such, the stores are full of waif-like girls and 14-year-olds. The shop’s door in Paris is famous for being so narrow that anyone who is not stick thin has to swivel their body sideways to get in.
@real4youpage No bc why do they do that 😭😂 🎥: @jamiexmalone #brandymelville #brandymelvillehaul #brandymelvilledoor #brandyhaul #paris #parisfashionweek #parisbrandymelville #SongOfTheSummer #brandyoutfits
♬ original sound - acidprincessstan
But recently, a new older sister to Brandy Melville opened on Westbourne Grove, Notting Hill. It looks exactly the same from the outside, with beachy pale wood and whitewashed walls, but is called St George.
When I came across it last week I thought there had been a rebrand until one of the shop assistants told me that St George was like Brandy Melville, but catered to an older audience. “Does that mean you have sizes that will fit people who aren’t pre-pubescent girl-sized?” I asked. “Yes, we have size small, AND size medium,” the assistant said with a smile.
Many of the items are still one size fits (sm)all, but there were a couple of dresses and jeans that went up to a medium. I was told that St George is still finding its feet and waiting on some size medium stock.
Considering the average woman in the UK is a size 16, going up to a medium (typically size 10-12) hardly revolutionary. But Brandy Melville’s sizing has always seemed brazen, especially in the face of the body positivity movement.
The brand is relatively media shy and has never given an explanation as to why they don’t cater to larger sizes. Online commentators reckon it’s to create an air of exclusivity and desirability. For some, it’s shameful to wear Brandy Melville – for others, it’s a badge of honour.
Brandy Melville was at the centre of a media storm in 2024 after a documentary was released on HBO called Brandy Hellville & the Cult of Fast Fashion. Former employees over in the US branches described a toxic workplace culture where racial discrimination and sizeist politics were rife. It also featured customers who said they lost weight to fit into the brand’s clothing.
