Is Victoria’s Secret Fast fashion
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The Victorian age was a time of great advancement and success as well as conflict and upheaval. It was named after Queen Victoria who was the ruler during this era. These times were obviously quite different compared to the modern age. Many things that are considered normal now were supposedly atrocious then. Even wearing clothes or shoes that showed off women’s ankles were not considered appropriate. In the 20th century, fashion has forever been changed by feminism. People are more confident and open about their personal likes and dislikes regarding style.
Victoria’s Secret was founded by Roy and his wife, Gaye Raymond in 1977. Its foundation had a sweet and awkward reason which may entertain some people. Roy Raymond wanted to buy his wife some pretty lingerie or in other words, just some nice looking underwear. However, in Roy’s words “When I tried to buy lingerie for my wife, I was faced with racks of terry-cloth robes and ugly floral-print nylon nightgowns, and I always had the feeling the department store sales woman thought I was an unwelcome intruder.”
Victoria’s Secret is an American lingerie, clothing and beauty brand. It presents a wide variety of modern, fashionable collections that include panties, casual sleepwear, swimwear, stylish bras and more. Along with these clothing items, Victoria’s Secret also offers beauty products such as perfumes, aromatic body lotions, body mists and body showers. This brand promotes diversity, equality and self-confidence.
Raymond named his brand as a reference to Queen Victoria and the associated refinement of the Victorian era whereas; the “secret” was what is hidden underneath the clothes. Victoria’s Secret was quite a hit during its start which caused four new stores to open, with its fourth store being located in 395 Sutter Street in San Francisco. It made its main focus female buyers. By manufacturing lingerie in new patterns, colors and styles, they promised a glamorous and satisfactory package.
Victoria’s Secret is also famous for its fashion shows where their models are featured as “Angels in lingerie.” Mostly people are attracted to this brand as it gives them proper room to be comfortable with their bodies and not be embarrassed to buy sensual lingerie for themselves. Every person has a right to love their body and everyone has a different way of doing it. Victoria’s Secret offers people one way of showing love to their body.
Sustainability Rating: 3/10
Category: Clothing, Accessories
For: Women
Products: Lingerie, Swimwear, Fragrance
Style: Casual, Contemporary, Sensual
Quality: Medium, High
Prices: -
Size: -
Fabrics: Polyester, Organic Cotton, Spandex, Viscose, Elastane, Linen, Leather, Nylon
100% Organic: No
100% Vegan: No
Ethical and Fair: No
Recycling: No
Manufacturing Countries: Not Transparent Enough
Certifications: Not Transparent Enough
It is impossible to talk about fashion today and not include Victoria’s Secret in the same conversation. This brand has grown so tremendously in the past decades that it has become a hallmark for lingerie and swimwear for women. It is almost considered a safe space for women to be able to feel comfortable and to express themselves. However, is Victoria’s Secret fast fashion? Is it sustainable and ethical? Is it the safe space that it promotes itself to be? We’ll find out below.
Unfortunately, Victoria’s Secret is a fast fashion brand. Even though it uses good quality material and is quite expensive, its business model is based on the rapid production of items according to the latest trend. Although it may not be considered a full-fledged fast fashion brand, it is well on its way to become one.
Considering its sustainable efforts, Victoria’s Secrets says that it very committed to understanding the impact of its products not only on the environment but also the supply chain. It is committed to reducing its carbon footprint. As one of the first steps, the brand established a committee called VS&Co Environmental Sustainability Committee that had to plan sustainable initiatives and goals for the brand and make sure that they are implemented.
The committee aimed to regularly update the code of conduct and ensure the use of recycled polyester and polyamide in the products. Moreover, the brand has also been attempting to favor boats as a means of transportation as opposed to air travel as the former mitigates carbon emissions. The positive aspects do not stop here. The brand is big on supporting female issues on a worldwide scale and supports causes related to breast cancer awareness and charities. A representative from the brand even said that Victoria’s Secret has to be sustainable to remain relevant.
The brand first published its ESG Report in 2022 and the numbers were not very impressive. The brand declared that it published the report because it wanted to show that it is far from perfect but is at least making an effort in the right direction. However, is the bare minimum enough for a brand as huge as Victoria’s Secret? Can it really get away with a statement like this?
The brand has received a rating of “Not Good Enough” by the GoodOnYou directory because it does not provide any proof about reducing the use of microplastics and combating textile waste. Moreover, it has failed to meet several goals set for the future. In 2011, it signed a pact called “Detox my Fashion” according to which all participant brands had to reduce the emission of hazardous chemicals by 2020. Victoria’s Secret has revealed nothing about whether it met its target or not.
Moreover, it also got a measly rating of 21-30% by the Fashion Transparency Index which is quite embarrassing for a global brand such as Victoria’s Secret. The brand allegedly has a lot of problems related to workers, racism, and misogyny in its factories and workplaces. In 2021, a factory in Thailand closed without paying the workers and owing them almost $7.8 million.
The brand does not pay men and women equally for the same job either despite being a big advocate for women’s rights. There has been various news about harassment at the work place and the harasser is allowed to get away without any consequences. A lawsuit was filed against Victoria’s Secret in 2017 after which it had to pay $12 million to underpaid employees.
Thus, it is not difficult to conclude that Victoria’s Secret is quite behind the sustainable efforts required today by big brands. It is more focused on money-making, uncaring of the employees, factory workers, and the environment.
Victoria's Secret - Sustainability Rating - Good On You
Greenhouse Gas Emissions | Victoria's Secret & Co. (victoriassecretandco.com)
AIM2Flourish | Victoria's Secret Sustainability Efforts
How Ethical Is Victoria's Secret? - Good On You
Why Is Victoria’s Secret Named ‘Victoria’s Secret’? (elle.com.au)