Fat girls at Victoria's Secret.
Replies
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Personally, I feel that it is amazing that VS is hiring larger girls. When they stopped carrying XL panties in their stores (at my location) I refused to give them business in store anymore. Especially, since I was told they could not order it online for me, that I had to do it myself. However, if they are leaning towards changing the image that only skinny people can wear/buy their clothes in store, and they are offering to order in store for home delivery, that makes me think differently.
Congrats on the job, and thanks for sharing the news!0 -
I would be more comfortable with a plus size employee than with a girl with a waist the size of my arm helping me. Though that may be because i'm afraid of skinny girls. I can honestly say I've never been in Victoria Secret, mostly because the size 0 women in there are quite intimidating.
I have absolutely no preference as to what a person looks like as long as they are helpful and nice.
I have to say I'd be even more uncomfortable if they had a man working there. Big or small, old or young, it'd make no difference, i'd run the other way.0 -
Congrats on your job!
I have two daughters and 4 nieces that I shop for at VS. I have also worn Love Spell as my daily body spray for many years. I've only once had a bad experience when a sales associate did not greet me or even make eye contact with me and made me feel very uncomfortable. I'm assuming it was because I am obese. When I literally had to follow her to the back of the store to ask a question she had a distasteful look on her face and clearly did not want to talk to me, again avoiding eye contact and giving one-word answers. I was completely fed up and asked to speak to the manager. After explaining how I felt, I informed the mgr that this associate lost her store a $300-400 sale that day and that I would not be shopping there in the future. I would rather go out of my way and go to another store than to give my money to a store that would hire such a person. The manager was very apologetic and told the girl to wait in her office. She then took my name address and phone number. I received a $50 gift card in the mail a week later with a note saying that the girl had received further training after my incident, and that she actually no longer worked there because she did not make it through her probation period. The manager then called me about a week later and personally invited me back to the store so she could help change my mind about that location. I was happy to go back after seeing that she was proactive and showing me that she cared more about her customers than some snotty employee.0 -
Congrats on the new job! It sounds like maybe policies are improving or that your area store is enlightened. I'm so glad!
I like the products (bras in particular), but I definitely feel like I'm not wanted as a customer at the store. They USED to carry larger sized bras in store, and now they don't even have samples to try on so you know you have the right style/ size (they discontinued my style and I was screwed). They used to sell panties in all styles in size XL, and now only the high leg brief. Also, their coupons for a free panty used to be able to be substituted for a cotton high leg brief if the panty they intended to give away didn't come in an XL. It went from no big deal (any clerk could do it), to fat-girl walk of shame for special manager override, to no, you can't have a free panty that will fit you, even after the walk of shame (a newer company policy that was typed on the coupon). I love their product, but I feel like such a fat, unappreciated loser when I went in there last time that I cried when I got home and decided I shouldn't go back.
I used to shop there exclusively for makeup, bras, panties, and fragrances. I don't know if I'll ever shop there again though.0 -
Congrats on the job. I used to be able to sometimes find 40DDs there, then I gained rather than losing and couldn't find bras that fit there, so I just stopped going. Knowing they hired you, it makes me feel MUCH more likely to go back and shop there as I lose the weight. I love love love sexy clothes, but for now would keep my money for in store purchases where I can find clothes that fit. But I am very glad to hear your story as I can look forward to treating myself to some VS when I reach some more goals weight loss and size wise!0
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Yesssss to the above! Congrats ont he job - hope you LOVE!First - congrats on getting the job. That is awesome. Can you say Employee Discount!! LOL
But congrats.
Second - yes of course I'd still shop there. Its good to know that they are diverse and carry sizes for all women. Women come in all shapes and sizes and if they discriminated agaisnt that they would lose a lot of customers. I don't think I'd think one way or another if I walked in and saw a very thin girl or a larger girl. As long as they could help me find a bra to fit *me* I'm a happy customer!!0 -
I would be so happy to see a bigger girl in VS because it would make me feel totally comfortable and not embarrassed like I might feel with strictly thin employees. I think it would be awesome if part of your job was to do measuring because I would feel more comfortable with a girl who I can connect with in that sense! I don't have anything against thin employees, I guess I just might feel embarrassed in that circumstance (bra fitting, etc.)
Also, something I've learned so far in life; there will ALWAYS be people who will think you're not thin enough. I've been a healthy 154 lbs. before with a body that I'd kill to have now, and I had classmates and friends who made weight jokes/references to me. So what I learned is that you cannot please everybody and that's OKAY. Because, quite frankly, screw em!
So good luck on your job and remember; nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent!0 -
Since I don't want to spam my own post, I'll just say in general, thank you to everyone that congratulated me! And I'm really glad that some of you, knowing they hired a girl like me, would feel more comfortable shopping there knowing that they don't discriminate. I hope that someone my size or similar to my size sees me working one day and decides to come in. I hope I make people feel comfortable enough to come in and not feel intimidated 0
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SO MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE.
Even at 200 pounds, I had A cups. I need to know I'm not the only one with an 'odd' body. Diversity and approachability in lingerie shops makes me feel way more comfortable to ask for tips or to be measured, which ultimately makes me more likely to buy things.0 -
I like seeing people of all sizes everywhere I shop, as well as gender, race, etc. I don't want to spend my money in a store that discriminates.
AGREED!0 -
Congrats on the job!
I just wanted to chime in to say, they hired you for a reason. You're qualified and awesome! If anybody doesn't want to shop there because there's a plus sized girl there, they can just do all their shopping online. God forbid they have to encounter other overweight people while they're out! Might as well switch to all online shopping!
That, and I ♥ you.0 -
I would love to see a heavier woman work at the VS out here. I know some stores are coming out with plus size manikins (sp?) So that's a start I guess lol0
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Congrats on the job!!!
i hardly ever go into a VS store. Mostly because i figure i wouldnt look good in anything in there...if there were plus size ladies working there, i would definitely feel more comfortable to go in and look around.0 -
I will be definitely shopping at VS now! Love this!:)0
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I don't remember what any sales clerks at any store I've shopped recently even looked like. If I'm in a store, it's for the merchandise, not the person ringing me up. As long as someone can do the job and be reasonably polite, I don't care if they're in a panda suit.
Just not a clown suit. Clowns scare me.0 -
The only thing I care about sales associates where I shop is that they are not rude and that they are competent. Beyond that I could give a crap less what size, shape, race, age, gender or whatever they are. And I do shop at Victoria's Secret.0
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I feel way more comfortable with a bigger woman assisting me with apparel. If I was really skinny I'd probably feel better with a very skinny woman. Someone more my size can not only help me more, but I don't have to entertain any ideas that they're actually thinking "What a **** pig." or "I bet she's anorexic".
I never got the whole "Fat people should only play in sandboxes designed of them" thing...cause people that CARE that much about weight, surely would feel very secure about their place on the bell curve with the fatties running around knocking over their sandcastles with each thundering whomp.
Congrats on the job!
- Mharren0 -
I like seeing people of all sizes everywhere I shop, as well as gender, race, etc. I don't want to spend my money in a store that discriminates.
Agreed. But I don't shop at VS because I think the quality of the merchandise is poor compared to the price.
ETA: congratulations, I am sure you will do very well at your new job!!0 -
I just wanted to say that I think it's great that you got hired. I too work in retail and one of the best sales techniques is talking about what you personally love/wear from the store. I think a lot of larger women will feel more comfortable with you and I think you'll actually become the "favorite employee" for many women because you will know what works for you and you will be able to give advice from a larger woman's perspective.
Rock it!0 -
It wouldn't bother me in the slightest!0
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I am amazed to learn that anyone would have a problem with the weight of a sales associate at any store. People are strange.
Congratulations on the new job.0 -
They make me feel like "go find your own store" everytime I shop there, whether fat or thin, because my bra size is weird and they don't have it in the store, rather than offer to measure me and find it online, I've been told several times, by several workers, at several locations, "we don't carry your size". Point blank. JUST. LIKE. THAT.
I'm glad to see you are having a different experience and being treated well and may bring something better to the table but I've really been so turned off by this treatment that I will no longer shop there.
BTW my last trip, I didn't even make it past the perfume section which is on the side of the store without feeling perturbed. When I picked up the "tester" (clearly marked) and didn't even spray it just sniffed the tip barely, and set it down. A worker walked swiftly up to me. Rather than ask the usual "is there something I can help you find?" or "was there something in particular you came looking for today?" she said nothing, and picked up the exact same bottle I just set down, put her back to me and set it down in a different spot, as though I had set it down in the wrong place...then walked away. (on the same table just about one inch over so as to make a perfect triangle with the other bottles.) Excuse me, I didn't know as a customer it was my job to put things precisely just so, I hadn't even noticed the little shape they made. It just so happened I liked that perfume quite a bit and was about to pick up the actual bottle to purchase along with two others I know I like from there, and all the lotions, and extras that go with them to have a couple complete sets going into summer, since I really like perfumes and like to buy them for the seasons and especially fresh things for summer. Not after that though. I walked out feeling insulted. Again. Thanks VS! L'occitane says thanks too, since that's where I went to end up getting their lovely Pivoine roll on EDT and parfum spray. Next up Rose de Reines, and Jasmine Bergamot. It's gonna be a fresh and lovely summer.0 -
First, congrats on the new position! Second, I don't see why it should matter what size you are. If they sell your size and you like thier product, it's your money. Spend it where ever you feel like spending it.
I think having a plus-sized sales associate will make the larger women feel more comfortable shopping there.
I agree!! I would certainly feel better with someone plus sized!0 -
My question is, what does everyone think of "fat girls" working/being at VS? If you walked in and saw a fat employee, would you be more comfortable knowing that it's at least a bit more diverse, or would you be turned off? Do you think they purposely don't cater to "fat girls"?
I'm just interested in this topic because I'm realizing that I'll probably experience a moderate amount of scoffs and sneers from certain shoppers simply for being fat. I was just wondering what other people think on the matter.
TL;DR: fat girls working/shopping at Victoria's Secret: 'go you' or 'find your own store'?
The problem is that stores like VS advertise to a very specific crowd. I AM NOT CONDONING THIS, but every single Victoria's Secret advertisement contains nothing but scantily clad extremely skinny (fit) women. I dare you to find one VS advertisement with ONE even SLIGHTLY overweight model. It's primarily a lingerie and undergarment store, and even though they DO sell other items, their bread and butter is things that look good on under-dressed skinny people.
Some people like to believe they belong to an elitist crowd of "beautiful people" and don't like their sad little utopia to be disturbed by a larger person. Please don't mistake my explanation as acceptance of this action, I truly do think it's terrible. I'm simply pointing out that maybe if Victoria's Secret advertised their products using more REALISTIC women and didn't have pictures of world-class supermodels wearing next to nothing on every single wall of their stores... well, maybe there would be less people complaining about larger employees.
Unfortunately, this will NEVER change, because Victoria's Secret is in the business of MAKING MONEY and if they started using larger girls in their advertisements, fewer people would shop there. VS has worked long and hard and spent countless millions of dollars sculpting the facade of an elite and exclusive lingerie store. They don't market themselves as a neighborhood bra store, or an underwear store, they market themselves as a SEX store. Their ads are dripping with innuendo and images designed to create carnal desires. We wouldn't be having this problem if the subject were Macy's or J.C. Penny's, because they market themselves as a family friendly "everything" store.
The issue is the marketing. I agree that Victoria's Secret is a great place to buy a bra and panties, and I agree that there should NOT be any kind of sexual implications that go along with shopping there... but there ARE, and they've been very carefully placed there by the owners of the corporation. They want people to feel like they belong to an elite sexy club when they make purchases, so they come back over and over again.
So yeah, the *kitten* who come in and complain about a large girl working there are absolutely guilty of being *kitten*, but they've been conditioned by the corporation to expect something specific when they arrive. I've read somebody comparing it to visiting an Aveda salon and having your hair done by a lady with a horrendous haircut, or visiting a dentist with terrifyingly bad teeth. Your faith in their ability to provide you with the commodity you seek may decrease. I feel I must reiterate that these aren't my feelings, but many people who are going to a lingerie store to buy an item based around sex appeal and lust expect to be served by somebody who fits society's narrow views of beauty.
We have image problems in this country.0 -
Not a great idea to discuss an employer in an open forum.0
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Interesting topic....thanks for posting. For my own personal experience before AND after weight loss, I found VS younger employees would give me the negative once-over not for my size for shopping in the store but for my AGE. Which didn't really bother me cuz truly I don't have the time for 20-something drama queens...but your question gave me pause. And for those who DO work at VS, usually women *my* age have the funds to buy with cash. Just something to think about.
(Edited to add: Good luck OP on your own personal weight loss journey ) 0 -
Congrats on the job!
I just wanted to chime in to say, they hired you for a reason. You're qualified and awesome! If anybody doesn't want to shop there because there's a plus sized girl there, they can just do all their shopping online. God forbid they have to encounter other overweight people while they're out! Might as well switch to all online shopping!
That, and I ♥ you.
I love you too, baby cakes! :flowerforyou:
Everyone else: thanks again for all the congrats and responses. I agree, VS does market toward 'skinny' women, but I think it's more toward the men. Kind of like "If you buy this for your girlfriend, she will suddenly look like Rosie Huntington-Whiteley."
Also, it may not be the best idea to discuss an employer openly if you're speaking negatively. I, however, have nothing but positive things to say about them. So...thanks for your input.0 -
I agree with everything kilokata said. At the Victoria's Secret in my region, I've seen some women working there who could be described as overweight. Did it bother me? Not at all. I have yet to wake up in a perfect body, and don't see that ever happening. I went into the store to shop for my wife, not to ogle the people working there or the other shoppers.
The clothing does cater to women of a particular size set, just as Lane Bryant caters to a specific set. Neither scenario should be considered all that bothersome.
For whatever it's worth, the average woman is a size 14 and studies have found that men prefer a size 12 while women considered 6 an ideal size for themselves.0 -
sorry but I am sure where the deal with the customer service's weight is... or even with the other customer's weight... If I shop there it is b/c I want to buy smth that I want wear. I would not ask the customer service to try it out for me...
So what does other's ppl weight or appearance matter?0 -
I agree with everything kilokata said. At the Victoria's Secret in my region, I've seen some women working there who could be described as overweight. Did it bother me? Not at all. I have yet to wake up in a perfect body, and don't see that ever happening. I went into the store to shop for my wife, not to ogle the people working there or the other shoppers.
The clothing does cater to women of a particular size set, just as Lane Bryant caters to a specific set. Neither scenario should be considered all that bothersome.
For whatever it's worth, the average woman is a size 14 and studies have found that men prefer a size 12 while women considered 6 an ideal size for themselves.0
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