Last Friday morning at 9 a.m., two distinctly different groups gathered outside of Victoria's Secret in the new expansion wing of Tysons Corner Center — one for the store's grand opening sale, and one for the protest against the store's controversial mannequin displays.
As patrons flooded the store for first grab at sale items, a small crowd gathered outside the store and handed out green slips of paper meant to represent the money that they were not spending inside the store. Alexandria resident Andrea Lafferty helped to lead the demonstration.
"Where do they go next?" asked Lafferty. "When Santa is here at Christmas time for the kids are they going to give out free lap dances for buying pasties?"
The store opened along with the rest of the new expansion wing on Friday, Sept. 30. Its lingerie displays became an immediate topic of interest and concern among shoppers. The store features several mannequins posed in seductive positions and wearing intimate apparel.
McLean resident Christine Watson heard about the display on the radio and decided to visit the store herself.
"I am very passionate about the protection of our children ... those women are on all fours with their butts in the air... It was disgusting and x-rated," said Watson. "It [Tysons Corner] is not where you drop off your kids to see a movie and have an ice cream cone, which it used to be."
Watson said she was also annoyed that mall security informed her and another woman that there was "no soliciting" as they stood outside the store and discussed the display.
"A manager inside the store had complained about us. Apparently they care more about negative publicity than marketing to their customers inside the store," said Watson.
Falls Church resident Joel Andrews happened to stroll by the window last Thursday night with his two young daughters.
"I'm flabbergasted," said Andrews. "I had heard about it but I didn't think it was that raunchy, and ... it immediately drew in the attention of my two daughters. That being said, I don't think there is anything wrong with it, I just think they could move it to the back of the store. It doesn't have to be in the front."
DESPITE STRONG SENTIMENT and opinions, Friday's demonstration did not cause friction between shoppers and protesters.
Meghan Posey, 18, drove from Ashburn for the early morning sale and watched the demonstration with interest after making a purchase in the store.
"I don't think the displays are offensive to women, but I am glad they are protesting because this is the first time I've ever seen any kind of demonstration, and I like that people are getting out there and doing this," said Posey.
She added that she personally liked the store's new layout and displays.
"But I don't think they have any sexier stuff than the other [Victoria's Secret] stores, I think they just have it displayed so you can see it.
Tara Alhariri, 21, was also a fan of the lingerie exhibits.
"I don't think they are offensive at all. I think they go with the theme of the store, and I think that they actually attract people to come inside," said Alhariri. "The store is sexy so I think it's perfectly fine for the models to display that."
Jan Thompson, a resident of Oklahoma, has been in town visiting her cousin and says that she does not consider such displays appropriate examples of freedom of speech and expression.
"It struck me when I was visiting Arlington Cemetery the other day and I was looking out across all those white crosses ... I was thinking that those women and men did not give up their lives for this kind of freedom. I don't think that's what they had in mind," said Thompson.
Thompson walked by the store with her 27-year-old son and said that the risqué displays "even embarrassed him."
"He said, 'well it looks like Victoria's Secret went from class to trash.'"
After receiving complaints from concerned patrons, the Tysons Corner Management Office spoke with The Limited Brands about changing the store display.
"Victoria's Secret has responded with significant revisions in the placement and positioning of its mannequins, both window and in-store displays," said Tysons Senior Property Manager Kathy Hannon in a press statement.
Despite these changes, many of those opposed to the store's new look are still not happy.
"I saw the changes," said Christine Watson. "All they did was re-pose some of the women and move things around."
Jennifer Kern, 22, says that she thinks people are overreacting to the display.
"I like the way it looks. It is really different from other stores and it has a lot more variety. The lingerie on the models is sexier, but I mean, they are not real people — they are mannequins. I think it looks good," said Kern.
Representatives for Victoria's Secret were not available for comment.