Across the United States, the teenage‑fashion hotspot Brandy Melville has eliminated all of its fitting rooms. Multiple employees from stores in New York City, Boston, and Austin told the BBC that staff were instructed to dismantle the rooms this week, with no detailed explanation.
The decision has triggered a silver‑lining‑of‑anger flood on TikTok and Instagram. A shopper named @LunaLove declared the news "devastating," while another, @AnnieBish, posted, "How am I supposed to know if a dress is really cute before it’s gone?" The platform user noted that the brand’s one‑size policy now leaves them unsure about fit and quality.
Customers say that the closing of fitting rooms compounds the existing frustration of Brandy Melville’s exclusive sizing. “There’s gonna be like a trillion returns,” one TikTok user quipped. “Been a tiny, thin size line – no way to test it.”
Employees cited vandalism as the official reason for the change, describing a trend that shoppers elbows out chewing‑gum onto the pink curtains to keep them from slacking open. “We’ve had a lot of issues with the gum sticking to the curtains,” said a worker in Austin. “If you’ve ever stuck your gum on these walls, we have beef.” A clip quickly circulated of an employee scraping gum from the walls during a shift.
The closure comes amid a backdrop of public scrutiny. In 2024 a documentary, *Brandy Hellville & The Cult of Fast Fashion*, accused the store chain of fueling eating disorders among its largely teenage clientele and sexualising its younger, female staff. Brandy Melville has yet to comment on the film’s allegations or the older, broader criticisms of its one‑size approach.
The brand’s spokesperson has not replied to the BBC’s request for comments. Until a statement is released, shoppers will likely face fewer opportunities to try on clothes, and the conversation about body image and retail practices will continue to grow.
