Feeling a bit uncomfortable in clothes shops

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Joe90
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08 May 2012, 1:38 pm

I've never been interested in clothes shopping - it's because, believe it or not, you've got to have a lot of patience for it really. Especially in women's clothes shops, where women can't wait their turn and so would think nothing of looking at the clothes on the same rail you're looking at and getting in your way. I hate it when people do that. I find it very distracting and annoying, and I hate it when people stand in my space anyway. It's like they can't wait a few seconds for me to finish looking. One of these days I'm really going to teach people a lesson. But not now. Anyway, as I was saying, yes I find clothes shops very difficult to endure, and I find I don't have the patience for them. I also find that women's clothes shops have some kind of a social atmosphere in them, like you've got to be a certain person to be in them otherwise the young girls behind the till tend to stare at you as if to say ''get out of our ladie's fashion shop, you butch woman!'' and they make me feel very unwelcome, probably because they can sense my boredom. Well, I look trendy and lady-like on the outside, but I still feel like I don't belong in clothes shops. Most women enjoy it, but I don't, and I feel that they are not for me. I do try to avoid them, but sometimes when you're with other people you can't keep on waiting outside clothes shops all the time. That's boring aswell, especially when you got social phobia like me and you feel that everyone is going past staring at you as though you're not supposed to be standing there or something, and so you might aswell just go inside with your friends/family. But I just hate trailing behind people in clothes shops because, again, I feel unwelcome in clothes shops.

But it's a shame that I'm not into clothes shopping because I have such a lovely, slim figure and so I could look lovely in a lot of things, and I do like looking nice (it's good for morale), but forcing myself into liking clothes shopping is just something I can't do. Also I seem to wonder through clothes shops with my head in the clouds, I look at the stuff but don't take in what I've just looked at, whilst everyone else are all absorbed into what they're looking at and can stay connected. I just glance at the clothes with lack of interest and stare at the exit, hoping to be evacuating very soon.

Anyone else feel the same?


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questor
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08 May 2012, 7:03 pm

Yeah, I'm not fond of clothes shopping. It doesn't help that I am short and fat, and don't wear high heels or dresses/skirts. The slacks and jeans are made for women who are wearing high heels, so they are too long for me. Also, the ones made big enough around for me seem to assume that anyone that wide is also somewhat taller than I am. I have occasionally ordered stuff through catalogs. Sometimes it's okay, and sometimes it doesn't fit, or there will be something else wrong with it. Still, it's a way to stay out of the store, sometimes. I did used to shop some at Lane Bryant, but there isn't one real close to me now. There might be one at the mall that is some distance from me, but I don't know, and with my bad knees, I am not up to mall crawling any more. I did look into those rolling walkers, but the ones that were wide enough for my butt had handles that were too high for me, even on the lowest setting. Perhaps I could get one and have my younger brother drill more adjustment holes lower down, so I could lower the handles more.

I also have a tendency to overheat easily, including when cramming myself through racks of clothes that have been crowded together, and are under hot lights. This is not good, because besides making me sweaty, my BO problem kicks in then. Also, I tend to need to rest more often when over heating, too.

If I can get a rolling walker I can even use that instead of the electric carts at Walmart, because I can clip it to the end of a regular cart with bungee cords. Then I could push the regular cart around, and then stop and sit on the rolling walker's seat whenever I need to stop and rest. My mother had a rolling walker years ago, before she passed away. It was for an average person's weight, though, as she was thin, so it was too narrow for me.

I am now in a situation where I am going to have to shop for clothes, either in person, or through catalogs, or online, as all of my slacks are wearing out. They are all the same slack, but in several different colors, that I bought all at the same time. It is easier for me to shop that way--by buying a bunch of colors of a particular garment, so I don't have to look for more garments of the same general type.


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DogsWithoutHorses
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08 May 2012, 11:17 pm

I am so with you. Cannot stand when people ignore personal taste while shopping. It's like they think they're more important. On some occasions I've experienced this with men (talking about cis men of course, not trans* women who have as much a need to be there as I do regardless of how well they pass) browsing through ladies' clothes and I can't really find the words to explain why this bothers me more but it does. I guess because much like leg spreaders on the subway they have even less regard for my female personal bubble.
Also hate pushy / chatty sales associates, I know what a store is for, I have eyes to find what I want, and I can see the gd signs if you are having a sale. I'll find you if I need you, otherwise please stfu and don't hover over my shoulder. I came here to shop, not have a forced social interaction with you.
Doesn't help that I have anxiety and feel like everyone in the store is judging me. Also doesn't help that I wear an 18 so they probably are, and at 6ft in flats nobody tends to miss me and there is no place to hide.
Thank goodness for online shopping, even if the shopping experience was pleasant in stores there is no finding cute hip plus size clothing in a brick and mortar store. Not to mention how difficult it is to find ladies pants with an inseam even close to long enough.


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09 May 2012, 3:44 am

In a regular store, I don't like being greeted by the sales people. If they just ask if I need help, I can say no, but sometimes they ask how you are and give a spiel about their specials. I also don't like when the stores are too cold, too loud music, smell like cleaning chemicals, or have beeping noises. I can tolerate most of the rest. I don't like lines, and I prefer going at unpopular times so there is less crowd.