Do the Messages Lingerie Companies Send Matter?

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For many years, Victoria’s Secret has been seen as the lingerie company to beat. However, more influencers and celebrities are establishing their own lingerie brands whose inclusivity have changed the game. One of the biggest up-and-coming lingerie brands is Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty, which has been revered for both its size inclusivity and model diversity.

The two companies sell similar products and aim to target the same age groups. Both companies sell lingerie with a variety of different patterns, fabrics and designs to encourage and empower women to feel good about themselves. While Victoria’s Secret tends to sell more girly products, Savage X Fenty products are more modern and edgy.

Victoria’s Secret has come under fire numerous times for lacking inclusivity. The company welcomed its first plus-sized model this year, something Savage X Fenty has been doing since the company’s inception in 2017. Victoria’s Secret has also received criticism for the pressure the company puts on its models for the annual Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, inspiring articles such as “From Gaining Weight to Liquid Diets, Which Victoria’s Secret Angel’s Pre-Show Diet and Workout is the Craziest?” The pre-show preparations vary, but some include hitting the gym twice daily for three months and going through unsafe and unsustainable liquid-only diets.

“I refuse to shop there because the messages the company sends about body positivity and diversity are so awful,” said Grace Kelcin, a junior kinesiology major. “I don’t want to shop somewhere that refuses to include people like me in their runway shows because we’re ‘not as pretty.’”

Victoria’s Secret announced in November that their annual fashion show would be cancelled due to issues with the brand’s messages about body image. On the other hand, Savage X Fenty’s New York Fashion Week 2019 show was described as a “euphoric celebration of individuality.” Models of all shapes, sizes and races were featured – an achievement Victoria’s Secret has yet to reach.

“The messages these types of companies send are so important,” said Alison Burns, a journalism professor at the University of Maryland. “Victoria’s Secret has so much influence in the media, they almost set the standard for what ‘beauty’ is. Having other brands show more diversity will change how we view beauty.”

Having a positive message is important to some shoppers when it comes to choosing one brand over another. For others, the messages a brand sends and the products they sell are two separate parts of a brand’s image.

“I think that if you like the stuff they sell you should just buy it,” said Telea Jackson, a sophomore public health science major. “They have way more power than one person, so not shopping with them really won’t make a difference.”

When it comes down to it, these two companies may sell the same type of products, but their messages couldn’t be more different. The question we all have to answer for ourselves is this: Do the messages these companies send matter, and is it our responsibility to hold them accountable?