Why Did We Buy What Victoria’s Secret Was Selling?

Why are you posting this on a gay mens site

Interesting article. Just like with Abercrombie and Fitch, it's fascinating how both these mall brands rose and fell. Taking advantage of liberating attitudes towards sex and nudity and exploiting that to market. Some women I know said the major reason they stopped shopping at VS was the quality went downhill, the underwear was uncomfortable or looked ugly and clashed with their skin tones (if they are darker-skinned). There's also much more diversity of brands you can find online nowadays that cater to different audiences as well.

Drunken middle aged lesbian post

[quote] Why are you posting this on a gay mens site

Where exactly does it say "gay men's site"?

[quote] Drunken middle aged lesbian post

Popper addict decrepit queen post

Suffer? By wearing sexy lingerie?

Take it to mumsnet R4

Alice Evans really is posting here.

Frau takeover thread.

Women are so strange. They write articles like this despite the vast majority of Victoria's Secret consumer base consisting of WOMEN. Men don't hold guns to their heads and force them to shop at allegedly sexist and degrading stores.

I really do not think most women cared about the Angels or sexy advertising. Most people don't sit around and contemplate about problematic advertising and subliminal messaging. Women stopped shopping there because it's a shitty mall brand that outsourced it's manufacturing overseas and the qualify declined despite the prices remaining high. Making it "woke" won't solve the issue. These companies are so pretentious with their virtue signaling, it's the quality that matters mostly to people.

[quote]that women need to suffer to be deemed desirable

You think this is NEW?

I'm not reading the article but how is lingerie uncomfortable? If it hurts its the wrong size.

Some women stopped shopping there because there stuff is designed for thin young women. Most gals are plus sized now.

[quote] I really do not think most women cared about the Angels or sexy advertising.

Because it wasn’t meant for women.

r12, tight straps, underwire boning, and very scratchy crappy lace. Chafing everywhere!

Victoria’s Secret came into popularity at the same time that those “glamour” photography studios started popping up in malls.

The “glamour” photography studios would have a makeup artist on hand to slap makeup on the ugliest women and then comb their hair. They would wrap a feathery boa around their neck. They would take photos through cheesecloth that would make Lucille Ball jealous. They sold the glamour photos to the women who would give them to their husbands. They always had before and after photos in the studio and they made some horribly ugly women into someone you could at least look at without gagging.

The 1980s were a trip, y’all.

Can we have an article where men complain about speedoes not being available in XXXL?

I went into a Victoria's Secret the other day looking for bras. All I saw were ugly, poorly constructed push-up bras. A bra is something for which quality actually matters. I can't believe women ever bought that crap. Also, the bra salesman was an overweight bearded man. 0/10 would not enter a Victoria's Secret again.

[quote]Also, the bra salesman was an overweight bearded man.

A clear violation of women's boundaries. Why is this allowed?

The article is right about its origins... in the 80s Victoria's secret was, well, Victorian. The quality was good. You could get things like nice floral cotton robes, pretty things for yourself without looking like Frederick's of Hollywood. They also had some nice base wear for the older set which I did not wear then. It's not been that for quite some time. I think the quality tanked around 2000... I stopped buying bras and underwear there because yes, the quality starting sucking. They didn't have all this VS Fashion Show crap back then. The bottles of the perfumes then were very well made and designed... it looked like a nice ladies lounge.

[quote] A clear violation of women's boundaries. Why is this allowed?

To be honest, I wouldn't mind if the bra salesman was a stylish man who looked like he knew about bras or fashion. But this guy looked like Keith from the British Office. Who would want to buy a bra from HIM?

I'm pretty sure it's only obviously gay men who get jobs at Victoria's Secret, H&M and Love Culture.

FUCK OFF FRAU! LEAVE!

[quote] They didn't have all this VS Fashion Show crap back then. The bottles of the perfumes then were very well made and designed

R19 being a fan of fragrances, I’m curious about the first scents that VS produced and sold, as they seem to be cult favourites/classics and are held in high regard, unlike their current and recent lines. How did those original perfumes smell? And did they have depth and lasting power?

It’s said by designer frag fans that the first scent from the company, 1992’s Rapture in the heart shaped bottle, smelled divine—described as alluring, bold, classy, comforting, continental, creamy, decadent, deep, dominanting, eccentric, elegant, expensive, feminine, fleshy, full-bodies, glam, glowing, goddessy, golden, head-turning, headstrong, intense, intoxicating, luxe, mature, mysterious, old-school, opulent, powerhouse, put-together, rich, romantic, resinous, sensual, sophisticated, sultry, sumptuous, velvety and voluptuous. ‘Old Hollywood air. Perfect Bachelor Red lipstick and nails, a floor-length gown worn with jewels. Smells like a perfume in the collection of Rita Hayworth, Dolores Del Rio, Marilyn Monroe, Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor, Gina Lollobrigida, Rita Moreno, Ava Gardner, Lana Turner and Grace Kelly.’ Maybe the ultimate sexy, soft, sweet-spicy floriental vintage for the boudoir, date-night or honeymoon. Comparisons to beloved respected perfume classics such as Arpege, Baisee du dragon, Bijan, Casmir, JPG Classique, Fire & Ice, Indecence, Narcisse, Opium, Oscar, Poison, Rafinée, Samsara, Spellbound and Vanderbilt are often made. I have never tried it, but it sounds gorgeous.

Likewise, the OG early 2000s releases in Dream Angel, Halo, Love Spell, Victoria, and Vanilla Lace (the latter I’m told being the canon signature scent of the lead character in the show Buffy the Vampire Slayer) come highly recommended.

These days, VS seems to release new cheap, juvenile, plasticky body sprays every week, to no critical regard. Who buys it all? No women I know even likes their fragrance output now. My younger sister liked the first Very Sexy flanker...when she bought it to wear for her boyfriend back in highschool, over a decade ago.

I window shopped at the original. It was marketed to medium-high end professional or married women then. Think Laura Ashley decor, floral chintz and fabric draped walls, silk negligee type stuff.

By the time to could shop there, it was a medium range clothing catalog that had attractive non-slutty work and casual wear (think Melania style).

It degraded over time to jailbait softporn catalog with clothing a Vietnamese 12 y.o. hooker would be ashamed to put on.

If you want to get properly fitted for a bra go see a professional at The Town Shop on Broadway and 81st Street!

Their sister size bullshit made an entire generation or two of women not know their actual bra size and made wearing a bra torturous

R12 is totally right. It went downhill in big part because women got FAT. I used to LOVE the Victoria's Secret catalog. I would figure out my deal (different dollar amounts off of different amounts. So if you spent $150 you could get something like $35 off. I can't believe I forget the amounts. You'd figure it out with a pen and paper and write down the item numbers or fold down the catalog pages. The people on the other end of the phone were super nice but I always wanted to be well organized for them. I looked hot as hell in my VS jeans. Size 2 baby!

There was nothing uncomfortable unless you buy thongs (my friend's doctor called those a "bridge for bacteria.") But then America got fat and stopped caring about things like stockings and skirt suits. I did have Rapture fragrance in my rotation, but I do like some strong fragrances (Coco and Magie Noir have also been in my rotation). I also like true floral scents and orange, totally different but yes, I liked Rapture.

One of the last years that the VS Fashion Show was on, my daughter (then under ten) watched part of it and decided she wanted to be a Victoria's Secret model. She was prancing around the house. They also don't have those Sexy Santa skirts and stuff anymore. Yes, tacky, but my husband loved them. I still have a Sexy Santa Skirt and pretty much the full Stewardess costume in the closet.

Rescue Chick, yes, the sister size thing never seemed to make sense. They said you were so and so size, so why would you be a completely different size? I don't think I ever tried it because I never trusted it.

r28, all so they didn't have to make above a size dd but still could take our money. jerks

More first world problems.

R30 the clothing quality is third world. The prices are 2nd world.

[quote] It’s said by designer frag fans that the first scent from the company, 1992’s Rapture in the heart shaped bottle, smelled divine—described as alluring, bold, classy, comforting, continental, creamy, decadent, deep, dominanting, eccentric, elegant, expensive, feminine, fleshy, full-bodies, glam, glowing, goddessy, golden, head-turning, headstrong, intense, intoxicating, luxe, mature, mysterious, old-school, opulent, powerhouse, put-together, rich, romantic, resinous, sensual, sophisticated, sultry, sumptuous, velvety and voluptuous. ‘Old Hollywood air. Perfect Bachelor Red lipstick and nails, a floor-length gown worn with jewels. Smells like a perfume in the collection of Rita Hayworth, Dolores Del Rio, Marilyn Monroe, Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor, Gina Lollobrigida, Rita Moreno, Ava Gardner, Lana Turner and Grace Kelly.’ Maybe the ultimate sexy, soft, sweet-spicy floriental vintage for the boudoir, date-night or honeymoon. Comparisons to beloved respected perfume classics such as Arpege, Baisee du dragon, Bijan, Casmir, JPG Classique, Fire & Ice, Indecence, Narcisse, Opium, Oscar, Poison, Rafinée, Samsara, Spellbound and Vanderbilt are often made. I have never tried it, but it sounds gorgeous.

[italic]MARY![/italic]

You can buy it for less than $30 on ebay. Knock yourself out!

R32 Mary! the user base of Fragrantica, I was just collating and paraphrasing what they all said😂😂😂

[quote] I window shopped at the original. It was marketed to medium-high end professional or married women then. Think Laura Ashley decor, floral chintz and fabric draped walls, silk negligee type stuff. By the time I could afford to shop there, it was a medium range clothing catalog that had attractive non-slutty work and casual wear (think Melania style).

So originally you could buy actual everyday workwear there? Like long skirts, sensible blouses, blazers etc? Rather than just thotty clubbing outfits, bimbo ’workout’ gear, stripper lingerie and kinkwear? That’s hard to imagine.

R4 Datalounge splash screen: "DataLounge - Gay Celebrity Gossip, Gay Politics, Gay News and Pointless Bitchery since 1995."

If you search "what is datalounge" you get this (from Wikipedia)" DataLounge is an internet forum. Its core community of predominantly anonymous posters share news, opinions, gossip, personal histories, and political views from a gay perspective."

Lesbians are gay too, r35.

R34 I still have some slacks, blazers and silk dresses that wouldn't have been out of place at a work-do or theater/dinner/ballet in my closet still by them.

I would describe the aesthetic as less JCrew and more "vamp chic". Less tweedy prep and cut to define the body: you are still a sexual being trying to appear attractive, but not a slut inviting groping (that's what the underwear was about, and it was better made then too). A fine line, and easy to age out of. A real estate or insurance agent, probably not a lawyer.

,,,,,,

What's funny to me is how now in 2022 after watching the Abercrombie and Victoria's Secret documentaries, we're supposed to acknowledge that those are unhealthy beauty standards and all body sizes should be celebrated.

Okay.

But then whenever you see a pictorial of "hot" trans models they are all mimicking the way A&F and Victoria's models looked in the 90s and early 2000s and are applauded for it; the shirtless trans guys in jeans with abs (and airbrushed mastectomy scars), and stick thin transwomen in bikinis.

R38 thanks for the link, that blog post is in line with what we're saying here.

The author links to the tumblr below, which is full of hi-res scans, pics & GIFs of old 80s/90s/00s VS catalogues and photoshoots. Really cool.

Stephanie Seymour looked amazing modelling practically mumsy garments for them.

I remember the original stores and they were very pretty and romantic. Floral wallpaper and little sconces with silk shades, plush carpet. Back in the 80s I bought some things there that were sort of old-fashioned-looking. Silk tap pants and teddies. Now they’re plain ghetto, all spandex thongs, very cheaply made garbage.

Victoria’s Secret had a clothing catalog, but I don’t remember actual street clothing in the stores. Maybe some silk blouses or something? I ordered clothing and sandals from the catalog.

I passed by the store on E 86th yesterday and they have a photo of an obese Milennial girl on a banner, advertising some bra and panty set with her giant donut belly folded in half. It was revolting.

So what was Vic’s big Secret after all? That she was a modest married respectable working lady, who behind closed bedroom doors was also a hotwife who liked to fuck? Because nowadays I assume that about any attractive in-shape 40-something straight woman with a ring on her finger.

[quote] I passed by the store on E 86th yesterday and they have a photo of an obese Milennial girl on a banner, advertising some bra and panty set with her giant donut belly folded in half. It was revolting.

I'm giggling. Unhealthy or not, but when you're shaped a certain way so there are no rolls or uneven areas of the body, it makes for a better lingerie model.