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The recent opening of a lingerie outlet sparked outrage in quaint Westfield, New Jersey.
Below, two actual letters to the editor published in the Westfield Leader.
The expression in commercial real estate is "location, location, location," and the executives at Victoria's Secret seem to know it well. They have leased what is probably one of the most visible locations in Westfield.
Everyone traveling north on Central Avenue must stop at East Broad Street and look to the left while waiting for a break in the traffic. As they turn, they will see the two large, brightly lit display windows of Victoria's Secret (the view is similar to the one shown in the Downtown Westfield Corporation Website).
As I drove up Central Avenue this past Sunday morning with my wife and children, we all saw both windows filled with what seemed like two dozen highly polished silver mannequins, as yet undressed, positioned near the glass in the windows. I can only imagine what this will do to the flow of traffic at this already troubled intersection once these mannequins are clothed in what I assume will be the standard window dressing for Victoria's Secret that one sees in their mall stores.
Don't get me wrong, I am not a prude, and Victoria's Secret has the legal right to open a store wherever they want to, but can't they tone things down a bit? After all, they are surrounded by child-friendly stores — Kay Bee Toys and Barron's Drug Store on either side, and Gap Kids and the Rialto Theater across the street.
How will this storefront fit in with the Colonial style that Westfield is known for? The Downtown Westfield Corporation has proposed many enhancements to the downtown area, including period lighting and "Colonial-style telephone booths" (The Westfield Leader, Sept. 2, 1999). The new Union County Police Headquarters "would be constructed in keeping with the character of the town" (The Westfield Leader, May 10, 2001).
So tell me, how does Victoria's Secret fit into the Colonial scheme of things? Are they going to have a display of whale-bone corsets?
Additionally, with Westfield's increasing popularity as a TV location, both for programs and commercials, this storefront cuts down on the sightlines for filming. After all, who would want a picture of bras and panties in family-friendly Westfield?
Again, Victoria's Secret has the legal right to be there and sell what they want, but can't they be asked to please keep their display windows toned down? After all, everybody knows what they sell.
Thank you for your attention on this matter.
Jeffrey Messing
Westfield
Having now heard and read so much about the imminent decline of our moral fiber and colonial character (not to mention property values!), I felt I'd better do a little research on the allegedly lewd and lascivious purveyor of pornographic pantaloons known as Victoria's Secret.
As a responsible citizen and the father of an impressionable ten-year-old daughter, I asked myself, "Who is this Victoria and what does she have to be so secretive about?" Here are the shocking facts I discovered.
First, a little background. Victoria's Secret is the largest retailer of women's undergarments in the world, with over 850 stores nationwide and a couple hundred more elsewhere around the globe. It seems that many of their lurid little shops are located in, dare I say it, malls! And others are in such seedy locales as Palm Beach, Fifth Avenue and Beverly Hills! Who'd have thought that there were so many lingerie fetishists out there? I mean, I knew that their catalog had pretty much replaced National Geographic as the preferred reading of adolescent boys, but apparently somebody actually buys this stuff as well! In fact, they apparently buy about $8 billion worth per year.
Having discovered these troubling facts, I felt that a little field research was in order. So I braced myself for the shocking sights I might encounter and headed off for the Short Hills Mall. But no amount of moral fortification could have prepared me for the horrors that met my eyes. Slips, nightgowns and other unmentionables too awful to mention! I thought we had rid our fair town of such ghastly sights when the store known as "Milady's" closed a few years back. At least they had chosen a properly colonial name.
This experience has left me quite shaken. I only hope that, in time, I can heed the precocious words of my innocent and darling daughter and "Get Over It!"
Marty Silverman
Westfield
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© 2001 Grant Stoddard and Nerve.com, Inc.
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