Southern Belle in Training

Fashion, Travel & Lifestyle Blog || Est. 2012 || Virginia Beach, VA

April 16, 2013

Victoria's Secret: more than just a fashion statement?

     Recently Victoria's Secret seems to have been getting a lot of bad press. Some of my Facebook friends have shared this letter from a father to Victoria's Secret that went viral in the past month. For those of you that haven't read this, basically a father of a three year old girl wrote a letter to the company telling them how displeased he is in their upcoming lingerie line, "Bright Young Things," that is geared towards middle school aged girls. He told them how when his daughter is in her middle school years he doesn't want her to think of herself as a sex object, but instead be able to keep her innocence.

     For the past couple years I've bought quite a bit of stuff at Victoria's Secret and have enjoyed shopping there. After reading this article I did a bit of thinking on the issue that this father has presented, as well as my own reasons for shopping there. Here are my conclusions:

     First off, I think that Victoria's Secret is already marketing to middle school aged girls and has been since before I was even in middle school! I remember a time when I was in 8th grade and I was in the mall by a VS store. They had this really cute pair of pajama pants on display in the window from their PINK line. I begged and begged my mom to let me get them, but she wouldn't let me because a.) they were extremely overpriced and b.) like the father who wrote this article, she didn't want me at the time supporting a company that would allow me to have distorted views of my self-image. Now that I'm older I think that she made the right decision at the time, but in the moment I was furious. Things from Victoria's Secret became like a forbidden fruit that I wasn't allowed to have.

     On times when I was at the mall with friends during this time , I would go into VS and browse around. Even though I was a fairly small girl when I was 13-14, they had tons of items from bras and panties to loungewear that would have fit me perfectly. Victoria's Secret will tell you that their PINK line is marketed to college girls only, but I can say for a fact that most college girls aren't even able to fit into their smallest sizes, so clearly they are targetting a younger demographic whether they will admit it or not.

     I remember how when I entered high school almost every girl in my grade was obsessed with the PINK yoga pants from there. In my freshman year gym class all of the other girls would wear PINK sweatpants and t-shirts as their gym clothes. I begged and begged my mom to let me get something from there, and she finally let me get a pair of PINK sweatpants. I remember how cool I felt wearing my new pants in gym, and I can proudly say that they were very well made and still feel just as comfy today as they did then. They're one of my favorite pairs of pants to sleep in during the colder months!

     Even after getting my special pants, my mom still used to talk to me a lot about why she disagreed with supporting Victoria's Secret. She talked to me about how important modesty is and about how the company uses sex to sell their products. I listened to her on these issues, but as I got older (and started driving myself to the mall) I began shopping at VS regularly. Below are some reasons for why I do:


  • They have well made undergarments: The underwear and bras that Victoria's Secret sells are wicked comfortable and last awhile. They tend to be expensive, but the key is to shop during the good sales, where you can find amazing deals.
  • Not everything that they sell is "sexy": What I've come to find is that VS sells a lot of "normal" looking undergarments. They have plenty of bras without a lot of padding (including a great selection of nude colored bras that don't show through shirts!), and underwear that isn't overly skimpy or embellished. I've found that many of the bikinis that VS sells actually cover more than bikinis from other stores, and their PINK loungewear is just plain comfy (and modest!). 
  • They have a history of great customer loyalty: Last year VS unveiled a short lived rewards program in select states (Maine happened to be one of them). The more things that you bought while the program ran, the more rewards you were eligble to claim. This promotion was happening at the same time as their semi-annual sale, so while I stocked up on some much needed undergarments I ended up getting certificates! I was able to get two free pairs of PINK yoga pants (each valued at $40) and also an adorable hot pink weekend bag that I use as a carry-on when I fly (valued at $70). 
  • They reward you for shopping: VS sends coupons all of time or vouchers for free underwear. I can't tell you how many cute pairs of panties I've gotten for free! They also have a popular "secret rewards" program a few times a year, where if you make a purchase you get a gift card to use the next month with a surprise amount on it. One of my suitemates at college got a secret reward worth $100 last year! Their semi annual sales in January or June are also great times to stock up and get amazing discounts. 
  • They have the best smelling perfumes: VS has so many reasonably priced and sweet smelling body mists and perfumes. I think they smell like a million times better than the ones that Bath and Body Works sells, and many of them have sparkles in them. :-)
    But at the same time, I don't think that the company is without fault either. I do think that they go over the top on their advertisements. I'm not a fan of their TV commercials, I think they're way too sexy for primetime television. I agree now that my mom made the right choice by not letting me shop there when I was younger (before I was more confident in my self-worth and beliefs on purity). I think that Victoria's Secret should stay away from their "Bright Young Things" line and focus on marketing women instead of younger girls.

     So in conclusion, I think that it's fine to shop at Victoria's Secret if you're a young adult or grown woman, and if you buy appropriate things. If you're married, then go ahead and buy all the lingerie you want, haha! But if you're a single girl, I think that it's ok to buy cute undergarments, but you shouldn't be buying anything sexy. There is definitely a difference between the two. Remember, if you're single then you're the only one who should be seeing the things you'd buy there...(but really though). If by shopping at VS you feel that your beliefs on purity are challenged, it might be best to avoid purchasing things there. But if you feel that you can make proper shopping decisions and not let the brand compromise your morals, then shop on!


     I'd love to know what your thoughts are on Victoria's Secret! Do you support them, hate them, or fall somewhere in between? If you do shop there then what are your favorite things to buy?


     xoxo Miss ALK


     P.S. I've decided to join many of my fellow bloggers in now responding to your comments via e-mail. If you'd like a response from me make sure that you have an updated e-mail address linked to your blogger account! :-) 

     
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1 comment

  1. VS is just embarrassing to me! I don't think I will ever shop there because I'd be embarrassed to go into a store that has hugmongous pictures of practically naked women on the outside of their store!! It is so hard for men to keep their thoughts pure when there are such horrible pictures on the outside of the store!! To be honest, I don't really agree with your points on VS, I think it is just a store to be avoided... I don't think its the best store for Christian women to be going into, but that's just my opinion.

    Love,
    manda
    http://meandjesus-amanda.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete

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