When you think of lingerie, what brand comes to mind? Most people would say Victoria’s Secret, mainly because it has controlled the lingerie market for years. But now it is 2017 and millennials are increasingly more aware of what they spend their money on. Victoria’s Secret has been the center of controversy for many years over its advertisements, models, and manufacturing ethics. Valley wants to tell you why Victoria’s Secret may not be as great as it seems and show you some amazing alternative brands.
Beneath the pink and girly Victoria’s Secret brand is a growing environmental problem. The environmental organization Greenpeace launched a “Detox My Fashion” campaign in 2011, acquiring commitments from major brands to make their supply chains for eco-friendly by 2020. Among the long list of brands that agreed to it were Nike, Zara, and Adidas. Five years later, in 2016, Greenpeace checked in with these brands to see their progress. While some major brands made strides, others did not. Although Victoria’s Secret tried to be slightly more transparent about its business, it literally did nothing to reduce its impact on the environment.
You pay quite a bit of money when shopping at Victoria’s Secret. The bad news is that somewhat expensive bra was likely made with cheap labor. Victoria’s Secret notoriously uses cheap labor or sweatshops to produce their clothing. In 2007, the National Labor Committee released a report that described the working conditions used to manufacture that cute bralette you just bought. Workers reportedly worked around 14-15 hours a day for seven days. Was that bralette worth it now?
It is becoming increasingly popular in society to accept the differences in each other. With this, comes the realization that fashion has been manipulating the idea of what a woman’s body should look like. That’s why Victoria’s Secret gets so much backlash for it’s advertisements. Just look at its 2014 “The Perfect Body” campaign, which featured an onslaught of thin, mostly white, models.
Rebecca Rodriguez, Penn State freshman and hospitality management major, says she doesn’t shop at Victoria’s Secret because it’s “to expensive” and that knowing they use sweatshops “bothers her.”
Some alternatives that are truly worth the money: Nubian Skin is perfect for women of color who need “nude” underwear that matches their skin tone, Azura Bay is eco-friendly and caters to a variety of sizes and colors, and Naja Lingerie empowers women by having single mothers in Colombia make their clothing.
Maybe it is time to try a new brand and put your confidence and the earth first. So what do you think? Are you ready to make the switch?
