Funny headline about women's dressing room incident

[JessicaR]

Speaking of different types of dressing rooms. How many places still have the one big open room with hooks and mirrors on the walls? No curtains, no doors - I am trying for the life of me to remember which store in the Mall it was that was like that last week when I was clothes shopping.

I do remember when I was younger/teen lots of places like that now its rare to come across one.

 

[Liberty Belle]

While shopping with my dds, I have noticed that in stores such as Aero, PacSun, and Hollister they have dressing rooms that open right off the sales floor-it's like a row of closet doors along the wall. They are for use by males or females, and you usually have to get an employee to unlock them for you to use. They are big enough to have a bench/mirror inside so I just go in with my dd. So males could be changing right next door, or standing right outside the door looking at racks of clothes, etc. So what? The door doesn't go all the way to the ground but nothing is visible. She never has to exit the dressing room to look in a mirror. These seem to work well.

I haven't seen a dressing room with a curtain in many many years. Does anyplace still use curtains?

Yes, places still do.

And, in the situation you're talking about, you know what you're getting into. If someone is uncomfortable with it, they can go home and try on the clothes. When there are separate dressing rooms for males and females, you aren't "on guard" as much because you don't expect there to be males in there.

 

[wvjules]

I remember a poster who had a physical problem and needed her husband to zip up back zippers....was that you???

Not my husband but yes that was me.

We haven't shared a dressing room since. The next dress I hope to buy should be one that he shouldn't see beforehand. lol

 

[Magpie]

Wow - I went shopping with my daughter last weekend.

Store number 1: The women's change area was a row of four doors, facing directly out into the shop. The attendant holding the keys was male. He let you into one of the little rooms with a mirror and hung a coloured hanger on the outside to show how many items you had with you, while everyone else (male and female) waited outside. There was an identical men's change area on the other side of the store.

Store number 2: Same row of doors, only this time there was a divider wall between the doors and the store. The attendant was female. My daughter's door wouldn't close all the way, so my husband walked around the divider and gave it a good hard yank. We never thought twice about it, and the attendant didn't indicate that he'd done anything unusual..

Store number 3: Row of doors, dividing wall, AND a comfy place to sit! This was definitely my favorite store. (Old Navy, actually.) The attendant was female, and the dressing room was co-ed. Both men and women were being let into the little rooms. Both men and women were standing around (sitting, actually!) and waiting for their partners to come out.

Oh, I forgot... there was a store No. 4, which was the same as the first store, except there were only two doors, leading into little rooms with mirrors.

I honestly don't see what the problem is with men waiting outside for their partners/wives/kids. I suppose it might be different if it was some kind of communal dressing room, like a change room at the pool, but I've never seen anything like that in a store in my town.

 

[DizBelle]

This is the exact same debate as the bringing your opposite gender child into your restroom.

If Mom brings her son into the women's restroom, then she should bring him into the women's fitting room. Same for dads and their daughters.

 

[Tinkermommy]

While shopping with my dds, I have noticed that in stores such as Aero, PacSun, and Hollister they have dressing rooms that open right off the sales floor-it's like a row of closet doors along the wall. They are for use by males or females, and you usually have to get an employee to unlock them for you to use. They are big enough to have a bench/mirror inside so I just go in with my dd. So males could be changing right next door, or standing right outside the door looking at racks of clothes, etc. So what? The door doesn't go all the way to the ground but nothing is visible. She never has to exit the dressing room to look in a mirror. These seem to work well.

I haven't seen a dressing room with a curtain in many many years. Does anyplace still use curtains?

I think it boils down to this:

If it's a gender specific dressing room say the women's dressing room, you have an assumption of only that women will be in there. You are assuming that only woman will have access and that you would only be seen by other woman.

For example, if I am in a woman's dressing room and need my dress zipped up in back, I may go out in the main hall and look for the sales lady /attendant to help. If it's a unisex fitting room, I would not do that.

So if it doesn't bother you good, but for others it does and so I think just stick with whatever type of fitting room it is.

 

[asta]

I haven't seen a dressing room with a curtain in many many years. Does anyplace still use curtains?

I must shop in different places because I still see places with curtains instead of doors.

Hollister was the first store where I noticed this problem. Their first store here just had a big open room with no stalls or doors. One wall was a giant mirror. My girls took one look at that and refused to even try anything on. We went back a few months later and they had hung curtains to create stalls but still had the mirror wall as the back of the stalls. If you can picture this, there was still no privacy because the mirror showed everything in the next stall. The big problem was that after hanging the curtains they allowed males in the same dressing room. This was just so wrong. We solved this problem by just not shopping there which I know is the ultimate solution.

 

[PrincessBelle09]

In regards to the mention of stores like Aeropostle and Hollister, I see a major difference in that these dressing areas have doors designed to ensure privacy and because of their very open location, no one is going to "try anything." An enclosed dressing room is another story.

Husbands, fathers, etc. being in a dressing room is not really what bothers me because I figure these guys are probably not perverts. What bothers me is the precedent that is sets. If husbands, fathers, etc. going into women's dressing rooms becomes a normal occurrence, it will make it that much easier for the perverts to go in and not cause suspicion. Then, we may have a bit of a problem.

 

[tzolkin]

So, my ex shouldn't be allowed to go into the fiiting room area when he takes my 7 & 9 year old DDs shopping???? Should they go in by themselves, or should my little girls go into the men's fitting rooms? What do you suggest? Enlighten me please.

Personally, I don't think he should be in the fitting room. If he's not going into the stall with them anyway can't he just wait at the entrance to the fitting room where they can walk over and show him the clothes? That's what I do with DH and DS.


Somewhat related, DH was out once when our oldest DD was about 2 and he wanted to try on a shirt. The salesperson would not allow him to take DD in with him. It was a unisex dressing area, but they said you were not allowed to have a male and female in a stall together. If she was older she could have stood outside the door, but I thought the whole thing was fairly ridiculous.

 

[mickeylove2]

Geez. If you feel the right to tell me to grow up, I'm going to feel ok telling you to calm down.

It's just uncomfortable. Sometimes the curtain doesn't close all the way. Sometimes the doors don't shut right. Sometimes there is no lock on the doors.

And sometimes you want to wear your bathing suit out in the middle to look in the three way mirror. Maybe it's way too revealing and you didn't notice until you did look in the big mirror.

I'm guessing you'd be okay with men using the women's restroom, then, too? After all, there are individual stalls in them.

What, I'm going to be uncomfortable washing my hands next to a man??? I don't understand why some people get soooo worked up about such trivial things.

 

[mickeylove2]

Wow - I went shopping with my daughter last weekend.

Store number 1: The women's change area was a row of four doors, facing directly out into the shop. The attendant holding the keys was male. He let you into one of the little rooms with a mirror and hung a coloured hanger on the outside to show how many items you had with you, while everyone else (male and female) waited outside. There was an identical men's change area on the other side of the store.

Store number 2: Same row of doors, only this time there was a divider wall between the doors and the store. The attendant was female. My daughter's door wouldn't close all the way, so my husband walked around the divider and gave it a good hard yank. We never thought twice about it, and the attendant didn't indicate that he'd done anything unusual..

Store number 3: Row of doors, dividing wall, AND a comfy place to sit! This was definitely my favorite store. (Old Navy, actually.) The attendant was female, and the dressing room was co-ed. Both men and women were being let into the little rooms. Both men and women were standing around (sitting, actually!) and waiting for their partners to come out.

Oh, I forgot... there was a store No. 4, which was the same as the first store, except there were only two doors, leading into little rooms with mirrors.

I honestly don't see what the problem is with men waiting outside for their partners/wives/kids. I suppose it might be different if it was some kind of communal dressing room, like a change room at the pool, but I've never seen anything like that in a store in my town.

MTE. Just about every store that I have been to has separate rooms for changing, and some you may need to come out to look in a mirror, what's to see that you wouldn't see on the beach???

 

[snapppyd]

Even though I have fallen into the debate, I really did think the headline was funny. It reminds me of reading past debates on this topic. And really, don't you think the image of 10 angry women chasing a man out of the dressing room area is a little funny.

Me too!

 

[cteddiesgirl]

What, I'm going to be uncomfortable washing my hands next to a man??? I don't understand why some people get soooo worked up about such trivial things.

The point was that you don't just wash your hands in a public restroom. You're half naked in a restroom.

I think you need to get over trying to be dense. If you feel great being naked around strange men and feel great with your daughters being undressing around strange men, then great for you. Just know that most people don't like it. Especially women and girls.

 

[Liberty Belle]

What, I'm going to be uncomfortable washing my hands next to a man??? I don't understand why some people get soooo worked up about such trivial things.

Well, first, I'm not getting "worked up." Second, no, I have no problems washing my hands next to a man.

If a restroom were unisex, I probably would still use it, but I wouldn't like it. At least, though, you'd expect to see men in there and be prepared.

But, , I'm sure some things that bother you wouldn't bother me in the least. Glad we're all different.

Seems like most women on here do not want men in their dressing room and in this case I think majority should rule.

 

[snapppyd]

What, I'm going to be uncomfortable washing my hands next to a man??? I don't understand why some people get soooo worked up about such trivial things.

You do more than wash your hands in the bathroom. I really would not feel comfortable if I was using feminine hygiene products and strange men were in the same bathroom.

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

To clarify for all, she is a women. She has the parts and believe me they are very prominant. We just are not very girly. She has very short hair and people assmue and start in before they really think about it. Never have we had any one even apologize (even when it has resulted in physical violence). That is why I feel unisex places are a good idea. Not just for her but for so many others and other situations too.

I haven't read the rest of the posts but violence towards you and your partner is horrible. I am so sorry you and your partner have to deal with this. I hate closed minded people.

But back on the initial topic, I was in the LOFT the other day and walked in to try something on. There were 3 sales associates folding clothes and helping women to the dressing rooms. 2 of them were male. I immediately thought of the Dis. And surprisingly it didn't bother me. I thought it would and then realized that they work there and that's probably the last place in the store they wanted to be.

 

[NHdisneylover]

This is the exact same debate as the bringing your opposite gender child into your restroom.

If Mom brings her son into the women's restroom, then she should bring him into the women's fitting room. Same for dads and their daughters.

It SHOULD be the same debate--I agree. However, it seems that many people who think it is fine for a mom to bring her son into the restroom do not think the same applies to dressing rooms. I really do wonder why people seem to think dressing rooms are safer than restrooms. If anything, I can see that people (especially children) may need more help in a dressing room as they try on clothing whose buttons and zippers and buckles they are unfamiliar with.

Personally, I think anyone (developmentally normal) old enough for school is old enough to pee and change on their own. Then again, I am not in the least bit embarrassed by a man in either room and I wish that all fitting rooms and bathrooms were for everyone--saves issues for people like the PP and means no one sex gets the short line, etc. (tough I would have a "urinal room" within the larger bathroom then and not have those out by the sinks for everyone to see

 

[DizBelle]

I think it boils down to this:

If it's a gender specific dressing room say the women's dressing room, you have an assumption of only that women will be in there. You are assuming that only woman will have access and that you would only be seen by other woman.

For example, if I am in a woman's dressing room and need my dress zipped up in back, I may go out in the main hall and look for the sales lady /attendant to help. If it's a unisex fitting room, I would not do that.

So if it doesn't bother you good, but for others it does and so I think just stick with whatever type of fitting room it is.

Re bolded: You do no have the luxury of assuming only women will be in the women's restroom. Why should fitting rooms be any different?

 

[snapppyd]

Doesn't anyone think there is a HUGE difference between a young boy, say 6 or under, going into a ladies room with his mother and a grown man going in there? Is the six year old likely to assault anyone? Have we learned nothing from the predator TV shows about men going after young girls?

 

[luvmy3]

So, my ex shouldn't be allowed to go into the fiiting room area when he takes my 7 & 9 year old DDs shopping???? Should they go in by themselves, or should my little girls go into the men's fitting rooms? What do you suggest? Enlighten me please.

You take them shopping instead

This is the exact same debate as the bringing your opposite gender child into your restroom.

If Mom brings her son into the women's restroom, then she should bring him into the women's fitting room. Same for dads and their daughters.

No this isn't the same debate, we are not talking about children in a dressing room for opposite sex, we are talking about adults being in a dressing room for the opposite sex.