Mum shares dismal clothing store shopping experience
By
Seia Ibanez
- Replies 15
Shopping for clothes can often be a tricky and daunting experience.
But the experience can be even worse for those who have to deal with unsolicited and unkind comments from staff members in stores.
One mum felt unheard and judged wrongfully in one popular retail store—all because of a pair of denim jeans.
Yassie Marie was out shopping one day when she thought of trying on some high-waisted pants at a Kookai store. She posted her experience on social media.
‘I went and pulled an item–some high-waisted pants–off the rack,’ she began.
‘I went to try them on, and the chick that was standing out front of the changing rooms completely ignored me.’
She tried to call the staff’s attention, but she was still ignored. She then decided to try the pants in one of the changing rooms.
‘They didn’t fit, and I came out of the change rooms, and there were two girls standing at the counter,’ she explained. She added that one staff member walked out of the counter, while another walked past her.
Yassie continued, ‘I said, “Hi, sorry, do you have this in a bigger size?”
She took it off me and checked the tag, and said she didn’t.’
After, Yassie asked if other stores had her size, and the staff’s reply was ‘No, we don’t stock plus size items.’
This answer shocked Yassie, especially considering the size she was looking for and the average size for women is between 14-16 in Australia.
Yassie didn’t consider herself a plus size, but she walked out of the store as fast as she could. She was ready to go home, but she went into General Store with a size 10 pair of denim pants.
The video’s caption said, perhaps tinged with sarcasm: ‘Thank for that Kookai, I needed to be humbled.’
Yassie Marie mentioned that she had been struggling with her body ever since she gave birth, and it was at that moment that she felt good to try on clothes. She added that the experience made her want to cry.
A spokesperson from Kookai said it reached out to Yassie to ask for more context. Kookai’s range is currently stocking sizes 10 to 14.
The video had almost a million views, with several people sharing their experiences with the brand, and more than a handful told similar stories.
‘I had the exact same experience at Kookai! The girl literally said to me, “We don’t have your size here, you can try City Chic.” I was a size 8,’ one user commented.
Another one said, ‘You should try walking into Kookai and actually being plus size.’
‘I actually worked at Kookai over 10 years ago during uni and literally still talk about that whole experience in therapy,’ a third said.
Another user also commented, ‘Same happened to me! Fully ignored because I’m a size 12 Lebanese woman and don’t fit their “ideal”, I left my $450 purchase at the till.’
“OMG yes, the Kookai workers don’t even acknowledge you unless you’re a [social media] model,’ said another.
Another user said, ‘Once I met this girl in a club bathroom, she told me she works at Kookai and I literally screamed out loud. No, thank you, ma'am! Ran for my life!!’
Sadly, it’s not only Yassie Marie who encountered similar treatment. A shopper had an uncomfortable experience at Kmart when she was accosted by another customer for choosing a Size 8 maxi dress. Read more about the encounter here.
What can you say about this story? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
But the experience can be even worse for those who have to deal with unsolicited and unkind comments from staff members in stores.
One mum felt unheard and judged wrongfully in one popular retail store—all because of a pair of denim jeans.
Yassie Marie was out shopping one day when she thought of trying on some high-waisted pants at a Kookai store. She posted her experience on social media.
‘I went and pulled an item–some high-waisted pants–off the rack,’ she began.
‘I went to try them on, and the chick that was standing out front of the changing rooms completely ignored me.’
She tried to call the staff’s attention, but she was still ignored. She then decided to try the pants in one of the changing rooms.
‘They didn’t fit, and I came out of the change rooms, and there were two girls standing at the counter,’ she explained. She added that one staff member walked out of the counter, while another walked past her.
Yassie continued, ‘I said, “Hi, sorry, do you have this in a bigger size?”
She took it off me and checked the tag, and said she didn’t.’
After, Yassie asked if other stores had her size, and the staff’s reply was ‘No, we don’t stock plus size items.’
This answer shocked Yassie, especially considering the size she was looking for and the average size for women is between 14-16 in Australia.
Yassie didn’t consider herself a plus size, but she walked out of the store as fast as she could. She was ready to go home, but she went into General Store with a size 10 pair of denim pants.
The video’s caption said, perhaps tinged with sarcasm: ‘Thank for that Kookai, I needed to be humbled.’
Yassie Marie mentioned that she had been struggling with her body ever since she gave birth, and it was at that moment that she felt good to try on clothes. She added that the experience made her want to cry.
A spokesperson from Kookai said it reached out to Yassie to ask for more context. Kookai’s range is currently stocking sizes 10 to 14.
The video had almost a million views, with several people sharing their experiences with the brand, and more than a handful told similar stories.
‘I had the exact same experience at Kookai! The girl literally said to me, “We don’t have your size here, you can try City Chic.” I was a size 8,’ one user commented.
Another one said, ‘You should try walking into Kookai and actually being plus size.’
‘I actually worked at Kookai over 10 years ago during uni and literally still talk about that whole experience in therapy,’ a third said.
Another user also commented, ‘Same happened to me! Fully ignored because I’m a size 12 Lebanese woman and don’t fit their “ideal”, I left my $450 purchase at the till.’
“OMG yes, the Kookai workers don’t even acknowledge you unless you’re a [social media] model,’ said another.
Another user said, ‘Once I met this girl in a club bathroom, she told me she works at Kookai and I literally screamed out loud. No, thank you, ma'am! Ran for my life!!’
Key Takeaways
- Yassie Marie shared her experience of being called 'plus size' in a Kookai store when she asked for a larger size.
- Despite being a size 10, she was told the store does not stock plus-size items.
- The incident happened when she was trying on high-waisted pants and needed a bigger size.
- The video with her experience has nearly a million views and numerous comments from others sharing similar experiences at Kookai.
Sadly, it’s not only Yassie Marie who encountered similar treatment. A shopper had an uncomfortable experience at Kmart when she was accosted by another customer for choosing a Size 8 maxi dress. Read more about the encounter here.
What can you say about this story? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.