With Diwali around the corner and the Wedding Season close on its heels, shopping is the thing on everyone’s mind. Clothes shopping, being the foremost.
I went shopping too.
As I stood in the queue snaking up to the trail room, a lady exited one of the trail stalls, and I spotted a Kurta on her arm, which was what I had liked on the rack but wasn’t available in my size. I asked her if she would be buying it and she said no. Excited, I asked if I could check if it was my size, and it was! I took it from her and at that very moment my turn came up for the trial room.
Excited at getting what I wanted, the Kurta was the first thing I wanted to try. As I put it over my head a foul smell assuaged my nostrils, and by the time I wore it, I realized that the armpit areas of the kurta were damp. The smell was that of the sweat that the lady previously trying out the Kurta had left behind.
I felt nauseated and got out of the Kurta as soon as I could. My mood was ruined and I left the store without trying out the clothes chosen or making a purchase. I headed home, and straight to the shower, and only after that did I feel better!
I remembered another incident where I was asked to pay for a Top I tried but didn’t want, as there was a lipstick stain on it. It was only when I pointed out that the stain on it was the color Brown, while I was wearing a light Pink shade of lipstick did they realize that I had not caused it and apologized to me.
Shouldn’t there be some Shopping Etiquette, I wondered? Something we would all benefit by? So I thought I’d write some of my own. Here goes!
1) When you plan to go clothes shopping, ladies avoid wearing make-up and perfume. After all, you are sure to try more than you buy and you want to avoid lipstick/eyeliner stains and leaving your scent behind on the clothes you didn’t buy.
2) Don’t dump clothes on the Trail Room floor, please. Someone else would be buying them.
3) Be kind enough to turn the clothes on the right side out before you return what you didn’t buy, to the attendant manning the stalls. Yes, I am well aware that it is their duty to do so, but if you could help by not giving them a heap of clothes turned inside out it would be a nice gesture.
4) If you sweat a lot, wait for a few minutes until you cool down enough to try out clothes. If that doesn’t help, carry a napkin to dab at your face, neck, and armpits before you try out clothes. Do I hear you go ‘ewwwww’? Yes, I did the same when the smelly damp left behind by someone else touched my armpits!
5) If the queue for the trial room is long please be considerate and ensure that you finish trying the things you want to quickly so that others can have their turn.
Shopping is an experience that must be enjoyed, not dreaded. Wishing you Happy Shopping and a very prosperous festive season ahead!
Sometimes you don’t realise a post needs to be written until it is, and this one was an absolute must. I usually hate shopping for clothes because there is trying involved, and for all the reasons you mentioned, trying clothes has become a nightmare, especially if there is a sale or some festive season going on.
I hate it when people dump clothes on the trial room floor. Specially in the festive season the trial rooms are always in a mess with clothes thrown around. You made very valid points Mayuri.
I actively avoid shopping during discount season and for this very reason.This is a post that should be framed in front of every trial rooms.RIGHT now.
So true Mayuri! I try not to try clothes on, sometimes I just buy clothes giving a number for a size. It somehow feels so uncomfortable to go into those trial rooms and try wearing. you are exactly right about the smell and my extra problem with the camera. I can never try a kurta in any kind of trial room. I am happy to get it redone to my size later, not try in –there..
Menaka Bharathi has recently published <a http://simpleindianmom.in/diwali-safety-precautions-take-keep-children-safe
Exactly..I agree with you on all the points Mayuri and I would have done the same thing as you did. It is very important for people to understand these basic etiquettes. A must read for everyone 🙂
It’s so unethical and a scant disregard for dumping clothes on the floor or letting things fall on them. It’s simple things where we need to be considerate about the people working hard in making clothes. The smell is such a pet peeve.
Nice of you to note down these simple etiquettes.It does create goodwill when you behave in a way that cares for others too