Does Victoria's Secret discriminate against women with certain assets & body shapes?

There Models Are Hot

But I stil love their models and lingerie!

It is not discrimination to make things for a specific group, but to tell other groups they can't purchase what they make is. Anyone can buy whatever VS makes with no regard for size shape gender or what have you. To argue discrimination would be to say a chocolate company discriminates against people who are allergic to chocolate. No they just provide an option in a market that is not right for everyone.

I Enjoy shopping there but they do itemize woman as objects and have size limitations with their inventory

It is called life ain't fair and the sooner people realize this the better the world will be!

Honestly, yes, but the point of marketing is to get people to buy what you're selling. I highly doubt women would buy any Victoria secret products if it was sold by some obese woman.

I would hope so. Wouldn't want to see this.

Curvy women need not apply. Kind of sad because curvy women really need a bra.

There are plenty of 'curvy' women at Victoria's Secret, just no 'fat' ones.

Lesson for the day: Victoria secret is for men not women, the clothes are made to hook the opposite sex. Sexier is better, as for body shape can you see this in a victoria secret set:

No, just go to any Victorias Secret location and you will see tons of fat women purchasing the same type items as the normal and skinny girls,.. VS is a business, it is all about the green,..

That last part I certainly agree with.

They are selling sexy. They use models that fit our culture's idea of sexy and they also contribute to shaping that ideal. Women who buy the product are hoping it makes them sexy. It's all marketing. I'm sure it does contribute to self image issues for many women. I am not immune to it. I think ignoring it is better than whining.

Here's the real secret:
If you have a connection with a guy, if he is attracted to your face and personality he will find you sexy.
Even if you are not the right woman for him, if you stand naked in front of him he will think you are hot and want to do you.
If you are a good lover and if you make him feel that he is a good lover he will find you sexy.

We are being sold the wrong kind of sexy. We are being told that what we should want is to look like a hot model standing around in lingerie meeting every stranger's ideal, causing wet dreams in households all across the country. This is not really what we want. We want a partner who finds us sexy. It hasn't actually got much to do with lingerie, although lingerie is fun and it might help make you feel sexier.

Victoria's Secret has a product to sell and they have to convince you that you need it.

What's sexy and what's not sexy, is not a matter a culture and there aren't "kinds" of sexy. It's pretty much hardwired in people's brains. Fashion designers would have absolutely nothing to lose if the situation were different, they'd push tons of advertising and try to sell sexy clothing to obese women, made for their sizes (actually they'd sell larger quantities of fabrics and make more money)
But that's fantasy and the reality is pretty harsh! Actually, it's not that harsh in a real sense, the problem is that North American women try push obesity as a normal thing. It's not normal, it's not healthy and it's not pleasant at all!

Here's what most ordinary women in Europe look like(the pics are from Italy):

If I could rave you down, I would because obviously you didn't only misunderstand the question but you neglected to read the responses. This is not a fat vs. skinny thread. I asked this question because I have had a hard time finding bras, being small/slim but curvy. I also disagree with your argument that there are different kinds of sexy. I know more men who would prefer this
over this
check yourself and maybe get out of your small town a little more you might gain some new insights

"Slim but curvy" is mostly an oxymoron. Girls like Bria get to look like that (she's still very fat in my opinion) in 2 ways: via photoshop (in magazines) and/or via surgery (in real life)... it's something unnatural, people gain and lose weight rather proportionally, you can't choose which parts to go slim and which to remain curvy... whatever...
If there isn't enough sexy lingerie for such bodyshapes/sizes, then there's not enough demand for that sort of stuff...

And VS models aren't photoshopped?

"Slim but curvy is mostly an oxymoron." Only if your idea of what's slim is from white North American or European women, and you accept curve as a code word for fat/flab. It is generally known that WW who are slim tend not to have a lot of curve or only medium curve to go with a slim/small body. There are of course exceptions, but when you look around, it seems to hold.

"People gain and lose weight rather proportionally."

Where do you live? Look around you. People do gain weight in different places. For example, pear shapes keep a slim upper body but put on weight around the hips and thighs. Apple shapes tend to gain it all in the trunk, arms and upper body. Rulers are long and straight up and down. It's called "body types". Look it up. Even if at ideal weight and tone you can still detect differences in women's shapes, enough so that we have to find clothes to flatter that shape. That has nothing to do with weight.

When did I say I was encouraging women to be fat. I'm sorry, but what you find sexy is not necessarily what the next guy will find sexy and I am not talking about fat vs thin, just the range of body shapes and sizes within a normal and healthy range and my point was that sexiness goes beyond what you look like and what you wear.

I couldn't say, I'm too busy looking.....but, I have seen many women with a more full figure who I find quite tantalizing as well. Hooray for Gods greatest creation, the female form.

I have never been in an outlet.

I used to work there ...We hired all shapes, and race's.
Sold things from XS to XL. A - DD's. So nothing bigger then Xl and DD.

Uhm, I'm not talking about hiring practices, although this is a valid point. What bothers me about VS is the underlying assumption that a woman cannot be both small and curvy, hence they don't make cute pattern & colors bra for 32-34 D/DD. If you are a 32/34 the only way you get good support AND a cute style is if you are within the range of AA-C. Starting from D they only come in black, beige or white. There are some lines that have cute styles for D/DD but then they usually lack in support. So you have to either choose between style (and then buy a new bra after 1-2 months because you've worn thru it) or support. I think I should be able to have both.

Yes,ok I see what you area saying there, and your right there! Yes D and DD very limited.
Most of there bras are expensive and not all that comfortable either.

Some bras are actually pretty good, but again, mostly if you are B or C. I have to ask though, and you don't have to answer of course...did you enjoy working there?

Yes and no....I felt some of management was a little pushy . I really did not like wearing the head pieces, or being told all the time to push this and that. Never like the hard sell approach. Work there years ago part time.

You mean ugly fat ones? Yeah

I'm saying yes, but not for the reasons you might think. In this case, that is their business. They have a duty to their shareholders to cater to whatever market will profit them best. It's really not discrimination, more at good business, but no doesn't cover it, and undecided is the wrong answer for me as well because I am very much decided.

I volunteer to help them make their selections, take measurements, and so forth.

Victoria Secret caters to women who work at keeping thier bodies trim . Fatties have Lane Bryant....keep you fat butts out of Vickys secret .

lol

BM, as a slim/petite and very curvy woman I have had a hard time finding bras at VS that are both cute in terms of style and color and good support. It is the assumption of VS that if you have large curves you must be overweight that bothers me.

Perhaps we could get together and discuss this problem over dinner....I'm a great listener....Perhaps I misunderstood the question , I would love to speak with you at length about this ...maybe a Howard Hughes style bra designing brainstorming session is in order...I could help...I'm pretty sure as I am a connesuier ( Sp ) of Curvy / SLim / Petite.....

LOL, point well taken.

I'm serious...your husband has nothing to worry about ...** Wink **

I know, but you might ;D

LOL, point well taken.

Mimicking, the great social tactic...

It's an " Homage' "....Hhaha a

Considering that women are a huge majority of their customers, I would say that they market what sells at the best margins.