Back when I was just a little kid in the 2010’s, I was old enough to recognize that each Abercrombie & Fitch store coincidentally had especially attractive employees; evidently not a coincidence. But never did I ever think that I would end up in a similar situation just a few years later.
Working at Brandy Melville comes with a label, undeniably. This can range from being described with a model-like appearance to being accused of having a nasty attitude, but the common sentiment is that workers are expected to be beautiful.
Unfortunately, as all labels do, this one comes with side effects.
I experienced my first few cases of predatory behavior from customers when I began my job at 14, and I definitely wasn’t the first to go through it. My other coworkers have reported similar experiences themselves and have been there for me through it all.
I can recall one particular night when I was on the last half hour of my shift, when I was helping two men and a woman at checkout. It was a typical process, and I handed them their bag along with their receipt, but while they were on their way back outside, the woman returned and came up to me.
She whispered to me that one of the men, her brother, was too shy to come up to me, but was interested in me. She asked for my phone number for him, but I just tried to be polite and tell her that I was only 14 years old, only for her to say that it “wasn’t a problem.”
The woman then told me that her brother was “only 24” and wouldn’t mind the difference, trying to push me to give in, saying that he would be a nice guy and treat me to nice things.
As I tried to keep my composure, my coworker noticed how uncomfortable I was and called me to the back to work on inventory while she escorted the woman out. I’m still grateful that she was there to do so, because I really doubt I would’ve had the ability to hold my ground myself.
I understand that the situation could’ve gone worse, and has gone worse for some of my coworkers, but the first step that should be taken to address these kinds of cases is to speak up. Never let this kind of behavior be normalized.
If you or a loved have gone through difficult times, even if it’s not related to harassment, please feel free to fill out the following form to have an anonymous feature on a future newsletter:
https://forms.gle/iYcCyzM2rAVg2EHbA
As always, stay safe, and spread the word.
Visionary 888 
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