IAmA Manager at Victoria's Secret. AMA!

Is it true that the VS models come and have makeout sessions with the staff or did I just make that up?

Yeah, I can't say that's ever happened...

What's up with your guys' bra sizing? It's consistently, horrendously inaccurate. What kind of training program does VS use for bra sizing and, more importantly, where the hell did they get their math formula? Because it is so, so wrong. r/abrathatfits might be worth a look over for you, just to, you know, improve the accuracy at your specific store (if company policy would allow for you to veer away from their terrible sizing techniques). Even just reading this comment might help. I had one employee congratulate me when I bought a 34DD (I'm actually a 30F, but VS doesn't really have a great range of sizes, so I have to buy sister sizes if I want one of the cute ones you guys sell). It would have been nice if it hadn't indicative of a huge misunderstanding about bra measurements. Cup sizes are not static. All DDs are not the same, and wearing a DD does not mean someone has big boobs. A chick in a 28DD (to put this in perspective, one of the sister sizes for a 28DD is a 36A - not exactly "tig ol' bitties") is going to have much, much tinier boobs that a chick in a 36DD. As a manager, is sizing something you can play an active role in, or is the method just dictated to you by the company?

If I was getting sized, I would request to talk to the bra specialist. Most people, especially in the awful stores at the mall, just want to make a sale. They'll sell you the bra that doesn't fit, only because they know they have it. I'm a 32DD, and a lot of the people I measure have an unusual size, that we don't have too much of in store. But I'll be honest and tell them what size they really are, because I'm not a douchebag.

I like to make sure ALL of my associates know how to measure. And if they don't I have no problem teaching them again, or have them ask me to double-check a size. I would rather someone get the right size, than make money.

oh my god, I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE. finding 32DD bras is fucking difficult (especially on a budget).

Body by Victoria Demi is a great bra for us :) I have about 6 of them. A lot of them are going on sale, for our Semi Annual Sale on Jan 2nd, and they'll have some 32DD's. They sell out really fast, so hop on that ASAP!

Seriously, VS had me at 38B. I fit best in a 36D. When they measured me, they did some bizarre things where they took the measuring tape and put it up over the top of my boobs.

Yeah, that's a REALLY incorrect way of measuring... That's the "official" VS way of measuring, but it's so fucking off, that I don't advise anyone to do it. You don't wear the band on top of your boobs, so why the hell would you measure that part?

I measure on the bottom, right below where your boobs end.

Is it weird when a male customer goes in by himself. I feel I just get looked at like I'm a perv when I'm just trying to buy my gf something?

Every single male, ages 4-100, feels awkward walking into VS, including my boyfriend when I first started working there. He said he felt like he was "intruding."

I like when men ask us for help, though. Otherwise, they're just walking around, clueless and uncomfortable. I'll ask if they need help, and they look like a deer in headlights. But honestly, it's pretty obvious if you come in that you have a girl in your life, and you just want to make her feel special about herself. Nothing pervy about that :)

Every single time I get dragged in by my girlfriend, within like 2 minutes I'm outside sitting on a bench. I feel like I'm intruding too. I doubt any female wants an awkward, strange guy standing 2 feet from them while they pick out panties.

It's only awkward when you make it awkward!

This is true. I don't mind going in anywhere like that with my girlfriend. Of course, if I'm going with her to VS, it's probably because we want to pick something out we both like. Plus, it's a lot of fun.

One question (sorry if it's already been asked):

Do you allow customers to show off lingerie to their SO if they're with them? Is that a thing? You mentioned in another thread that you don't allow couples in fitting rooms (for obvious reasons). I'd like to see what something looks like on my SO before buying her expensive lingerie (or panties, or bras, etc...), but I know that's kind of a grey area for obvious reasons...

I don't let it happen, because there are always kids around, and I can't be liable for that. Do what I do. I just take a picture inside of the fitting room and send it to my BF that way :)

I used to be a retail manager at a compeltely different type of store, but still specialty. I have a few questions based on my experiences.

1. Do you have any regular customers who think they're your friend, but really just distract you or employees from work?

2. Do you have any regulars who are actually cool people that you enjoy seeing?

3. How often do men come in and hit on the staff/customers? Any lesbians?

4. Have you seen any douchbag husbands/boyfriends try to pick up girls while their SO is in the changing room?

5. Have you ever had to kick anyone out/ask them to leave for their behavior? If so, what were they doing?

6. What's your worst customer story?

1. Oh yeah. Mostly older women with tons of money, who need like, 4 associates to help them and listen to them talk about their new boyfriend. But we have to be nice since they'll spend the most money.

2. We definitely have more nice regulars than shitty regulars.

3. Very rarely.

4. This one kid, maybe 19 or 20, a couple months ago was hitting on one of the associates while she was standing RIGHT next to him. They left while getting in a fight, and then he came back a half hour later, asking for the associate's number. She obviously said no.

5. A couple times, people get the wrong idea about us. We sell bras. We're not a brothel. Once in a blue moon, someone will try to walk in while their girlfriend/wife is in the fitting room. I always keep an eye out, so they hear me before they see me when I tell them to get the hell out of there.

6. A bunch of super skanky 8th graders came in with their 90-pound 5-foot boyfriends. They were bragging in front of the boys about how they "definitely were D's." and wanted to get measured in front of the boys. It was appalling and disgusting. The prepubescent scumbag boys were taking pictures of the models on the posters and just making everyone feel uncomfortable. They were very loud, and started putting on bras; just making a fucking mess. Enough was enough, and I asked them to leave.

Good on you knowing where to draw the line and making them leave. Any time I had to ask someone to leave they always made a big fuss and got super obnoxious (had to threaten to call the cops if they don't comply once). How did they react?

Well, the whole point is you can't make a scene If people figure out what's going on, they'll stop shopping, and start gawking. Keep your voice down, but be very stern. If they start asking questions, you don't have to answer them. Whenever I get a "WHY CAN'T I DO THIS" or "WHY DO YOU HAVE TO DO THAT" just respond with, "Company policy."

Don't entertain them. Some people just get off to drama, and the more nonchalant you are, the more likely they'll just leave calmly.

I religiously wear/wore VS low-rise bikini undies for almost 10 years. Within the last few years, the design and fabric has been completely changed and these new undies rise up my butt like there's no tomorrow. What gives with the design change? What else would you recommend?

Sometimes the company that provides us that material will go out of business, or don't make it anymore. Because of this, we'll try to substitute it with something else. It sucks because a lot of the times, some really great bras/panties start getting discontinued or changed.

Either that, or they found a cheaper alternative.

If I were you, I would start buying the Body by Victoria panties. Super soft and cozy, and it feels like nothing's there.

How do you not walk around with a boner while at work?

because I am a female.

Ladyboner?

Not even once haha

Are there male employees in VS retail? Is it allowed?

Yes, and there's a bunch of them.

what's your favorite food?

TACOS.

Makes sense.

I don't measure vaginas. I'm allowed to eat whatever I want.

What happened to the Very Sexy for him? That stuff was amazing.

We still have it, sometimes it's just not marketed well. But if you ask, 90% chance they have it in stock.

What are the chances of a male getting hired to work there? Honest question. I am straight male, and have worked at bath and body works in the past ( don't know if that helps at all :P) I understand obvious reasons to shy away from hiring a male, but I honestly think it would be fun to work there. And actually work.

There's a great chance you'll get hired, especially since you've worked with Limited Brands before. I would try the bigger stores first, only because they hire more often.

How do the people who work there feel about women who come in and are bigger or not pretty? Are workers good at keeping up professionalism when it comes to what customers look like?

I've seen women of every shape and size. I think anyone who can find a perfect fit bra looks amazing, regardless of their body. A lot of women get self conscious with their bodies, until they fit perfectly into a bra. It makes such a difference, that they just feel a whole lot better. Although, a lot of the times, customers want to talk to someone who's body most resembles theirs. I'm 22 years old, but I'm skinny with bigger boobs, so whenever someone around my age with a similar body to mine wants to get measured, I'll know EXACTLY what to recommend to her, since it's what I personally wear myself. You have to compare yourself to the customer, so she knows just what would work best for her body.

Also, I've never, ever had a problem with an employee being insensitive towards a customer.

Whats the rule on price adjustments during the semi-annual sale? One of my friends has told me that you can go in on the first day so you can get bras that are actually your size and not a crazy color at a higher price, then come back later in the week and get the price adjusted down to the 15.99 price towards the end of the sale if you have your receipt. Is this a thing?

Yup.

I just bought my GF a gift card to Victoria's Secret, any recommendations regarding new products she should keep an eye out for?

Semi Annual sale starts Jan 2nd. She'll get twice as much.

Do you approach girls with A cups differently than you would girls with DDs? Are there stereotypes or attitudes associated with girls of any particular size?

Some bras are better for big boobs, some bras are better for small boobs. Thicker, soft straps are good for big boobs that need support. You can pretty much wear anything if you're smaller busted, since you don't need as much support.

Everyone has different feelings about their boobs. Some women are really uncomfortable with having big or small boobs. I get a lot of young girls who hit puberty and suddenly grew boobs, and they get emotional or insecure when I measure them, and they need a bigger size.

There's bitches of all shapes and sizes. Very little has to do with boobs.

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We have gel shaping inserts which I've never used, but a couple of us have. You put them in your bra to help lift and fill, but you can just put one if you want.

There are TONS of women with asymmetrical breasts, way more than you think. Also, our Dream Angels Push Up is good for that. It's like a memory foam padding, so your breasts push it so it forms to your shape. It's a more custom-fitting bra, which is awesome for a lot of women.

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Without a receipt, they get store credit, even if they're obviously worn. We scan their licenses and if they don't provide receipts after a certain amount of times, their request to return gets denied.

But every returned pair of panties have to get damaged out, regardless of whether the tags are still on them or not. Then we shred them and throw them out after.

Another customer service question- if I return a scent set I was gifted, do I get store credit? I am afraid of walking in with it and being accused of trickery/stealing.

If you don't have a receipt, you get it at the price it's currently sold at. The beauty gift sets were all on sale, so chances are you won't get that much back. As long as you provide an ID, you'll never be accused of anything, ever.

Why do tiny panties have huge tags that can't be taken off without destroying the entire pantie?

because some people have no souls. i never understood that myself.

I used to work for a higher end lingerie brand. We would often get men that would come in (some discreetly, some not so much) to purchase underwear (thongs) and bras for themselves. Some were pretty open about it and some we just suspected. Do you get that often?

We get a lot of guys who openly admit their infidelity. This one douchey insecure middle aged guy comes in sometimes, and never fails to reminds us: MY WIFE IS A LARGE BUT MY GIRLFRIEND'S A SMALL, LOLOLOLOLOL and expects us to laugh every time. Dude!

But as far as I know, it doesn't happen too often.

what was the weirdest thing that happened in VS? i should label this NSFW.

An older guy asked me to measure his bust once.

Did you?

hell no haha

You said guys work there as well, what do the males do?

What is someones best bet to get a job there if they are male?

Be really professional. We get a lot of guys who make it pretty obvious that they just want the job to meet women, even though it'll never fucking work.

What's your favorite part of the job?

I like helping women feel sexy and confident. Lingerie isn't really about making a man attracted to you. It's about feeling like a rockstar when you look at yourself.

How standardized are bra sizes? If I've been fitted at a Victoria's Secret, does that size translate to other brands or are there discrepancies?

If you've been fitted at VS, chances are you're wearing a bra that fits pretty poorly.

I'd suggest heading over to /r/ABraThatFits and using the fitting guide in the sidebar and fit yourself.

Thanks! May I ask why being fitted at VS isn't good/ accurate?

Most of the associates don't know how to do it, so they pretend they do, just to get you to buy shit. Ask for the bra specialist, or someone who regularly does fittings.

The Pink line is junior cut, meaning it runs a little more narrow. Otherwise, I'd say it's accurate.

Is it true you get free products when they first get released, such as a free bra, when a new line is introduced? If so, is there any reason behind this, or is it just a perk of working there? What do the male employees get if all the female staff members are getting lingerie and female oriented things?

We used to get WAY more free stuff. Not nearly as much anymore. Now it's mostly buy-ins. Like if you wanted to try the newest bra, it's $10-20, and you'll only get a choice between certain colors (usually nude or black). So not a lot of male employees are too interested in that. It comes with the territory; they kinda know that the stuff isn't really gonna pique their interest. But we get perfumes and beauty products for free all the time.

I have bigger boobs, and because of them every strapless bra i've ever owned has always slipped down. underwire always ends up sitting on my ribcage no matter what size i buy, i HATE THEM. they're so necessary though... any suggestions? good styles that don't fall down?

If it slips, you have to get up a cup size. I'd ask for help when getting a strapless, only because you really have to make sure you get your exact size.

I have a serious beef with how the product lines are set up. Why is there a Very Sexy demi as well as an Angels demi? I just want a fucking demi!

I have to say, I prefer shopping Aerie's line because I can differentiate the different bras and what they're supposed to do. Which is a little disappointing, because I've found the VS bras to be more flattering. Serious first world problems up in here.

Very Sexy Demi is a shitty bra. Stick with Body by Victoria Demi or Dream Angels Demi.

How often do you get packs of giggling 15 year old boys coming into the store, and how do you handle the situation?

very often. i ask them if they need help. they get shy and leave. easy peasy!

How often do males purchase stuff from your store?

all the time

Do any posters of the models ever get stolen? I ask because I've heard of that happening before.

It'd be really really really hard to do that without anyone noticing.

honest question: I went into a store on a not busy weekday night with my female roommate to pick out some stuff for her girlfriend (i'm a gay man, she's a lesbian), and when i went back to the dressing room so she could get my opinion i was kicked out cause men are not allowed in the dressing room... why is that? what about a husband wanting to approve or disapporve of something his wife is trying on? or what if a man was shopping for himself (it has to happen)? that just kinda seemed weird to me.... thanks!

its usually a mall, and there are kids walking around everywhere. if we get one complaint whatsoever, we can get in some deep shit. if it was up to me, i wouldn't enforce it, but i have to.

Please help me understand why VS has yet to start making/selling bra's made specifically for breastfeeding mothers. This just seems like a huge missed opportunity to me.

I get this question a lot, and I honestly am surprised they haven't yet worked on it.

Ever heard a patron masturbating in the dressing room? Happened when one of my friends was in one of the VS locations in Georgia. I feel bad for whoever accidentally purchased that pair of panties.

i damage out EVERY pair of panties anyone tries on. there's no reason why a customer should question whether or not their underwear is sanitary

• Did you ever have a female customer who couldn't get a bra that could fit her since she was either too small/ or too big and she had to leave , heartbroken?
• Do you have a funny story to share?
• Do you get free items when they off season or not on the shelves anymore? What happens to the so called garments when they have been replaced? Do they get dumped into the trash?

We try our best to accommodate everyone. We have more sizes online, and if they order in-store, it's free shipping, which is AWESOME and not many people know about that. We have a specialty bra shop 15 minutes away, which I'll tell a customer about if we don't have her size. I'd hate to leave people without a bra, so I'd always give them a suggestion if she doesn't leave with a new bra.

We have earpiece radios. 90% of them time, we're not talking about work. Usually about how hungry we are, or "be right back, I really have to pee." Everyday is something funny for us though, my coworkers are amazing people, and we get along great. What matters the most is how well you get along with each other. I think customers can tell when you're not happy at work. We got these HIDEOUS jumpsuit pajama things that we all tried on one day. We looked like Teletubbies, and I couldn't stop laughing when we sold out of those after two days.

We never get off-season stuff, those go in the back, and put in storage until the Semi Annual Sale, which happens every January and June.

If I go into a VS store and want one of the posters after they are done using it can I buy it off them?

Our movie theaters sell the posters they have or hand them our at premiers. I wondered if VS would ever just sell me an Adriana Lima poster...

we're not allowed to accept money for non-merch, but ask the store manager. sometimes they would let you have it.