A Letter to Victoria’s Secret From a Father

/ Rev. Evan Dolive

An open letter to Victoria’s Secret regarding their choice to make an underwear line aimed at young teenagers. (Read about it here)

Dear Victoria’s Secret,

I am a father of a three year old girl. She loves princesses, Dora the Explorer, Doc McStuffins and drawing pictures for people. Her favorite foods are peanut butter and jelly, cheese and pistachios.

Even though she is only three, as a parent I have had those thoughts of my daughter growing up and not being the little girl she is now. It is true what they say about kids, they grow up fast. No matter how hard I try I know that she will not be the little ball of energy she is now; one day she will be a rebellious teenager that will more than likely think her dad is a total goof ball and would want to distance herself from my embarrassing presence.

I know that this is far down the line and I try to spend as much time as I can with her making memories of this special time.

But as I read an article today posted on The Black Sphere, it really got me thinking that maybe the culture that we currently find ourselves in is not helping the cause.

Recently I read an article that Victoria’s Secret is launching a line of underwear and bras aimed at middle school aged children. The line will be called “Bright Young Things” and will feature ” lace black cheeksters with the word “Wild” emblazoned on them, green and white polka-dot hipsters screen printed with “Feeling Lucky?” and a lace trim thong with the words, “Call me” on the front.”

As a dad, this makes me sick.

I believe that this sends the wrong message to not only my daughter but to all young girls.
I don’t want my daughter to ever think that her self-worth and acceptance by others is based on the choice of her undergarments. I don’t want my daughter to ever think that to be popular or even attractive she has to have emblazon words on her bottom.

I want my daughter (and every girl) to be faced with tough decisions in her formative years of adolescence. Decisions like should I be a doctor or a lawyer? Should I take calculus as a junior or a senior? Do I want to go to Texas A&M or University of Texas or some Ivy League School? Should I raise awareness for slave trafficking or lack of water in developing nations? There are many, many more questions that all young women should be asking themselves… not will a boy (or girl) like me if I wear a “call me” thong?

I want my daughter to know that she is perfect the way she is; I want my daughter to know that no matter what underwear she is wearing it does not define her.

I believe that this new line “Bright Young Things” thwarts the efforts of empowering young women in this country. “Bright Young Things” gives off the message that women are sex objects. This new line promotes it at a dangerously young age.

I implore you to reconsider your decision to start this line.

By doing so you will put young girl’s self-esteem, self-worth and pride above profits.

Sincerely,

Rev. Evan Dolive
Houston, TX

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2,835 thoughts on “A Letter to Victoria’s Secret From a Father”

  1. Thank you so much for taking a stand. That is one thing that is wrong with the world today, parents look the other way so they won’t have a confrontation with their children, when they tell them NO. If parent’s would tell them NO more often, and take pride in their children, the world would be a much better place.Thank you again. and God bless you and yours.

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  3. you are obviously too young and immature and obviously don’t have kids he was not saying anything bad about woman that buy the products

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  4. While I tend to agree with this sentiment, there is a part of me which feels that if a young girl is going to behave rebelliously there maybe should be an outlet, like underwear with words scrawled across them, which is in the grand scheme relatively harmless.

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  5. It’s a company out for a profit, just because they say it is not targeted to young teens that does not mean it isn’t their motive – too many companies are starting to target girls younger and younger its absolutely disgraceful think about teen moms or 16 and pregnant the show subliminally says this is normal now. Anyone that does not have children really cannot understand the magnitude of this post.

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  7. I have a10 yr old daughter she is at tht age where she of thinking about how she looks and is figuring out how to be a young lady. Lace, thongs, and words like call me on the the front of panties is not how i want her to be thinking. I’m 31 and never have I put on a pair of panties saying call me. Come out with a Littles girls line, be tasteful with it. Ask your self if you would let your little girl wear it.

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  8. As a young women having gone through my teenage years and now entering my young 20s I couldn’t agree more. I believe in comfortable bras for all sizes however no young woman needs to “push up” her assets to look better. No woman for that matter!!! Young women have enough self-esteem problems to worry about without anorexic women having words like “wild” plastered on their behind! Please consider the actual hearts of these young women and not just their pocket books!

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  9. I applaud this Father for writing this letter. I am a Victoria Secret customer. However lately I have been offended at the Pink ads the girls look under 18 and are way to sexy to be so young. I DON’T LIKE IT. NOR THE HARDEEs COMMERCIALS. THEY ARE AS CLOSE TO PORNOGRAPHIC AS THEY CAN BE.

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  10. On behalf of all the little girls, young women and even us older ones, thank you for defending our honor. I see that chivalry is not dead! 🙂

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  11. Thank you SO much for writing such an outstanding and powerful letter! Every time a man stands up for the value and worth of women, many lives are saved. Your action is having profound effects you haven’t even dreamed of. THANK YOU!!

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  12. Since I doubt any of the kids are going to be paying for their own clothes, it’s up to the parents to say NO.

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  14. its a sad world we have come to live in….. We put the next invention, the next gimmick, the next profit dollar high above our morals. What has happened to us?? The message we send out to young girls is shameful. How shall a tween girl interperet “feeling lucky”?? how do we teach these tweens about abstinance and self worth when these words are staring them in the mirror? Lift your head in pride Victoria Secrets… use your influence to do something right…

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  15. I absolutely agree 100%!! I never shop at VS. I hate their commercials! In the mall, where there are all ages of kids, there are boobs and butt cheeks hanging out everywhere! Very upsetting! Nobody other than their husband should see that stuff! I have wondered if there is any way to stop that stuff. A petition or something? So that only certain things could be “modeled”. America has learned to be soft in her morals! Eventually, there will be naked strippers in our malls “modeling” our lingerie lines. It is pathetic!

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  16. Parents, ultimately, have control over the family finances. Just don’t take your girl shopping at Victoria’s Secret. Ya know, just say NO.

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  17. I’m 14 and I know exactly the choices having to be made as a teenager! I so very much wish that someone would stand up to this high up business people so that we adolescents do not have to face the world of being an object of a mans imagination… I wish that more people would be like this father!

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  19. I work at a store in the mall that faces a “Victoria’s Secret” and I am appalled at the window displays daily. I am coming from a different direction with my disgust, I have a teenage son and I don’t want him to think it is ok to view women as sex objects or that looking at women in their under things is ok. I pray that he doesn’t see any women in her under things until it is his wife on their wedding night. I applaud you dad for speaking out for the innocence and reputation of girls everywhere. Too many parents think those things are with no meaning, that is not true. If young girls have these items they will feel that it is ok to show them to gain popularity. That is where it starts.

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