This!! How many times have I been crawling around on the floor digging for bras at Nordstrom Rack! I’m to the point where I’m not even embarrassed to do this anymore.
Size Discrimination Experiences in Clothing Stores
- Thread starter bella89
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I'm a DD and don't think of things going from small to large on a rack is a big deal. I organize things similarly naturally.
I'm not plus size, but I do agree segregating it into a different part of store is terrible. I don't think separating it into little sections is a big deal as there's a petites section typically as well on it's own.
I'm not plus size, but I do agree segregating it into a different part of store is terrible. I don't think separating it into little sections is a big deal as there's a petites section typically as well on it's own.
with the bras, there are young slender women who larger sizes but it seems more likely that larger women would wear larger sizes I'm not plus size but I'm not a kid either.....it's a PITA to have to get down on your knees to look....maybe they could put them on racks that don't go all the way down to the floor
Then change it up and put the As on the bottom rack and the largest sizes on the top!
The Nordstrom near me keeps the Encore section on the third floor, away from all other clothing. An SA told me that they are going to move it back downstairs with the rest of their clothing sections so they can expand their home section (which is right next to Encore). I hope they're doing this because it's aggravating to run up and down the escalator with clothes from different departments and not just to expand home.
I will say I was pleasantly surprised to find out that when Nordstrom expanded B.P to include more sizes, all those sizes are with the straight sizes, instead of being in Encore. I was also in Madewell to inquire if they would be carrying the larger sizes in store this weekend and was told that they were, so I hope those sizes are mixed in with the straight sizes and not put in their own section.
I also want to add that I used to sell clothes at a high-end store for a few years and I've worked in retail for a decade before I decided to pursue law school. I know how I was as a sales associate, so when I am not treated the way I used to treat guests, it does upset me. I worked for a clothing brand that is a direct competitor of Eileen Fisher that sells petites, plus, and straight sizes. In the beginning the store had all three in the store and we sold a lot of plus size. Then one day the company decided we didn't sell enough to justify it being in the store and got rid of it completely and instead made petites bigger. We did sell a lot of petites, but I wished we could have just put everything together, because I personally don't like going to a section of a store set aside just for my size, plus sometimes plus is too big, and I know it's that way for a lot of women, including me. I lost a lot of clients who came to me about plus size because they didn't like the fact that suddenly they couldn't try on in store, and instead went to Nordstrom where the brand was kept in the Encore department.
I really hope that soon brands bring their plus size ranges into their actual stores, like Madewell is doing (I will not address Madewell's wonky plus size fits) instead of keeping it all online. I feel this article from the NY Post explains things really well and offers a lot of insight.
I will say I was pleasantly surprised to find out that when Nordstrom expanded B.P to include more sizes, all those sizes are with the straight sizes, instead of being in Encore. I was also in Madewell to inquire if they would be carrying the larger sizes in store this weekend and was told that they were, so I hope those sizes are mixed in with the straight sizes and not put in their own section.
I also want to add that I used to sell clothes at a high-end store for a few years and I've worked in retail for a decade before I decided to pursue law school. I know how I was as a sales associate, so when I am not treated the way I used to treat guests, it does upset me. I worked for a clothing brand that is a direct competitor of Eileen Fisher that sells petites, plus, and straight sizes. In the beginning the store had all three in the store and we sold a lot of plus size. Then one day the company decided we didn't sell enough to justify it being in the store and got rid of it completely and instead made petites bigger. We did sell a lot of petites, but I wished we could have just put everything together, because I personally don't like going to a section of a store set aside just for my size, plus sometimes plus is too big, and I know it's that way for a lot of women, including me. I lost a lot of clients who came to me about plus size because they didn't like the fact that suddenly they couldn't try on in store, and instead went to Nordstrom where the brand was kept in the Encore department.
I really hope that soon brands bring their plus size ranges into their actual stores, like Madewell is doing (I will not address Madewell's wonky plus size fits) instead of keeping it all online. I feel this article from the NY Post explains things really well and offers a lot of insight.
When I worked at Bottega Veneta, we did not carry large sizes and if a client requested a larger size, we would have to tell them that they were sold out. The truth is, those sizes were never produced because the clothes were only designed for skinny to average women. It would appear that TM did not want to see his clothes on big ladies. We could have sold a lot more RTW but that was company policy I guess.
I don't have a problem with companies like Abercrombie & Fitch saying they want "thin" people to wear their clothes. Lane Bryant doesn't sell size 2. But no SA should shun any customer for any reason. Or shame them re their size - "our clothes are too big/too small for you". This is general human decency and common courtesy.
I agree with others that I find I'm treated better when I'm dressed nicer. Also when I assert myself. If I walk in confidently and ask for the things I want in a friendly but no nonsense manner - even less friendly SA's will tend to pull their **** together.
I agree with others that I find I'm treated better when I'm dressed nicer. Also when I assert myself. If I walk in confidently and ask for the things I want in a friendly but no nonsense manner - even less friendly SA's will tend to pull their **** together.
The petite and smaller sizes are always in stock and in every single color imaginable, but the larger sizes (XL/XXL or even plus) are either A- not carried in the stores or B- hidden in some remote part of the store (Nordstrom). I also hate how Nordstrom puts the larger bras at the bottom of the rack so that you have to sit or get on your knees to look at them. It is ridiculous. Also, the offering in larger sizes is maybe 2 styles in store so you have to buy online and hope they are TTS. The same issue exists for shoe sizes and having to buy online or order at the register for delivery.
As somebody who worked for decades in music and fashion journalism, I find the size thing totally crazy. Most women that are professional and can afford certain brands don't have the time to work out 4 hours a day, they might not be rich enough to have a haute couture item that is made to measure, but they certainly could afford some high end brands off the rack, yet the brands don't make their size. It's ignoring a large percentage of potential customers.
Also their sizing, I'm a US 4 to 6, depending on the brand, some designers label that as L or XL, sorry, but that is hardly plus size, do they get off in trying to make women feel as horrible as possible?
Hmm I live in Europe and it's not exactly the same with in northern America I suppose, but I've witness both size discrimination to a friend and also dress discrimination. There's even a book mentionning that if you are dressed good, there are more chance sales assistant just come to try getting you buying something because you are perceived as "richer and might have better tendency to buy" (Thomas Stanley's book about Millionaire Mind).
On the size discrimination, I once went to a luxury jewellery shop with a plus size friend and the place is very huge so we separate and sees thing that fancy us before meeting once again. When I found her back, she is trying to get the attention of a sale assistant to get to try one of the necklaces. She's been saving for one for months and was blatantly ignored. We dressed moderately well, just your regular office attire of dress and skirt and blouse and blazer. Before I can even reach her, a sales person come to see me when it's quite clear I'm doing nothing and there's another customer (my friend) who's looking so intently at a necklace since 15 minutes straight and was ignored
We end up finally getting to try that damned necklace and she bought it but it was a weird experience all over.
One other time, I accompanied my best friend's mum doing shopping since she doesn't speak the language. The lady's very plus size, she usually has her dressmaker does custom dress anyway since she can't find anything satisfying in shop. But she dresses pretty well, is a pretty affluent person and shows it on her clothes, bags, jewelleries, shoes etc. So we didn't get ignored at all, but I also wonder if it's also because she's just dressed in bling from head to toe.
On the size discrimination, I once went to a luxury jewellery shop with a plus size friend and the place is very huge so we separate and sees thing that fancy us before meeting once again. When I found her back, she is trying to get the attention of a sale assistant to get to try one of the necklaces. She's been saving for one for months and was blatantly ignored. We dressed moderately well, just your regular office attire of dress and skirt and blouse and blazer. Before I can even reach her, a sales person come to see me when it's quite clear I'm doing nothing and there's another customer (my friend) who's looking so intently at a necklace since 15 minutes straight and was ignored
We end up finally getting to try that damned necklace and she bought it but it was a weird experience all over.
One other time, I accompanied my best friend's mum doing shopping since she doesn't speak the language. The lady's very plus size, she usually has her dressmaker does custom dress anyway since she can't find anything satisfying in shop. But she dresses pretty well, is a pretty affluent person and shows it on her clothes, bags, jewelleries, shoes etc. So we didn't get ignored at all, but I also wonder if it's also because she's just dressed in bling from head to toe.
Hmm... Here in France where I live, on most general shop it's easier to find larger size. Usually above size 42 (above size 12?) and below size 36 you'll find things easily. Funny eh...
Here things are always stacked from size. So the same dress: smallest at the left, largest at the right. If you are plus size just attack the right side of the rack directly. Or at the bottom of the pile with smallest at the top.
I knew a woman who was very wealthy but didn't always dress up nicely. She told me if she wanted to go to a store to do a return she would make sure to dress well to get respect. For example she had a dress with the tags that she had for a while and wanted to return to Neiman Marcus so she wouldn't go there in super casual clothes.
We're going to move to France and to be honest, there is one thing that does kinda wind me up a bit (not a lot, apart from everybody being on vacation in the summer and buying the house doesn't go anywhere and is paused) is that in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, etc. I am a size 36, in France I am all of a sudden a size 38 and it makes me feel quite chubby. Oddly enough I can deal a lot better with the Italian sizing, it's just you grab something and all of a sudden you go "Have I put on weight?"