Popular Clothing Brand Slammed By Netizens After They Notice Odd Detail In Product Photo

Jason Sargent Friday, September 18, 2026

Binitha JacobFri, September 18, 2026 at 8:17 AM UTC

Clothing brand Brandy Melville seemingly wanted to bring some sandy, sun-soaked vibes to its latest product photos.

But viewers found something oddly off about one of the photos and outrageously asked why it was so difficult to click a simple photo at the beach.

“Feels like they’re missing the point of fashion,” one disappointed viewer commented on the photo.

Viewers found something oddly off about Brandy Melville’s latest beachy product photos

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Brandy Melville is a very recognizable and somewhat controversial fashion brand, mostly marketed to teenage girls.

The brand recently became a hot topic online after netizens dissected one of its product photos, claiming it did not look natural or real.

“Brandy Melville using AI is so lame,” read a tweet sharing the suspiciously artificial photo.

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“Even from afar, you can tell it’s AI… that’s why in a world full of AI, I always post natural photos,” one commented.

Several X users claimed the sand’s texture looked unnatural and didn’t have footprints in the right places.

“The sand texture is the giveaway but honestly the real crime is thinking anyone believes those flip-flops have ever touched actual beach sand,” read one comment.

One believed “AI was really unnecessary here” in the product photos

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“I’m cooked in the future cuz I’m not seeing it. No footprints?” asked another.

One speculated that it was the output of “some intern that was in charge.”

Another said the “whole background is fake. That’s not what that sm pier area looks like smh.”

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It is unclear whether the images were actually AI-generated. Hence, the accusations remain merely accusations so far.

Brandy Melville stirred controversy in the past, especially after the release of the HBO documentary Brandy Hellville & The Cult of Fast Fashion.

Founded in Italy in the 1980s, the brand opened its first retail location in the U.S. in 2009 and gradually expanded its footprint by targeting a very young female audience.

Popular among American teen girls, the brand has been accused of promoting a very thin-body aesthetic

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Within about 15 years, the chain opened 94 locations across the globe, including 36 stores in the U.S.

The fashion retailer became widely popular among American teenage girls but also grew notorious for being a one-size approach.

Most of their clothes are only offered in S or XS sizes, with M being their “oversized fit.” This has led to accusations of the brand promoting a very specific and very thin physical aesthetic.

Ex-employees said they struggled with unhealthy eating habits as they felt pressured to fit into the petite clothing

Claims about the brand promoting eating dis**ders and s*xual**ing youngsters were included in the afore-mentioned HBO documentary.

The documentary included social media posts of customers bemoaning their inability to fit into the brand’s clothes. They were also seen discussing ways to slim down, so they could have more Brandy Melville tops hanging in their wardrobe.

Furthermore, the retailer was also accused of creating a hostile work environment, where some employees were allegedly expected to send full-body snaps of their work outfits to CEO Stephan Marsan every day.

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The CEO would allegedly fire them if he didn’t like what he saw, according to former employees who appeared in the documentary.

They also said they struggled with eating dis**ders while working for the brand and felt pressured to fit into the brand’s petite clothing.

Today, the brand is still a hit among youngsters, who flock to their stores to buy their T-shirts, sweatpants, and more.

“I think Brandy is so popular because influential people on social media found it and talked about it on the internet,” 15-year-old customer Addison told Yale Daily earlier this month.

“I think Brandy is so popular because influential people on social media found it and talked about it,” said one teen customer

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Store clerk Emerson, 23, said she had been working in one outlet for the last four years and finds the store vibe “chill.”

She believes the brand is popular because of its “style” and providing “a lot of basics” for its target audience.

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The sizing “doesn’t really seem to be a problem with many customers…like we still sell a lot of stuff and we get a lot of customers every day buying all the clothes,” she told the outlet.

18-year-old co-worker Grace, working at the same store for six months, said: “I think it’s very easily trendy because there’s lots of new stuff all the time.”

“ugh, right? like, what even is the point of that?” one commented on the brand’s product photo