A man in the women's dressing room...what would you do?

[elizke]

I'm not a fan of a man hanging around either. Some people are obviously more open about bodies in general these days, but some are not and that should be okay too. If it is labelled as a women's dressing room you should be able to expect there to be only women in there.

Whenever I've seen a man shopping with a daughter that old, she would be coming out to show dad, who waits just outside the dressing room. I do this with my DS11. It's really not necessary to be in there making others uncomfortable or being uncomfortable yourself.

When DS was too young to try on on his own, I took him into a women's dressing room or the kids' section in a department store, where you expect parents and children.

And just because some stores now have unisex dressing rooms doesn't mean they must all be. Some people don't like this and there's nothing wrong with expecting only women in a women's dressing room.

I would have been uncomfortable and irritated myself OP, but probably would not have said anything to the clerk or anyone else about it. If it happens every week that'd be different.

 

[Chattyaholic]

It wouldn't have bothered me in the slightest. He was with his young daughter, it's not like he was there to ogle other women. You're behind a closed door trying on clothes. If you want to come out to look in a mirror, you've got clothes on, it's not like you're parading around the area naked are you?

I would not have said anything to the dressing room attendant or the manager.

 

[gradtchr]

If it were me and I realized that he were helping his daughter I would not have cared. I might have moved down a few stalls if I was uncomfortable with the door height to try on my remaining clothes but would not have minded his being there.

 

[MsDisney23]

I'd had no problem, after all you are in a room alone anyway with the door shut, I'm sure he could not see anything.

 

[Planogirl]

I guess that it wouldn't bother me either but I would feel bad for those that it did bother. People have different comfort levels and have the right to feel secure wherever they are. I would bet that some people OK with this might feel a little more uneasy if their daughter was shopping alone or if the dressing room stalls were less private like some are.

However, again I'd personally be OK in this case.

 

[kydisneyfans]

The attendant probably should have said something in advance that a man was in a neighboring stall with his daughter-that's the only concern I would have.

 

[Crankyshank]

I don't have a problem with it at all.
I also have been known to bring DH with me into a dressing room. Inside of the stall itself. Not all of the time, and I am certainly 100% capable of making a decision on my own. It's just that sometimes I prefer to have a second opinion before I buy the outfit and then have to go through the hassle of returning it if it's unflattering.

 

[apirateslifeforme]

I probably would have been completely oblivious. I've been known to walk into the ladies room at work, find the maintenance guy in there (I'm not very familiar with him), and simply smile, say hello, and proceed to do my business. He, however, always seems to hightail it out of there

 

[belle&beast]

The attendant probably should have said something in advance that a man was in a neighboring stall with his daughter-that's the only concern I would have.

I think this is a great solution! I really do not have a problem with a dad helping his daughter and he wasn't looking at everyone around him. I was just surprised when I heard his voice and then could see a man ina marked women's dressing room.

 

[JunieJay]

I don't have a problem with it at all.
I also have been known to bring DH with me into a dressing room. Inside of the stall itself. Not all of the time, and I am certainly 100% capable of making a decision on my own. It's just that sometimes I prefer to have a second opinion before I buy the outfit and then have to go through the hassle of returning it if it's unflattering.

Well not to beat a dead horse, but if you bring your husband into the women's dressing room with you to help you decide what to buy, then imo you are imposing on other women who want the privacy of a women only dressing room. I can appreciate you don't want the hassle of bringing the clothes back if your husband doesn't like what you have chosen, but imo that should be your problem, not the problem of the rest of the women in there.

I obviously don't have a problem with unisex dressing rooms - I know upfront they are unisex. But a woman's dressing room should be for women only, imo, unless of course its extenuating circumstances of a man and his young daughter.

 

[JunieJay]

I guess that it wouldn't bother me either but I would feel bad for those that it did bother. People have different comfort levels and have the right to feel secure wherever they are.

The bold pretty much sums it up for me.

 

[Crankyshank]

How am I imposing on other women when he's inside of the locked stall? Considering the store he would be there in with me has dressing rooms right in the main part of the floor, by rights he would be imposing just by walking around the store shopping.

 

[JunieJay]

I wonder how some of you would feel about some of the dressing rooms in NYC. Some have no door, no curtain. Some are just a big room with hooks. And the husbands sitting outside the dressing room- why should I care about what someone else is doing?

I can tell you for sure how I would feel about some of the dressing rooms in NYC - I wouldn't use them. That would be beyond my comfort level.

As for the husbands sitting outside the dressing room, as long as they are far enough away where they aren't peering in, then I could care less what someone else is doing. Once it spills over to my personal space it becomes a problem for me.

 

[JunieJay]

How am I imposing on other women when he's inside of the locked stall? Considering the store he would be there in with me has dressing rooms right in the main part of the floor, by rights he would be imposing just by walking around the store shopping.

I am referring to a dressing room in a woman's clothing department, not a main dressing room in a neutral part of the store. Having a man in there when I am in and out of the dressing room would bother me, hence why I use women's only dressing rooms.

 

[cardaway]

Opposite sex in restroom - OK
Opposite sex in dressing room - BAD!

 

[Crankyshank]

I am referring to a dressing room in a woman's clothing department, not a main dressing room in a neutral part of the store. Having a man in there when I am in and out of the dressing room would bother me, hence why I use women's only dressing rooms.

It's a women clothing store, and the only dressing rooms. So yes it's a women's dressing room.

 

[JunieJay]

Opposite sex in restroom - OK
Opposite sex in dressing room - BAD!

I personally would prefer to have only the same sex in my dressing room AND restroom. This does not include young boys or anyone who is physically or mentally disabled.

 

[JunieJay]

It's a women clothing store, and the only dressing rooms. So yes it's a women's dressing room.

Well then yes, this would bother me. I feel like I have the right to come out of the dressing room and look in the mirror and adjust my clothing without having a man in the dressing room. And I feel like my right to be comfortable in a dressing room trumps your right to have your husband in there with you.

Different strokes, I guess. Fortunately, it was only one time in all my years trying on clothes that I've encountered a man in the dressing room. Hope its the only time too.

 

[damo]

If he was alone, yes I would have been concerned. Otherwise, no.

 

[lucyanna girl]

I look at this from another angle.

If it were just me in the dressing room I probably wouldn't complain even though I would certainly be surprised and not especially care for it. I would probably just have the same idea as many of you, that for one reason or another the mother could not be there and Dad was giving his opinion.

BUT - I also have a not quite 16 year old daughter. If she were in the dressing room trying on clothing and a man were in there I would be very unhappy. My DD is very shy. She would be extremely uncomfortable in this situation.

There is a vast difference in a full and locking door stall at Old Navy or Gap and the average department store dressing room in terms of privacy.

Just my opinion.

Penny