OMG change rooms that DONT have mirrors! - YouLookFab Forum

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OMG change rooms that DONT have mirrors!

Theresa

(website)

Veteran

(yes, I'm completely flabbergasted by this LOL).

For the first time in a few weeks I went up to the big shopping centre nearby and whilst checking out a few of the brand new stores, I tried a pair of pants on in one, and it wasn't til I had them on that I realised there were no mirrors inside the change room!

You had to actually go out - amongst the public - to see in a mirror *EEEEKKKKK*

Luckily for me I could tell right away the pants were horrific, but the very thought of parading around out of the change room made me want to be physically ill...

Now, I have never come across this before - everywhere else has mirrors INSIDE (even if they are dodgy and distorting) - or is it just because I live in a small town and haven't had enough exposure?

Is this a common thing? How would you feel about it? Why on earth would a store do it?

(For the Aussies - it was a store called Ice - I'd never heard of it before and its only been here a couple of weeks apparently... so perhaps the shop fitout isn't complete yet?)

I'm sure I'll recover once I have my afternoon cup of tea, but this one just has me shocked!

Shopping

24 replies

Latest reply was from Laura (rhubarbgirl)

anne

Veteran

I don't think I have ever seen it!

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

I have seen this twice in Canada - both of those stores will not be getting my custom!

They also seem to be accompanied by the sales people who tell me that the "rule" here is that I have to show them every piece of clothing I try on. Uh... no?

Queen Mum

Veteran

I have never ever come across this.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Yup. It's common practice amongst some of the hoity toity boutiques around here. That way the store assistant can tell you the item looks fab before you see it on yourself.

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

I have seen it, but not often. It's annoying.

Lynne

Veteran

I can see one advantage, Theresa: if the garment doesn't feel good or comfy, no need to distract yourself by how it looks....I often suggest people try frames on this way, as an uncomfortable/ill-fitting frame can be eliminated quickly if you are not distracted by how it looks. FWIW....

Maya

Veteran

I haven't seen that, but that would make me beyond uncomfortable.

I once went to a thrift shop where the fitting rooms had no doors, though. They weren't in a discreet location either--not that it would help but it might at least indicate some humble attempt at privacy. They were in a very high traffic area of the store. No curtain. Nothing. I realize it's a thrift store, but come on...why even bother to offer a dressing room like that?

lynne

Veteran

I don't think I've ever experienced this, and I'm quite sure I don't want to.

Kim

Veteran

I've seen it here in Canada, at a store called Jacob. I still shop there, but I make a point to complain to the sales people *every* time about it. If it's a Jacob with a lingerie section (not all have them) I ask to use the change rooms on that side, since they have mirrors inside the room.

Complain. There's no good reason to make me parade out in front of others something when I'm trying look over my shoulder and see how my own butt looks in a new style of pants! (And especially in front of some young hubby who is sitting their waiting forlornly for his wife to hurry up! LOL)

biscuitsmom

Veteran

I have never seen that, but I know I would simply walk out and then call the store manager when I had time...another irritating thing Ive seen a lot lately is no chairs/bench in the changing room! I *need* to be able to sit to try things on and will walk out and complain to the manager...it doesnt do much good to complain to the SA as they have no ability to change things and in my experience, the mgr rarely listens to what the SA suggests...

judy

Veteran

From a retail standpoint, it makes a bit of sense...to encourage the receipt of opinions of others. Not just the staff, but other customers as well.

When I used to work in a store that had two huge sales a year, we pulled back the curtains that would normally separate the room (apart from the store, tho) into private dressing rooms, and put twice as many people from the long line in together. Each customer becomes a sales girl! The clothes sold themselves.

Makes me think back to the days when I was very little..the late fifties and there was only the one Filene's basement store in Boston, with NO dressing rooms. I remember women stripping right down to try things on, with no shame at all. Maybe it's just the thing we'll do for bargains!

I myself prefer my own mirror, though. Has anyone noticed that Target has the best mirrors? They have two so you can easily see what you look like from the back.

Marley

Veteran

Yes - I have seen it in some high-priced boutiques - also have seen it in a store that was having a sale - everyone gave their opinion on what you were trying on - and it was actually pretty fun! Overall, I hate it though - especially in those snobby boutiques!

Dashrashi

Veteran

The BCBG store at my local mall does this. There are mirrors on the OUTSIDE doors of the fitting rooms, but they open into the fitting rooms, not out onto the hallway. So when you've tried something on, you don't have to step all the way out of the fitting room, but you have to unlock the fitting room door, pull the door in, and then look at yourself. Because of the way the mirrors are set up with regard to the sales floor, the salespeople can see you do this and wing back words of encouragement regarding how cute everything looks on you, even when it decidedly does not. I'm not a fan.

Katiepea

(website)

Veteran

Goodness, how uncomfortable! I must say that I'd be unimpressed. If I ask for the shop assistant's opinion that's one thing, but to basically be forced to endure the whole "Oh, you look 'great'!" type rubbish (when you know you clearly don't) would be enough for me to put it back on the shelf!

Kari

Veteran

Oh, I would hate this.

I'm truly a solo shopper at heart. I had a blast shopping with the YouLookFab crowd in Seattle because it was so much fun and a great learning experience, and I shop well with my mom & my sister because we both have a good (but honest) eye for each other's style and figure flattery, but that's about it. When a sales associate comes by to check on me in the dressing room, I only come out if I need an item in a different size.

I need space and privacy to evaluate an outfit, check for visible panty lines, jump up and down to see if a bra really fits properly, see how my rear end looks in those pants, do some strathspey steps to see if the skirt I was planning to dance in will ride up when I'm in motion, etc. - all of which require a mirror, but which I am not willing to do in front of someone else!

Honestly, if I try something on and am not sure about it, I either leave it at the store or buy it, take pictures, & post on YLF for feedback. I value your trained & honest eyes much, much more than a commission-based sales associate, particularly since the YLF crowd doesn't have a financial motive for wanting me to purchase a certain item.
(That being said, if I were shopping in the stores that Taylor & Marianna were working in, I'd 100% step out of the dressing rooms and ask them what they thought!)

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

The Chico's stores around me do this, and I think it's corporate policy because all the stores I've seen are laid out this way. I've even heard other shoppers complain or at least comment, and the sales associate say something like 'yeah, others say that too, but it's our policy'. I've gotten used to it somewhat - the mirrors are just outside the rooms, and usually in the back of the store already, so it's not like you're showing off to everyone. It does confuse people the first few times. Thankfully, the assistants usually get my 'let me do my own thing' vibe and once they set up the room they leave me alone. Like Lynne says, it can be useful for your first reaction to be about how something fits and feels, not how it looks. I can usually tell about pants before even looking at them in the mirror.

Our local Loehmann's still does the communal dressing room thing, although there are a few private rooms now that you can request if you want. I kinda get a kick out of the communal thing, although of course I'd never try on bras or something like that.

Michelle

(website)

Veteran

Welcome to my life!!
I have to echo Lynne 100 per cent. Being without the means of visual self-assessment forces you to pay attention to things like how the garment feels, which I maintain can be a really valuable guide to determining good fit. I totally understand that it must be maddening for people who are used to checking things out in a mirror, and having that option taken away from you probably feels like you've had your hands tied behind your back in some way...but some time, just for fun, try on clothes without referencing the mirror and make your initial piles based solely on the way the garment feels in terms of fit. You may be surprised about the reliability of your instincts!
Or not...maybe I'm just hopelessly biased.

marianna

Veteran

Thanks, Kari.

I've seen this too and I hate it. I also hate communal change rooms. I do not participate. Last Chance has both communal and private rooms -- you can use the communal area without waiting in a big line so many women choose that. I'd rather wait in line.

As a SA, I have actually been astonished at how many women will open the change room door, half dressed, to get my opinion on something. I guess some women *want* an outsider's opinion.

Steph

Veteran

I have seen this in several stores, and like Dashrashi, I have seen it in my local BCBG (although mine is a standalone store, not in a mall). My theory is that it is done so that the salesperson sees you and can then start telling you how great you look so that you purchase the merchandise. I wonder if that is borne out and stores without the mirrors in dressing rooms have higher sales than those with.

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

An addition, because I've been pondering it for some reason: I used to hate communal change rooms - evoked too many memories of gym class in high school, I guess. Now I get a weird charge out of it - it's nice to realize that everyone's got flaws and that we shouldn't necessarily feel apologetic or awkward about revealing them to strangers. It's almost defiant, going against the media images of skinny 'perfection' - yeah, I'm kinda chubby and have some weird bulges, but I'm not going to hide from people because of it, you know?

I remember once in high school I had a lady who sewed alter one of my dresses for the winter dance, and I always expected her to leave the room to let me change. Once she said something about it, like "you've got your underwear and bra on, right? You're not gonna show me anything I haven't seen before," and since she was a nice grandmotherly type, the point was made nicely. I never had sisters and my family is modest and religious, so for me getting a little less modest has felt like a good thing, like embracing a bit more freedom and flexibility.

Of course that doesn't mean other people have to do the same thing - it's up to you. I fear I'm not getting my meaning across well, so I will stop typing.

stringy

Veteran

A shop without a private mirror in the change room is a shop without a Stringy buying clothes.

I don't actually mind popping out into a communal area with a mirror if it's separated from the main store area, because I like to get an opinion from my shopping partner or whoever is standing around. But only if I've had a chance to check first that I don't have my underwear hanging out or the buttons done wrong, etc. Unflattering is one thing, completely ridiculous is another.

Theresa

(website)

Veteran

Well I'm glad this is actually a fairly rare occurrence!

At first I was a bit confused because this was definitely NOT a higher end boutique - quite the opposite...

But, I think some of your comments may have got to the reason for this one... it was a young "disposable fashion" type store, and I'm guessing that by making those of us who are younger (and possibly less sure about what fits/flatters etc), go out into the store, the SA can assure them they are fab and make the sales... (Of course I'm generalising here and remembering myself back when I would have been age-appropriate for that store!).

I wonder if they do generate more sales than in-room mirror stores though.... I'd be fascinated to know!

And Lynne and Michelle I think you guys definitely make a really good point about relying upon our senses more than just the image in the mirror. Its something I've been trying to pay more attention to, and I have learned from you Michelle!

But, I'm afraid I will not be setting foot inside the store again! I do exactly what Kari described and I am NEVER doing that in public LOL

Anonymous

BCBG stores do this too. So annoying.

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

It might also be for "shrinkage" reasons - to try to keep the shoplifting percentage low. Some folks pull off the tags of items in the dressing rooms and try to hide them in their own clothes when walking out.