VS "Love Your Body" Commerical Rant

Erisad

Dear Victoria's Secret: I saw your "Love your Body" commercial several times last night on TV. It's a nice sentiment, really. But when you stopped carrying my size because you only wanted to market to a smaller crowd and all your models have the exact same body type, I doubt the sincerity of the statement. So is my body only worth loving if I can fit into your stuff? Of course not. What they probably mean is that I'm to love their bodies and not my own. I'm starting to think that even when I can fit into their stuff, I probably still won't shop there as they left a real bad taste in my mouth. Tastes like hypocrisy. /end rant

Shayzeepoo

I love the dove one... I have never been able to fit in VS anything!

pittskaa

agreed! i see that commercial constantly! they also don't carry my bra or underwear size, they used to though!

geekyjock76

I always liked the Hanes Her Way commercials because every one that I recall seeing featured shapely, athletic women.

laserturkey

I'm in the same boat. Make something in my size that makes ME look MY best and I will love your products.

Selunca

Not sure if this helps or not, but was a size 14 at my biggest, and that was a Small.

Erisad

I love the dove one... I have never been able to fit in VS anything!

I love the dove commercials. Although they stopped airing them though. Probably realized no one was buying their products because they were busy feeling good about themselves. Can't have that now can we? :laugh:

agreed! i see that commercial constantly! they also don't carry my bra or underwear size, they used to though!

Last night was the first (and fifth time) I saw it. It was really starting to get under my skin and I had to rant about it. :P

I always liked the Hanes Her Way commercials because every one that I recall seeing featured shapely, athletic women.

I don't see those commercials anymore either. Seems like you are only allowed to use skinny women in commercials nowadays.

Erisad

I'm in the same boat. Make something in my size that makes ME look MY best and I will love your products.

I know right? Frederick's of Hollywood has my size. Too bad it's like 2 hours away.

Not sure if this helps or not, but was a size 14 at my biggest, and that was a Small.

Um, I'm a size 16 and I wear an XL panty and 40C bra. Although I'm not sure if I'm wearing them too big or not. I might be. Sooo yeah, I may have different proportions. >.>

vishk2809

dove's 'real beauty' campaign was exactly the same...ummm, yeah. dove? you sell wrinkle and cellulite-firming creams. so its okay to love my *kitten*...just not the FAT on it. or it's okay to love my eyes but OH GOD are those crow's feet?
just a bunch of good PR is what it is, and a big load of crap too.

also in the vs fashion show, did anyone else laugh at the irony of katy perry performing her "be yourself" anthem "firework" while those models blew kisses at the camera? anyone?

jen_bd6

I went into Victoria Secret to be fit for a new bra... I had shopped there for years, even at my heaviest I could fit into their largest cup size... I went in, she measured me and then said, "Oh honey, we don't sell YOUR SIZE here anymore..." I was mortified and completely embarassed... Needless to say, even when I get back down to "THEIR SIZES" I won't be shopping there.... Just awful...

ashlinmarie

Wow, they're getting that bad are they? I've just been mad that I can't get cute bras in my size. If it isn't a C cup or smaller, it is nude, black or white. I found cute ones online that I ordered in my size and my boobs are hanging out of the cups and I had to lose 2 inches to fit the band that they measured me out to fit into.

Problem is, I have yet to find a place to shop for bras and haven't been fitted in ages...

stfriend

VS is right up there with Cosmo and Glamour and the like (imo, of course). They tell you they want you to feel good about yourself, but they don't. They want you to hate yourself so you'll buy whatever they're pushing. If they really wanted you to love yourself they'd make bras for more than one body type.

lindsiswatchingyou

I agree. Why can't they show fit women or average women? I have no problem with a thin woman when that's just her natural shape, but this is the modeling industry...there's nothing natural or healthy about most of their bodies.

secretlobster

I always liked the Hanes Her Way commercials because every one that I recall seeing featured shapely, athletic women.

Same, I like those women because they have feminine bodies that are also athletic looking. "Curvy" shouldn't be synonymous with "fat"

pamelak5

I love the dove one... I have never been able to fit in VS anything!

I loved the dove one, too...until I realized that while running that campaign in the U.S, Unilever (Dove's parent company) was heavily marketing dangerous skin bleaching products in Asia. They continue to do so.

TinaDay1114

I used to get ticked off in college b/c I have no chest, and their bras didn't even start in my size. Apparently you had to have medium to large ta-tas to even qualify. I did enjoy the years of the "water bras" though, I have to say -- actually made me look like I had something w/out being ridiculous. But the rest of the stuff...?! Nope, doesn't fit a normal curvy woman.

And rant AWAY. :drinker: I agree w/everything you've said -- the only way to keep us buying, it seems, is to tell us we're not good enough without product A, B or C (or all 3). Sucks. And for once I'd like to see an ad that's supposed to be a little sexy, but where the woman does NOT have implants.

Erisad

dove's 'real beauty' campaign was exactly the same...ummm, yeah. dove? you sell wrinkle and cellulite-firming creams. so its okay to love my *kitten*...just not the FAT on it. or it's okay to love my eyes but OH GOD are those crow's feet?
just a bunch of good PR is what it is, and a big load of crap too.

also in the vs fashion show, did anyone else laugh at the irony of katy perry performing her "be yourself" anthem "firework" while those models blew kisses at the camera? anyone?

Yeeeah, they can't promote self esteem and expect to sell product. It just doesn't work.

I never watch the VS fashion shows. They make me angry and guilty for having the audacity to eat solid food.

pamelak5

Not sure if this helps or not, but was a size 14 at my biggest, and that was a Small.

Wow - at 14 I was a large (just barely).

AwesomeMoJo

I haven't been able to fit into ANYTHING Victorias Secret since freshman year of high school. Have you seen their suposed "D" cup bras..they are so far from an actual D cup..it is ridiculous.

Frederick's of Hollywood doesn't have my size either..at least not the last time I looked but at least I know they are made for curvy women. Women are SUPPOSED to have curves. Our bodies are made that way. I love my "dangerous curves" (as my friends call them)..I want them to get a little smaller but ultimately my shape ROCKS!!! I am not an hour glass...I am more like a 2 or 3 hour glass..but the shape remains....

I buy my bras from Cacique...and LOVE them!!!

secretlobster

"Oh honey, we don't sell YOUR SIZE here anymore..." I was mortified and completely embarassed...

I'm not sure what you wanted her to say if she's just a salesperson and the store doesn't actually carry your size.

veerichie

VS is right up there with Cosmo and Glamour and the like (imo, of course). They tell you they want you to feel good about yourself, but they don't. They want you to hate yourself so you'll buy whatever they're pushing. If they really wanted you to love yourself they'd make bras for more than one body type.

Exactly! The magazines are so frustrating. If they want to show you that any body shape/size can be sexy then why do they always use the "perfect" bodied models???

A few years ago I was into Ready Made mag and they had someone write in about how they only used skinny models and from then on they used all different shaped models. I really respected them for that.

rlmadrid

Agree 100%.
I've never shopped there, and likely never will.

Bumdrahp

I went into Victoria Secret to be fit for a new bra... I had shopped there for years, even at my heaviest I could fit into their largest cup size... I went in, she measured me and then said, "Oh honey, we don't sell YOUR SIZE here anymore..." I was mortified and completely embarassed... Needless to say, even when I get back down to "THEIR SIZES" I won't be shopping there.... Just awful...

Oh my god, I would be so humiliated and angry. I haven't bought any bra's from VS in ages...I think it's disgusting that they don't have larger sizes anymore. Not sure WHY they did that, dosn't make much sense to me...losing a large amount of women by doing that..

darias_mommy

Wow, they're getting that bad are they? I've just been mad that I can't get cute bras in my size. If it isn't a C cup or smaller, it is nude, black or white. I found cute ones online that I ordered in my size and my boobs are hanging out of the cups and I had to lose 2 inches to fit the band that they measured me out to fit into.

Problem is, I have yet to find a place to shop for bras and haven't been fitted in ages...

cute/ what's a cute bra? My mom had me in a minimizer when I was 14 years old!!! my daughter has cute bras because she can...
and I just can't! BTW- I have no idea WTF my real size is. One boob is bigger than the other!

saesand

i haven't seen the new VS commercial (I don't have cable), but I have a problem with their advertising in general. It has been plain to me that they only stock the most popular sizes. It sucks, but it is a valid business decision. I just wish they wouldn't work so hard to convey the message that they are for all women / the only lingerie store / etc.

Mostly, I thought I should join the rant from a slightly different angle. I'm relatively small now (30 or 32 band size), but my cup size falls way over the edge of the VS line at F/FF. So I'd say you're more likely not to fit into a bra at VS than to fit into one. It's cool if you can and you should feel free to buy their stuff if you like the fit and quality. They're just definitely not for everyone.

TinaDay1114

I went in, she measured me and then said, "Oh honey, we don't sell YOUR SIZE here anymore..." I was mortified and completely embarassed... Needless to say, even when I get back down to "THEIR SIZES" I won't be shopping there.... Just awful...

Now there's some stellar customer service -- how RUDE. And obnoxious. And...some other choice words I'm not allowed to type on here. Grrrr.

camberk

All commercials dealing with women’s bodies annoy me – other than the occasional ‘out of the box’ ones that show what a real woman looks like.
I’ve always wondered – they say stats show that the ‘average size’ for an American woman is 12/14. Why is that we all feel bad and want to get to a size 4 instead?
*rolls eyes* Honestly – society’s view of what is ‘beautiful’ in women just frustrates me. I will NEVER be a size 4 – never WANT to be a size 4 – my husband doesn’t want a size 4…
But for those that ARE a size 4 and love it – more power to them…. Really loving your body shouldn’t be determinate if your body is finally comparable to what society deems ‘pretty’.
I can rant about this subject all day long….. I don’t care if you are a size 2 or 22. If you love yourself and are comfortable in your skin – be proud of it. My weight loss journey isn’t about meeting society’s demands of what a woman should look like – but rather me feeling comfortable being me and allowing myself to be the best mom I can be. 

Okay – my partaking in the rant is over!

GretchenReine

Ok, considering I have never in my life been a VS size...I find their commercials a bit hypocritical. Love your body campaign...yes...love your body if you can see every bone in it!!! I'm not down to their size yet but I've been working on it. Not sure I want to shop there...just want to be able to say I can!!!

TrailRunner61

The women in their commercials/catalogs look anorexic to me! They seriously look malnourished..

About the Dove commericals, I used to like them when I thought they looked better, thinner than me but since I've entered the healthy weight range, I think they look fat, not so healthy and lack muscle definition. They carefully pick those models. None of them have big tummies... it's all in the top or the bottom but they are still fairly well proportioned. If they really wanted people to feel 'good' in their own skin, so to speak, they would use women of ALL sizes, not just 14's!

pamelak5

"Oh honey, we don't sell YOUR SIZE here anymore..." I was mortified and completely embarassed...

I'm not sure what you wanted her to say if she's just a salesperson and the store doesn't actually carry your size.

"We carry 28A to 38DD. Let me check if we have your size online/try Nordstrom." would have sufficed.

rebeccap13

A store picks the market where they can make the most money. They are a business... their goal is to make money, not make you feel better about yourself. I have the same issues with being on the opposite end of the spectrum, having a flat chest. I buy their underwear but if I boycotted every store just because they didn't carry my bra size I'd hardly have any place to shop. Also, the women in the commercials aren't extremely thin, they look pretty healthy for being models.

If you don't like VS then look at http://bounce.titlenine.com/ They support pretty much everyone.