Class Action Lawsuit: Victoria's Secret Bras Causing Skin Rashes?
Discover Magazine has an interesting blog post about some consumers who were complaining that Victoria's Secret bras were giving them painful rashes. When their lawyers bought similar bras and had them tested -- they were found to contain formaldehyde.
Discover says:
In a new class action lawsuit, dozens of women are claiming that Victoria’s Secret bras have given them painful, unsightly rashes. One of the plaintiffs, Roberta Ritter of Ohio, says the company’s “Angels Secret Embrace” and “Very Sexy Extreme Me Push-Up” bras gave her persistent itchy rashes that caused severe discomfort. When Ritter’s lawyers purchased the same bra types and sent them to a lab, she claims, they tested positive for formaldehyde.
Formaldehyde is considered a probable human carcinogen by the EPA and is also a known allergen.Though people often associate the chemical with embalmed specimens in jars, it is actually found in many everyday products.
“Formaldehyde is the big thing these days,” says dermatologist Susan Tillman Elliott, consulting physician to the Center for Laser Surgery in Washington D.C. “It’s been known for a zillion years that it’s the major component of most fabric finishers. It’s a major contact allergen.”
Despite the lawsuit and allegations of itchiness -- Victoria's Secret denies that they use the chemical on their bras and are keeping them in stores, says Discover. Using formaldehyde on fabrics is perfectly legal in the U.S.
Why Are Victoria’s Secret Bras Causing Skin Rashes? [Discover]
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Comments:
For the most part, don't these just come off real fast?
Right?
I mean, like, you know. They're practically ripped apart at first chance. A couple hours here and there should be fine.
Even if formaldehyde is completely legal on clothing in the US, this is a wonderful opportunity for VS to step up and do the right thing. Help out these people, remove offending products (or at least those that cause the rashes), and like all corporations, spin some positive PR with gift cards given away.
I require photographic evidence (both before and after, preferably just before) before rendering an opinion.
I'm skeptical. I have to see those rashes myself.
Formaldehyde is the big thing? Like, totally? Gross me out the door, Dr. Elliott!
BTW, remind me never to go to a LASER SURGERY CLINIC where the doctors use gross estimations like "zillion."
do people not wash new clothes before wearing them? god only knows who tried them on before you bought them...
Good excuse to yank the one off my wife!
Does this mean there actually is a market for professional bra inspectors? My uncle will be thrilled! He already has the required uniform.
This happened to me too. I'd always bought bras from V.S. but those that I bought within the last year or so made my skin red and itchy. I washed them in different kinds of soap but nothing worked. It's nice to know why now.
Washing your clothes before wearing them is always good practice and should remove any residual formaldehyde.
I don't understand people who buy off the rack and "try things on" once they get home. Certainly, there should be no residual formaldehyde in the products, but honestly - it seems that washing a new piece of clothing before wearing it is common sense.
Gosh. Umm, what was the article about? Ummm, have people been responding with thoughtful comments? Hmmm, I'm still stuck looking at that picture. I mean, even her ARMPITS look f$#@ing sexy. FFS, I'll be back in 5 minutes.
Yeah, I wear VS bras that I get on clearance for like $15. I always wash them before I wear them and despite my extremely sensitive skin, I've never gotten a rash from them. I've even forgotten to wash them before wearing them a few times and nothing bad has ever happened. Well, aside from the times the underwire popped out and stabbed me in the boob, but that happens with every brand, not just VS.
Doesn't formaldehyde have a smell to it, anyway? Couldn't you smell it on the bra?
@goodywitch: But they fuzzed out the good parts! How are we supposed to know if she has strawberries or dinner plates?
This could be relevant to the case.
So that's where these uncomfortable hand rashes are coming from.
Don't most products that are made overseas have formaldehyde sprayed on the fabric before they are shipped to the U.S.? It keeps the fabric from getting moldy, dustmites, or that dank "storage container" smell. (That smell when you store clothes all season and then take them out and they stink. Sometimes it takes more than one trip through the washer to get the smell out.)
Does anyone know that smell I'm talking about? What IS that smell? Is it the dustmites? Is it musty mildew smell? All I know is that the new clothes with the formaldyhyde don't get that smell. But all my winter sweaters have that smell, even though they were in the "space bags" with a dryer sheet all summer to keep them fresh. Took two washes to get rid of the dusty/musty smell.
So could this be Victoria's secret?
For those who don't know -- you can wash these bras repeatedly and it will still give you a rash. It might seem funny to some but it is a miserable experience.
I gotta say it, I will volunteer my time to conduct discovery in this matter. And by the way, how the hell does this case get certified as a class action? I am guessing a lot of disparate physical reactions and harm - not the uniformity of claims required for class certification.
I'm guessing these bras were stored in unused trailers originally shipped to New Orleans after Katrina. They thought, "Hey, if we can use these trailers for something other than human occupancy, like storage, we'll be able to cover the cost and quit having people bitch about them". :)
I have been dealing with a horrid rash that is destroying my body for 6 weeks now. I have been to the doctor EVERY week. I've had blood work, a biopsy, antibiotics, and prednisone in the past 6 weeks. I am miserable. I have a rash that has spread across both breasts, my whole chest and neck area, my stomach and a couple of spots on my leg. I had purchased 4 new Body By Victoria bra's and washed them all before wearing, but with formaldehyde it doesn't matter! And, about a week after I started wearing them I started to break out. I didn't think anything of it until I saw the news last night. My rash is spreading, but I have been being poisoned by the bra's everyday!!! I am now not able to even wear a bra and I'm on MORE prednisone. The rash is also leaving scars on my body, which is very upsetting. It is even spreading to my back. This is insane. I plan on suing also. I have a friend who just spent $500 on stuff from there and she can't even wear the bra's b/c everytime she puts one on it burns her skin!!
I don't get a rash but am wondering if this could be the source of some of my allergies. Maybe I'll have to get some non-VS bras to test.
@gatewaytoheaven: For the most part, don't these just come off real fast?
No. These lines aren't lingerie, they're everyday bras. VS is a lot more than just clothes for sex these days.
/wife loves Ipex
//I love VS.
How about some moderation on these comments? I know, it's all light-hearted, but just because it's about women's underwear do we have to have all the pervy comments?
Because pervy comments about mens underwear aren't as much fun.
I'm waiting for the government to step in and mandate that all should go bra-less until the major health issue is resolved.
God, I love this nippy weather we're having...
(couldn't resist - shoot me :-))
In a related story, dozens of men are claiming that repeated use of Keri daily essentials hand lotion has given them painful, unsightly rashes.
@gatewaytoheaven: you do of course realize that women wear bras ALL DAY LONG? I hope you can contain yourself with that thought, sparky.
@m4ximusprim3: ah, so you prefer your "women" to look like little boys? Then why bother looking for women in bras?
@wickedpixel: would washing them fix the situation? If so, yeah that would make a huge difference in the case. However they still need to try them on before buying them.
I gave up on Vickies long ago. I can pop one of their bras in about 6 minutes of wearing it. I'm not paying those ridiculous prices for such shoddily made bras.
Silver lining: it wasn't the panties. Or, god forbid, the g strings.
I'd guess that most women with average size breasts and an average size back account buy their bras at VS. Other than department stores, which largely cater to older and busty women, and American Eagle, which seems to carry only smaller sizes, there aren't that many option at the typical mall.
Maybe I'm wrong, but this is my experience as a breast owner...
My back has 2 scars from a year ago from these bras What can I do? I called them and they sent me a box to ship them the bra back, but I wanted to have them tested to see what they use, but how can I get that done?
@rainmkr:
Heh - On first reading, I thought that said "Good excuse to yank one off on my wife" - which is something else altogether!
Ah, time for a good ol' Consumerist wave of Blaming The Victim! Jezebel ran this story earlier this week and I posted my experience as someone who had this adverse and very, very crappy reaction to a VS bra this summer - AFTER washing it:
"My old [strapless bra] was shot, so I bought a new one this summer. Despite washing it before wearing, I ended up with a line of puffy, blistery welts all along the bottom edge of the bra, front to back. There's some plasticky elastic stuff there that must've been the culprit."
These were seriously big blisters (say, .5" by .25", probably a dozen of 'em) that lasted for weeks. Oh, did I mention the bleeding? And the scarring? NOT FUN.
Still in the mood for boob jokes?
I sent in a tip to Consumerist a while ago. I put on a fresh pair of VS underwear and 5 minutes later had welts on my legs and genitals. They went away once I removed the underwear, but I said I had believed the reason was formaldehyde.
@Katxyz: True - VS offers some very comfortable and long-lasting bras - longer lasting even than the department store "old lady" bras. They also offer a wide variety of styles and fits over the standard "how would you like your bra? White, Black or Beige? would you like to up to your clavicle or your jawline? Would you prefer deeply uncomfortable or moderately uncomfortable?" I'll take VS any day, every day, all day. Having an allergen on their products is a BFD.
Local news version: [www.wsyx6.com]
I'm from the area and was surprised to see this land on the Consumerist.
Are we sure VS doesn't make flip-flops for Wal-Mart?
But it will keep your boobs looking fresh and perky forever!