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Сексуальність на продаж: Що приховує мереживо «Victoria’s Secret»
Захоплива, пізнавальна й майже документальна історія кількох десятиліть розвитку моди й бізнесу, еволюції ідеалу краси і сприйняття сексуальності, трансформації торгівлі, становлення модельного бізнесу і безпрецедентного піару — все це про легендарний бренд «Victoria’s Secret», з яким росли покоління жінок і який є прикладом одного із найуспішніших бізнесів.
Як зародилась ідея бренду і творилася легенда про Вікторію, якими були її таємниці, злети на ангельських крилах і падіння. Книжка про один із найуспішніших і найвідоміших брендів розкриває не лише бізнесову історію й залаштунки «Victoria’s Secret», а й дає безліч ідей, як розвивати бренд інноваційно, вгадувати тренди майбутнього й самим визначати їх, плисти у морі бізнесу не лише за часом, а на гребені хвилі.
Як зародилась ідея бренду і творилася легенда про Вікторію, якими були її таємниці, злети на ангельських крилах і падіння. Книжка про один із найуспішніших і найвідоміших брендів розкриває не лише бізнесову історію й залаштунки «Victoria’s Secret», а й дає безліч ідей, як розвивати бренд інноваційно, вгадувати тренди майбутнього й самим визначати їх, плисти у морі бізнесу не лише за часом, а на гребені хвилі.
456 pages, Hardcover
First published October 8, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 227 reviews
September 8, 2024
9/24 Should have DNFed this one.
Full review:
Thank you to the author Lauren Sherman and Chantal Fernandez, publishers Holt Publishing, and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of SELLING SEXY. All views are mine.
Sometimes you just want a lace-trimmed push-up bra, with a tiny bow on the center bridge, wrapped up in a shiny pink-striped bag. Cheap, reliable, accessible thrills— brought to you by your local mall. p312
Victoria's secret was an iconic company when I was a girl and young woman. I watched the Angels on TV, measured myself up against the catalog models, and even bought one or two ill-fitting bras. Victoria's Secret and I were both based in Ohio, and even though I lived in a small town, we had a VS in our little mall. In Ohio, all the malls had a Victoria's Secret. The cheap little not-quite-lingerie boutiques that told 90s women what sexy was, were ubiquitous.
I requested a copy of this book from NetGalley because I love good history book and I love fashion. I thought this text would want to make a point about VS's role in the state of white feminism in the 90's. But it did no more than survey the history, which I found to be very dry. With the notable exception of chapter 14, the authors didn't organize the material to maximize the naturally occurring conflict in the history. It all felt a bit flat.
I recommend SELLING SEXY to 80' and 90's girls, fashion history buffs, readers who want a little more tea on Epstein.
Three (or more) things I loved:
1. From the beginning, most of the decision makers at Victoria’s Secret were women, and their mission was to make other women feel good. To embrace their sexuality, to lead more satisfying sex lives and have healthier relationships. To experience their gender as an asset, not a liability. To feel powerful. p10 Not exactly my brand of feminism, but it's a worthy goal and a spectacular concept for a women's intimates company in the 90's.
2. An interesting, unattainable image–at the time: The first “Victoria,” the one Roy and Gaye Raymond had conjured up one evening at home in San Francisco, was a glamorous British woman the couple imagined meeting while traveling on the Orient Express. She was a confident businesswoman, they decided, alone on the train— presumably with a man in her life but unburdened by him. She was fabulous and mysterious. The “secret” to her appeal, she told them, was great lingerie. Over a decade later, the image of Victoria had evolved. Vogue described her as a mix of “the sexy and the sensible,” appealing to both men and women by subverting Sigmund Freud’s Madonna/ whore dichotomy. “The Victoria’s Secret woman is not a fashion model, nor is she the girl next door,” wrote the magazine’s art and fashion writer Dodie Kazanjian. “If she’s a wife, she’s somebody else’s wife. But she’s more likely a wife-mistress, with her loose, slightly disheveled hair and one shoulder strap falling down.” p102
3. This makes me want to puke. But it's also an astute observation about the social environment that ever let s company like Victoria’s Secret thrive. Feminism was still a loaded term, rejected as a label by Lady Gaga and Katy Perry. Instead, it was a time of “good girls” (Taylor Swift), “good girls gone bad” (Rihanna and Gossip Girl’s Leighton Meester), “the sexiest bad girl” (Megan Fox), “very bad girls” (Rosario Dawson and Rose McGowan), Bad Girls Club (the reality show), and soon, just Girls (the HBO series lambasting a generation raised in Pink sweatpants while watching Sex and the City reruns). p201
Three (or less) things I didn't love:
This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.
1. Lauren Sherman and Chantal Fernandez clearly know their material, buy I'm not really that into history reports. For 70 pages, it's been nothing but dry business history. It doesn't appear the authors have a point to make or an opinion to share. If I'm wrong, they've waited too long to make or share it. *edit Now that I know this book contains a dirty scoop on Jeffrey Epstein, I suspect that was the purpose of this book.
2. Weller sabotaged his own business *more than once* by cutting his best selling lines, like Body By Victoria, because *he* didn't think they were sexy enough. Forget what women want, he said! We'll make them wear what I want! No he didn't really say that, I was paraphrasing his decades of ridiculous business decisions. In her 2005 book, Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture, Levy identified young women’s Y2K-era exhibitionist turn as a reaction against the austerity of their mothers’ generation. The attitude also reflected an “if you can’t beat them, join them” mentality, she argued, a way to cope with the sexism that continued to pervade culture. p163
Rating: 👙👙 /5 bra-and-panty sets
Recommend? Meh
Finished: Sep 1 '24
Format: Digital arc, Kindle, NetGalley
Read this book if you like:
👢 fashion history
💄 sexism in fashion
🫖 Jeffrey Epstein tea
Full review:
Thank you to the author Lauren Sherman and Chantal Fernandez, publishers Holt Publishing, and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of SELLING SEXY. All views are mine.
Sometimes you just want a lace-trimmed push-up bra, with a tiny bow on the center bridge, wrapped up in a shiny pink-striped bag. Cheap, reliable, accessible thrills— brought to you by your local mall. p312
Victoria's secret was an iconic company when I was a girl and young woman. I watched the Angels on TV, measured myself up against the catalog models, and even bought one or two ill-fitting bras. Victoria's Secret and I were both based in Ohio, and even though I lived in a small town, we had a VS in our little mall. In Ohio, all the malls had a Victoria's Secret. The cheap little not-quite-lingerie boutiques that told 90s women what sexy was, were ubiquitous.
I requested a copy of this book from NetGalley because I love good history book and I love fashion. I thought this text would want to make a point about VS's role in the state of white feminism in the 90's. But it did no more than survey the history, which I found to be very dry. With the notable exception of chapter 14, the authors didn't organize the material to maximize the naturally occurring conflict in the history. It all felt a bit flat.
I recommend SELLING SEXY to 80' and 90's girls, fashion history buffs, readers who want a little more tea on Epstein.
Three (or more) things I loved:
1. From the beginning, most of the decision makers at Victoria’s Secret were women, and their mission was to make other women feel good. To embrace their sexuality, to lead more satisfying sex lives and have healthier relationships. To experience their gender as an asset, not a liability. To feel powerful. p10 Not exactly my brand of feminism, but it's a worthy goal and a spectacular concept for a women's intimates company in the 90's.
2. An interesting, unattainable image–at the time: The first “Victoria,” the one Roy and Gaye Raymond had conjured up one evening at home in San Francisco, was a glamorous British woman the couple imagined meeting while traveling on the Orient Express. She was a confident businesswoman, they decided, alone on the train— presumably with a man in her life but unburdened by him. She was fabulous and mysterious. The “secret” to her appeal, she told them, was great lingerie. Over a decade later, the image of Victoria had evolved. Vogue described her as a mix of “the sexy and the sensible,” appealing to both men and women by subverting Sigmund Freud’s Madonna/ whore dichotomy. “The Victoria’s Secret woman is not a fashion model, nor is she the girl next door,” wrote the magazine’s art and fashion writer Dodie Kazanjian. “If she’s a wife, she’s somebody else’s wife. But she’s more likely a wife-mistress, with her loose, slightly disheveled hair and one shoulder strap falling down.” p102
3. This makes me want to puke. But it's also an astute observation about the social environment that ever let s company like Victoria’s Secret thrive. Feminism was still a loaded term, rejected as a label by Lady Gaga and Katy Perry. Instead, it was a time of “good girls” (Taylor Swift), “good girls gone bad” (Rihanna and Gossip Girl’s Leighton Meester), “the sexiest bad girl” (Megan Fox), “very bad girls” (Rosario Dawson and Rose McGowan), Bad Girls Club (the reality show), and soon, just Girls (the HBO series lambasting a generation raised in Pink sweatpants while watching Sex and the City reruns). p201
Three (or less) things I didn't love:
This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.
1. Lauren Sherman and Chantal Fernandez clearly know their material, buy I'm not really that into history reports. For 70 pages, it's been nothing but dry business history. It doesn't appear the authors have a point to make or an opinion to share. If I'm wrong, they've waited too long to make or share it. *edit Now that I know this book contains a dirty scoop on Jeffrey Epstein, I suspect that was the purpose of this book.
2. Weller sabotaged his own business *more than once* by cutting his best selling lines, like Body By Victoria, because *he* didn't think they were sexy enough. Forget what women want, he said! We'll make them wear what I want! No he didn't really say that, I was paraphrasing his decades of ridiculous business decisions. In her 2005 book, Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture, Levy identified young women’s Y2K-era exhibitionist turn as a reaction against the austerity of their mothers’ generation. The attitude also reflected an “if you can’t beat them, join them” mentality, she argued, a way to cope with the sexism that continued to pervade culture. p163
Rating: 👙👙 /5 bra-and-panty sets
Recommend? Meh
Finished: Sep 1 '24
Format: Digital arc, Kindle, NetGalley
Read this book if you like:
👢 fashion history
💄 sexism in fashion
🫖 Jeffrey Epstein tea
November 4, 2024
First, a disclaimer out of the way: despite its hot pink cover, the word SEXY blazing across the title, and the seemingly scintillating subject matter suggested by its subject of Victoria’s Secret, this is NOT a stylish, sexy, fashion book! It’s more Fruit of the Loom briefs than negligee, more scratchy Jantzen tee-shirt than satin teddy. It’s less Vogue September issue or Cosmo sex tips feature than it’s a Harvard Business Review case study. Yup, it’s a business book! I mean, it’s a sexy, fascinating business book! But, I get not for everyone! But for those nerds among us who would only wear sweatpants with something written across the butt if that something were along the lines of I HEART RESEARCH, then this book is good times!
The authors have done a stellar job here relaying a detailed history of the Victoria’s Secret business and brand in the larger context of fashion retail and marketing history, including the once groundbreaking direct mail and catalog sales as well as the “peak shopping mall” eras all the way to our present-day multimedia-driven and online retail experience. Along the way, they shed light on how the brand and its fashion product and advertising both reflected and shaped (so to speak) mainstream and restrictive cultural ideas about womanhood, beauty, sexuality, and femininity, so in this sense, the book also works as sociocultural and fashion history despite its business focus. Toward the end of the book, they recount the fall of the brand in part due to poor business decisions made by grotesquely out of touch and sexist leadership, and there is also an unfortunate intersection with the Me Too reckoning
In particular, I appreciated how this book highlighted the experience of many of the models employed by Victoria’s Secret, giving them some voice and personhood beyond “Angel.” There is also some important coverage of how disgustingly racist VS was. I mean, it’s no great surprise that a company like VS would be sexist and racist, but I was horrified to learn that things were perhaps even worse than expected, and until shockingly recently. There are some truly, truly terrible quotes from some of the company’s top executives, many of whom seem like utter garbage people. I was also pretty blown away by how incredibly dated and bland the whole Angel thing seems now, even though it was an ubiquitous and unquestioned ideal when I was growing up, which wasn’t that terribly long ago. Today, it felt like super archaic, like reading about Playboy Bunnies or something like that, just so incredibly unimaginative and one-dimensional. And just like also, kinda boring and blah? Like really, “angels” were the best and sexiest and most interesting concept you could come up with? for years on end? Wow…good job. (Seriously, “bunnies” were actually more creative.) And, we all bought it!
In short, I think this book does a lot of different things well, integrating its various themes pretty seamlessly, and again, the research is impeccable. A solid and worthwhile read. If you liked the recent books on J. Crew and American Apparel, as I did, then this one may also be for you!
The authors have done a stellar job here relaying a detailed history of the Victoria’s Secret business and brand in the larger context of fashion retail and marketing history, including the once groundbreaking direct mail and catalog sales as well as the “peak shopping mall” eras all the way to our present-day multimedia-driven and online retail experience. Along the way, they shed light on how the brand and its fashion product and advertising both reflected and shaped (so to speak) mainstream and restrictive cultural ideas about womanhood, beauty, sexuality, and femininity, so in this sense, the book also works as sociocultural and fashion history despite its business focus. Toward the end of the book, they recount the fall of the brand in part due to poor business decisions made by grotesquely out of touch and sexist leadership, and there is also an unfortunate intersection with the Me Too reckoning
In particular, I appreciated how this book highlighted the experience of many of the models employed by Victoria’s Secret, giving them some voice and personhood beyond “Angel.” There is also some important coverage of how disgustingly racist VS was. I mean, it’s no great surprise that a company like VS would be sexist and racist, but I was horrified to learn that things were perhaps even worse than expected, and until shockingly recently. There are some truly, truly terrible quotes from some of the company’s top executives, many of whom seem like utter garbage people. I was also pretty blown away by how incredibly dated and bland the whole Angel thing seems now, even though it was an ubiquitous and unquestioned ideal when I was growing up, which wasn’t that terribly long ago. Today, it felt like super archaic, like reading about Playboy Bunnies or something like that, just so incredibly unimaginative and one-dimensional. And just like also, kinda boring and blah? Like really, “angels” were the best and sexiest and most interesting concept you could come up with? for years on end? Wow…good job. (Seriously, “bunnies” were actually more creative.) And, we all bought it!
In short, I think this book does a lot of different things well, integrating its various themes pretty seamlessly, and again, the research is impeccable. A solid and worthwhile read. If you liked the recent books on J. Crew and American Apparel, as I did, then this one may also be for you!
February 9, 2025
Selling Sexy: Victoria’s Secret and the Unraveling of an American Icon is an interesting book about retail and some of the iconic leaders in retail. I spent over 30 years in retail so I found this book fascinating.
Selling Sexy: Victoria’s Secret and the Unraveling of an American Icon describes the historic rise and fall of department stores, big-box retailers, specialty retailers, and malls. It also provides a journey into the role of models, known as Angels, and fashion runway shows for Victoria's Secret.
Les Wexner, founder of Limited, Express, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Bath & Bodyworks purchased a small four-store lingerie Bay area retailer called Victoria's Secret. Wexner used his retail formula to turn Victoria's Secret into a multi-billion-dollar juggernaut.
Jeffrey Epstein became Wexner's personal and professional financial advisor and confidant. Epstein's sex-trafficking conviction tainted Wexner and Victoria's Secret.
The book traverses the retail terrain from the 1960's until the end of the COVID pandemic.
Selling Sexy: Victoria’s Secret and the Unraveling of an American Icon describes the historic rise and fall of department stores, big-box retailers, specialty retailers, and malls. It also provides a journey into the role of models, known as Angels, and fashion runway shows for Victoria's Secret.
Les Wexner, founder of Limited, Express, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Bath & Bodyworks purchased a small four-store lingerie Bay area retailer called Victoria's Secret. Wexner used his retail formula to turn Victoria's Secret into a multi-billion-dollar juggernaut.
Jeffrey Epstein became Wexner's personal and professional financial advisor and confidant. Epstein's sex-trafficking conviction tainted Wexner and Victoria's Secret.
The book traverses the retail terrain from the 1960's until the end of the COVID pandemic.
December 4, 2024
Well researched though this was, it felt a little too long considering the subject matter. As the story chronicling a business, it’s probably more entertaining than many others, but after a while it just seemed a bit tedious to me, and I stopped caring. Maybe I was also expecting something a little juicer or flashier, given the subject of the book? All in all, not a favorite for me, though certainly thorough.
April 29, 2025
Primarily this is the story of Les Wexner “retail genius” of the late 20th century.
I never knew that Wexner was, like, the first merchant to produce clothes overseas (in China) for his company the Limited beginning in the 1960s. Later everyone started copying him, Everyone.
Apparently through the 1970s Americans wore clothes produced in America. Wexner changed that. How depressing.
He did not create Victoria’s Secret, he bought it. He turned it into a massive mall company. But nothing lasts forever, technology and malls changed.
This book does a great job of discussing the psychological shifts which led to the behemoth bra company losing its footing. Nevermind technology, people change. Generations are different.
Among the other problems, Wexner worked closely with Jeffery Epstein. Like everything in Epstein’s life, no one knows anything. I’m sure it was evil. As of now, Wexner is still alive. Obviously, Epstein is not.
I just want to say, besides European Luxury and American semi luxury, if we’re talking about mid level affordable clothing, no company lasts longer than a decade. Cool has an expiration date.
I remember the Limited, but I was a kid in the 1980s. It is so interesting to read about it as an adult.
I never knew that Wexner was, like, the first merchant to produce clothes overseas (in China) for his company the Limited beginning in the 1960s. Later everyone started copying him, Everyone.
Apparently through the 1970s Americans wore clothes produced in America. Wexner changed that. How depressing.
He did not create Victoria’s Secret, he bought it. He turned it into a massive mall company. But nothing lasts forever, technology and malls changed.
This book does a great job of discussing the psychological shifts which led to the behemoth bra company losing its footing. Nevermind technology, people change. Generations are different.
Among the other problems, Wexner worked closely with Jeffery Epstein. Like everything in Epstein’s life, no one knows anything. I’m sure it was evil. As of now, Wexner is still alive. Obviously, Epstein is not.
I just want to say, besides European Luxury and American semi luxury, if we’re talking about mid level affordable clothing, no company lasts longer than a decade. Cool has an expiration date.
I remember the Limited, but I was a kid in the 1980s. It is so interesting to read about it as an adult.
September 19, 2024
Lauren Sherman clearly put a lot of effort into researching and writing Selling Sexy, and I have to give her credit for how comprehensive the book is. By the time I finished, I felt like I knew everything there was to know about the brand's history and inner workings.
The book starts off strong, diving into the scandals surrounding the company’s old CEO and the way VS impacted Millennials’ relationship with body image and mental health. However, as it went on, the focus shifted to long-winded details about the history of bras, catalogs, and models—sections that felt dry and didn't contribute much to the gripping narrative that initially drew me in.
I listened to the audiobook, and while Allyson Ryan was a fantastic narrator, it was sometimes tough to stay engaged with the endless dates, numbers, and facts. There are definitely some heavy sections, but overall, the book still offers valuable insights into the brand’s rise, fall, and ongoing attempts to rebuild.
That said, it’s still an informative read, especially if you’ve ever shopped at Victoria’s Secret and are curious about what went on behind the scenes. Just be prepared for some slower moments amidst all the interesting details!
The book starts off strong, diving into the scandals surrounding the company’s old CEO and the way VS impacted Millennials’ relationship with body image and mental health. However, as it went on, the focus shifted to long-winded details about the history of bras, catalogs, and models—sections that felt dry and didn't contribute much to the gripping narrative that initially drew me in.
I listened to the audiobook, and while Allyson Ryan was a fantastic narrator, it was sometimes tough to stay engaged with the endless dates, numbers, and facts. There are definitely some heavy sections, but overall, the book still offers valuable insights into the brand’s rise, fall, and ongoing attempts to rebuild.
That said, it’s still an informative read, especially if you’ve ever shopped at Victoria’s Secret and are curious about what went on behind the scenes. Just be prepared for some slower moments amidst all the interesting details!
September 10, 2024
(3.5/5, rounded up)
First, I want to give Lauren Sherman & Chantel Fernandez credit for how much time and effort must have gone into this book. I feel like I could give a presentation recapping VS history right this second and no one would know I didn't work there.
Such an all-encompassing narrative backfired about 65% into the book though, when I couldn't tell if I was in history class or reading a book. At first I thought "Eh, that's on me for not knowing what I was getting myself into"... But many readers won't know what they're getting themselves into either, so here I am, with a fair warning.
I still do recommend this book. There was so much back and forth around VS in the media, and this book cleared all of that up. Just be ready for a VERY dense retelling.
{Thank you bunches to NetGalley, Lauren Sherman, and publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!}
First, I want to give Lauren Sherman & Chantel Fernandez credit for how much time and effort must have gone into this book. I feel like I could give a presentation recapping VS history right this second and no one would know I didn't work there.
Such an all-encompassing narrative backfired about 65% into the book though, when I couldn't tell if I was in history class or reading a book. At first I thought "Eh, that's on me for not knowing what I was getting myself into"... But many readers won't know what they're getting themselves into either, so here I am, with a fair warning.
I still do recommend this book. There was so much back and forth around VS in the media, and this book cleared all of that up. Just be ready for a VERY dense retelling.
{Thank you bunches to NetGalley, Lauren Sherman, and publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!}
October 13, 2024
In Selling Sexy, fashion journalists Lauren Sherman and Chantal Fernandez take a deep dive into the Victoria's Secret brand, its interesting history, its effects on the pop culture of the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s, and its downfall in recent years. This book hit the sweet spot for me, as I love reading business schadenfreude stories and reminiscing about pop culture from when I was a teen in the '00s, so I was an engaged listener throughout.
Further reading: the business of fashion
The Kingdom of Prep: The Inside Story of the Rise and (Near) Fall of J.Crew by Maggie Bullock
Glossy: Ambition, Beauty, and the Inside Story of Emily Weiss's Glossier by Marisa Meltzer
Strip Tees: A Memoir of Millennial Los Angeles by Kate Flannery (American Apparel)
Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion by Elizabeth Cline
My statistics:
Book 241 for 2024
Book 1844 cumulatively
Further reading: the business of fashion
The Kingdom of Prep: The Inside Story of the Rise and (Near) Fall of J.Crew by Maggie Bullock
Glossy: Ambition, Beauty, and the Inside Story of Emily Weiss's Glossier by Marisa Meltzer
Strip Tees: A Memoir of Millennial Los Angeles by Kate Flannery (American Apparel)
Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion by Elizabeth Cline
My statistics:
Book 241 for 2024
Book 1844 cumulatively
October 17, 2024
The book opens with an inaccurate history of corsetry (the authors provide what doctors were SAYING about corsets at the time; however, bras were not invented yet. Tightlacing was not rampant but a trend for only the wealthy. Corsets were required to support your bust to work! Doctors are not reliable historians on women). This makes me distrust the rest of the reporting in this book.
The brand history is very fascinating. The final conclusions of the book are weird - deeply lacking any grounding in feminist theory causing it to end on a weird note of essentially “sometimes women worked at this company so it’s a mixed bag”. Weird book, I did learn some things though.
The brand history is very fascinating. The final conclusions of the book are weird - deeply lacking any grounding in feminist theory causing it to end on a weird note of essentially “sometimes women worked at this company so it’s a mixed bag”. Weird book, I did learn some things though.
October 6, 2024
So well done! Just what we all need to help us deconstruct the mall and retail culture that shaped so much of our lives. I think millennial women are going to eat this book up. I listened to this in under 24 hours.
I received a free copy of this through the McMillan audio influencer program in exchange for an honest review
I received a free copy of this through the McMillan audio influencer program in exchange for an honest review
September 26, 2024
Growing up in the early 90s/00s, every trip to the mall involved a pass by, and eventually through, a Victoria's Secret, and finally being able to carry one of those striped pink bags was like a right of passage. Selling Sexy and it's deep dive into the story of Victoria's Secret truly felt like stepping back in time to the era where the Angels ruled. I listened to the audiobook and was very happy with my choice, Allyson Ryan was a wonderful narrator and the pacing was great!
I'd like to start by saying that there is no doubt that Lauren Sherman and Chantal Fernandez did their research, from it's inception to it's peak to it's downfall, every step of Victoria's Secret's history is covered. I especially appreciated the no-holds-barred approach to the sections discussing the misogynistic views of the executive staff and the relationship between Victoria's Secret's CEO, Les Wexner, and Jeffrey Epstein. This is one of those books that highlights just how detrimental to society something as simple as a bra can become when it's seller seems solely focused on sex appeal and profits. Though filled with it's share of heavy moments, and occasionally slow during the more data-filled chapters, this novel is informative and undoubtedly eye-opening, especially for those who - like me - have their own history with Victoria's Secret's stores. If you're looking to learn a bit more about the vice grip that Victoria's Secret held on the lingerie industry in the early 2000s, and what eventually caused that grip to slip, I highly recommend giving this one a listen.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I'd like to start by saying that there is no doubt that Lauren Sherman and Chantal Fernandez did their research, from it's inception to it's peak to it's downfall, every step of Victoria's Secret's history is covered. I especially appreciated the no-holds-barred approach to the sections discussing the misogynistic views of the executive staff and the relationship between Victoria's Secret's CEO, Les Wexner, and Jeffrey Epstein. This is one of those books that highlights just how detrimental to society something as simple as a bra can become when it's seller seems solely focused on sex appeal and profits. Though filled with it's share of heavy moments, and occasionally slow during the more data-filled chapters, this novel is informative and undoubtedly eye-opening, especially for those who - like me - have their own history with Victoria's Secret's stores. If you're looking to learn a bit more about the vice grip that Victoria's Secret held on the lingerie industry in the early 2000s, and what eventually caused that grip to slip, I highly recommend giving this one a listen.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 4, 2024
In Selling Sexy, Lauren Sherman and Chantal Fernandez tell the story of both the iconic Victoria's Secret brand, and also the broader story of U.S. clothing retailing since the 1960s. They begin with entrepreneurial visionaries Roy and Gay Raymond, who originated the VS origin story, the brand's innovative catalog, and its lavish boutique flagship store in San Francisco. When the Raymonds' financial management couldn't keep up with the brand's ambitions, Victoria's Secret landed with merchandising wizard and founder of The Limited, Les Wexner. It was Wexner who took VS to stratospheric new heights from the 1980s onward, shepherding the brand through shifting beauty ideals, disruptions in retailing, the VS Angels era, the advent of little-sister brand Pink, and more. Sherman and Fernandez also take a critical look at the sexism, size-ism, and various failures in leadership that have plagued VS throughout its history, including the unsettling association between Wexner and sexual predator and human trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
As a reader who came of age in the 1990s loving Victoria's Secret, this was a fascinating audiobook listen for me. I loved learning the history of a brand that's meant a lot to me and to generations of women before and after me. Even when Sherman and Fernandez shine a light on the more unsavory aspects of VS, I could still feel their enthusiasm for the brand coming through, and I think that's important. A mere takedown of VS by writers who didn't care wouldn't have been nearly as compelling.
Audiobook is a great format choice for Selling Sexy. Narrator Allyson Ryan has a perfect voice for the book and gives it an energetic delivery. The audio format also helped pull me through some of the less engaging, names-and-dates aspects of telling a historical story.
My thanks to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy of Selling Sexy, which will be published on October 8, 2024.
As a reader who came of age in the 1990s loving Victoria's Secret, this was a fascinating audiobook listen for me. I loved learning the history of a brand that's meant a lot to me and to generations of women before and after me. Even when Sherman and Fernandez shine a light on the more unsavory aspects of VS, I could still feel their enthusiasm for the brand coming through, and I think that's important. A mere takedown of VS by writers who didn't care wouldn't have been nearly as compelling.
Audiobook is a great format choice for Selling Sexy. Narrator Allyson Ryan has a perfect voice for the book and gives it an energetic delivery. The audio format also helped pull me through some of the less engaging, names-and-dates aspects of telling a historical story.
My thanks to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy of Selling Sexy, which will be published on October 8, 2024.
August 4, 2025
Victoria's Secret was founded in 1977 by Roy and Gaye Raymond. The couple sold the brand to Les Wexner in 1982. Wexner expanded the store to fill shopping malls across the United States. Under Wexner, the brand expanded what they offered. The "Miracle Bra" was introduced. "Body by Victoria" was also introduced, around the time that I became aware of Victoria's Secret. The PINK line that was marketed towards teens and young women was THE THING when I was in high school, though I never owned any myself. The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show was something I looked forward to watching annually. This book does a deep dive through the history of the brand and some iconic moments. I really enjoyed learning about the ANGELS, though I now have mixed feelings about them.
Les Wexner was a pretty savvy businessman. He opened many stores and created many brands that performed quite well. I did not realize that he owned Bath & Body Works, Layne Bryant, The Limited, and Abercrombie & Fitch at one point. I never really cared to learn that, but he definitely had more irons in the fire than I realized when I started this book. The way that Wexner spoke about women in some of his meetings was distasteful, however, the relationship with Jeffrey Epstein was pretty vile. I cannot understand why people trusted this guy with their vast sums of money and then acted shocked when he swindled them. I am certain many people got involved with him and his sex crimes and then couldn't disengage because he had too much information about them. Wexner claims he never had any illegal sexual doings with Epstein..not buying that. He claimed he knew nothing about his activities..definitely not buying that. I don't feel sorry at all that he got millions of dollars stolen if he was dumb enough to get involved with that creep who had already had multiple allegations and been in legal trouble over the very thing before.
Ed Razek, former Chief Marketing Officer for L Brands, helped develop the ANGELS gimmick. The models hired to be ANGELS were exceptionally thin. I remember walking by the images on the windows of the stores in the malls and wishing I was thin like that. I would never have been that then, and certainly would not be now, without surgery and an eating disorder. I think the early 00s were really a time of pushing extreme thinness onto girls and women, and I can see how this was really damaging to a lot of people's body image. I cannot imagine that the models fared much better having to work out and watch what they ate the way that I am sure many did. Razek himself was a scummy little weasel. He made some really ugly comments about transgender models, models of various ethnicities, and models over a certain weight in interviews and at work. I am not understanding why he was shocked when people stopped putting up with his ugliness. Models had also complained about inappropriate behavior from him, which is not shocking at all to me.
I used my 15 hours of listening time on Spotify to listen to this book. If you have that feature and you aren't taking advantage of it, you should. I selected this book because I have developed a sudden interest in brands, thanks, in part, to some Netflix and Hulu documentaries about brands. I thought this book offered a massive amount of information about the brand's history and the people involved. Despite many scumbag people in this book, I did enjoy learning about the models and the other companies that Wexner was involved in.
Les Wexner was a pretty savvy businessman. He opened many stores and created many brands that performed quite well. I did not realize that he owned Bath & Body Works, Layne Bryant, The Limited, and Abercrombie & Fitch at one point. I never really cared to learn that, but he definitely had more irons in the fire than I realized when I started this book. The way that Wexner spoke about women in some of his meetings was distasteful, however, the relationship with Jeffrey Epstein was pretty vile. I cannot understand why people trusted this guy with their vast sums of money and then acted shocked when he swindled them. I am certain many people got involved with him and his sex crimes and then couldn't disengage because he had too much information about them. Wexner claims he never had any illegal sexual doings with Epstein..not buying that. He claimed he knew nothing about his activities..definitely not buying that. I don't feel sorry at all that he got millions of dollars stolen if he was dumb enough to get involved with that creep who had already had multiple allegations and been in legal trouble over the very thing before.
Ed Razek, former Chief Marketing Officer for L Brands, helped develop the ANGELS gimmick. The models hired to be ANGELS were exceptionally thin. I remember walking by the images on the windows of the stores in the malls and wishing I was thin like that. I would never have been that then, and certainly would not be now, without surgery and an eating disorder. I think the early 00s were really a time of pushing extreme thinness onto girls and women, and I can see how this was really damaging to a lot of people's body image. I cannot imagine that the models fared much better having to work out and watch what they ate the way that I am sure many did. Razek himself was a scummy little weasel. He made some really ugly comments about transgender models, models of various ethnicities, and models over a certain weight in interviews and at work. I am not understanding why he was shocked when people stopped putting up with his ugliness. Models had also complained about inappropriate behavior from him, which is not shocking at all to me.
I used my 15 hours of listening time on Spotify to listen to this book. If you have that feature and you aren't taking advantage of it, you should. I selected this book because I have developed a sudden interest in brands, thanks, in part, to some Netflix and Hulu documentaries about brands. I thought this book offered a massive amount of information about the brand's history and the people involved. Despite many scumbag people in this book, I did enjoy learning about the models and the other companies that Wexner was involved in.
November 20, 2024
First and foremost, this book is ENTIRELY TOO LONG. It desperately needed a final edit.
The book is very detailed and very chronological. In my opinion, the author related too much of the VS story to Jeffrey Epstein, and as a millennial woman, this read was a little depressing.
The Wexner storyline was the most interesting, and I wonder if this one would have worked better if it was more about him and all of his brands and less about just a single brand.
The book is very detailed and very chronological. In my opinion, the author related too much of the VS story to Jeffrey Epstein, and as a millennial woman, this read was a little depressing.
The Wexner storyline was the most interesting, and I wonder if this one would have worked better if it was more about him and all of his brands and less about just a single brand.
January 9, 2025
This was an interesting book on the unraveling of the Victoria Secret empire. I thought the origin story was interesting, and I especially liked when the book went over other memorable brands like Abercrombie, Aeropostale, Bath and Body Works, etc, which are the brands I grew up on. I also liked how it talked about the evolution of women's undergarments and the revolution of more comfy clothing. I was proud that the marketing turned from "wear what will make you appealing to men" into "wear what makes you feel comfortable and confident."
While I found all those things interesting, there was no way I would have lasted reading a hard copy. I definitely didn't care enough to read anything besides the audio version on 2.5x. Most people and the company's timelines weren't something I cared to cement to my long-term memory, but were entertaining enough to keep me company for a few hours.
While I found all those things interesting, there was no way I would have lasted reading a hard copy. I definitely didn't care enough to read anything besides the audio version on 2.5x. Most people and the company's timelines weren't something I cared to cement to my long-term memory, but were entertaining enough to keep me company for a few hours.
September 9, 2024
I ended up quitting this book about 30% in when I realized this was much more of a history of a clothing story than a deep dive into the 'rise and fall' of a brand with problematic connections. In that 30% I learned more about the history of clothing and mass production than I ever needed to know. I wasn't surprised that even in the 4 and 5 star reviews that people were saying this was dry, because this book gave me the literary version of cottonmouth.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 1, 2025
A difficult and slow read which I'll take some credit for. I was hoping it would be more about the societal impacts and scandals, but instead it was more focused on the business aspects. The timeline was extremely confusing, which was worsened by continuously introducing people and not explaining or contextualizing them until chapters later
December 31, 2024
Great history about a brand I thought I was pretty familiar with! It read like a documentary, covering not only VS, but the evolving fashion, manufacturing, and shopping trends from the 60s onwards. As someone who grew up during VS’ heyday, it was cool to see behind the scenes of what was going on with the brand and where/how my experiences overlapped (watching their televised fashion shows, shopping for PINK college gear, following the Angels on social media, etc). I would recommend, especially for those curious to learn more about this brand that inspired and influenced far beyond the lingerie it’s most famous for.
December 10, 2024
This read like an Erik Larson nonfiction to me (and that’s high praise from me!). The authors took detailed, business politics and history and presenter in captive narrative. They wrote it as a story rather than a textbook. Having grown up in the generation that was targeted by Victoria’s Secret, then alongside to watch its decline, it was interesting to reflect back and to learn more about it.
July 6, 2025
Closer to a 3.5. Throughly researched and fascinating, but a bit too all over the place. The start and the finish were both excellent (loved the Columbus information) but the middle gets a little lost and slows too much. I was never a big shopper for VS, but imagine I would have liked this even more had I lived some of these in-store changes. Old white men being creepy is nothing new but the business’ ups and downs are interesting.
November 25, 2024
This took me forever to read since it was so research dense but very comprehensive book about the downfall of VS. Super interesting to see evolution of brand and def went into depth about the stuff from the Hulu documentary IFYKYK.
October 7, 2024
The stuff that was about Victoria's Secret and Les Wexner was really thorough and informative. However, the authors felt the need to begin their book by promoting extremist corsetry myths and the audio narrator didn't learn how to pronounce the designer names throughout, which brought down the quality of the book slightly.
That being said, I am and will always be a VS apologist and Angel fan.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ALC of this audiobook.
That being said, I am and will always be a VS apologist and Angel fan.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ALC of this audiobook.
March 11, 2025
This book had some really interesting info, but the writing is very dry making it a slow read for me. It felt like a history report and while it did have some details that caught my eye, overall it didn’t hold my interest. I’m glad I read it, but I’d recommend this specifically to non fiction readers who are interested in business and history and don’t mind a more formal, somewhat stiff style of writing.
August 20, 2024
***These are my random thoughts after finishing the book. Some of the thoughts are an overall review of the book, or any questions/feelings that nagged at me throughout. There will almost definitely be spoilers. Read at your own risk.*** ‐----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you to publishers for ARC
4 stars
Incredibly well-researched
Did feel a little dry at parts (a lot of history and dates)
Presents very comprehensive history of where VS started and where they are now
Also kind of a look at women's fashion through the years
Thank you to publishers for ARC
4 stars
Incredibly well-researched
Did feel a little dry at parts (a lot of history and dates)
Presents very comprehensive history of where VS started and where they are now
Also kind of a look at women's fashion through the years
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 4, 2024
I won "Selling Sexy: Victoria’s Secret and the Unraveling of an American Icon" in a Goodreads giveaway and I am very glad I did. This book is very well researched and I learned so many details about Victoria's Secret and about its rise and fall. I highly recommend this book.
March 14, 2024
Selling Sexy by Lauren Sherman and Chantal Fernandez is a well researched, well written book on the origins of retail sales in the US to the start of Victoria’s Secret to the current state of the business. This book delves deeply into the lives of the leaders of the organization with particular emphasis on Les Wexner the long time CEO.
The authors are journalists and experts in the fashion industry. I really appreciated the vast amount of research that went into writing this book as well as the authors’ ability to share the information in an informative and unbiased way. The book covers the way Victoria Secret’s models were treated, the relationship between Wexner and Henry Epstein as well as how Victoria’s Secret impacted millennials throughout their coming of age. I learned a lot reading this book and highly recommend the book. After reading this book I will not shop at Victoria’s Secret but I invite readers to come to their own educated view by reading this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The authors are journalists and experts in the fashion industry. I really appreciated the vast amount of research that went into writing this book as well as the authors’ ability to share the information in an informative and unbiased way. The book covers the way Victoria Secret’s models were treated, the relationship between Wexner and Henry Epstein as well as how Victoria’s Secret impacted millennials throughout their coming of age. I learned a lot reading this book and highly recommend the book. After reading this book I will not shop at Victoria’s Secret but I invite readers to come to their own educated view by reading this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 3, 2024
Read this as a big fan of Lauren Sherman's writing and reporting, and it fell short of the promise that it needed to be more than a long article (Sherman's claim about most nonfiction books, which I strongly agree). Most millennial women have some sort of connection or early memory of Victoria's Secret, and it was mildly entertaining to tap into those thoughts while reading Selling Sexy, but I guess I just didn't find the rest of the history of Victoria's Secret, its rise, and eventual fall interesting enough to warrant 320 pages.
November 26, 2024
2⭐️ This book really dragged on for me. I forced myself to finish it in hopes that the later chapters would be better (which they were). The first 2/3 of this book were honestly so boring. As a fan of Victoria’s Secret and a past PINK campus crew member, I hoped for more. The beginning of this book focused mostly on sales and management changes which I found dull. I enjoyed reading about behind the scenes of the fashion show and the development of PINK. But overall this probably should have been a DNF.
November 14, 2024
My two star rating may be unfair, I suppose, but I read this in order to learn about the business side of Victoria’s Secret. The book was really about women’s underwear instead. If that’s your cup of tea, you will love this book. I, however, learned far more about women’s undergarments than I bargained for.
February 5, 2025
capitalism suuuuucks! while I think this was well done and I certainly learned a lot, there were so many names and dates which made it very dense and took me a while to get through. if you’re interested in retail, business or fashion this would probably interest you (probably why it fell flat for me, as I am not interested in any of those things)
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