Visionary 888

Working for Brandy Melville comes with a label – undeniably so. Many tend to assume the worst in my character while expecting the best in my physical appearance, amongst many other assumptions; some correct, and some far from the truth. I’d like to take the opportunity to address a few that I frequently get questioned about, in hopes to broaden the general understanding around my work:

1. Workers are underpaid

This honestly could not be more incorrect for my specific location, but this definitely varies from place to place. For me personally, I have collected a wage of sufficiently over $20 an hour since 2023, but it may differentiate between locations. In general, we make a very decent income, and I’m exactly sure where this rumor came from.

2. All employees are racist/rude/homophobic

I would beg to differ on this topic from my personal experience, as I have had great relationships with the vast majority of my coworkers. I will say though, I understand why we might be perceived as such. For my location, the hiring process was not the strictest, and it was common to hire teenage girls that lacked experience in retail, including myself at the time. Workers do not go out of their way to be rude to customers, but there could be an issue that they do not make the effort to be especially kind. I’m sure that customers would have a much more different experience with the workers if they met in a different setting, given that Brandy workers have developed the reputation of being rude. Because of this, I do feel as if I need to be kinder than workers from different stores to combat the stereotype, but I can’t speak for everybody. I have met a rude employee before, but I think that it’s unavoidable to come across one given the sample size. I’d say that it’s comparable to selecting a crop of normal teenage girls and finding a few that can be off-putting.

3. The work environment is toxic

Again, I cannot speak for all, but in my personal experience, my managers have been nothing but kind, and have more so exceeded my expectations in ensuring that I was okay. Especially considering that I began work at 14, I went in expecting to be judged or pushed aside for my age, but I was instead met with a welcoming group of coworkers who continue to be valuable people in my life. However, I understand that this experience comes as a privilege, and many are not able to say the same. Drama does go on in the workplace at times that I tend to stay out of, and I’m aware that a few people have quit due to the stress that it caused them. All in all, while I don’t believe it’s fair to say Brandy Melville’s work environment as a whole is toxic, there are definitely people out there that would argue differently, and rightfully so.