Brandy Melville, the one‑size teen fashion retailer, has announced that it will permanently close all fitting rooms in its U.S. stores. Employees in New York City, Boston and Austin confirmed that staff were told to disassemble the rooms this week. The company said the move was in response to vandalism, citing earlier incidents in which shoppers used chewing gum to hold the curtains shut. Viral videos showed consumers tearing gum off walls and the brand lost several fittings’ curtains to the sticky residue.
The decision has ignited a flood of complaints on TikTok and other social‑media platforms. One shopper called the news “devastating,” while another lamented, “how am I supposed to know if it’s cute on me?” many have said they would now avoid shopping at Brandy Melville because they cannot test garments on their bodies. “There’s going to be a trillion returns,” one voice said, pointing to the brand’s one‑size-per‑style model.
Brandy Melville has long faced criticism for promoting an unrealistic body image. In 2024, an HBO documentary titled Brandy Hellville & the Cult of Fast Fashion accused the retailer of encouraging eating disorders and sexualising its young employees. The company has not responded to those allegations, nor has it issued an official statement regarding the new fitting‑room policy.
Brandy Melville’s owner sent a message to staff with the claim “vandalism” as the single explanation for the abrupt change. Employees described the lack of further detail, with one noting that the only video shared was of them scraping gum off the walls during a shift.
As retailers balance safety, public image, and customer experience, the ongoing debate around Brandy Melville’s business model remains unresolved.
