Journalist Triggered by Aritzia's Communal Fitting Rooms

[peanutcalorie]

I don't know if you guys have ever considered the layout of Aritzia fitting rooms, but it's one of my favorite things about the store! I mean that in the bitchiest way possible. They don't have individual mirrors in each booth, so once you change, you have to come out into the main part of the floor and check yourself next to other girls using the same gigantic mirror. There's just something about pulling your curtain aside before waltzing behind another girl who's trying on the XXL version of what you have on.

That's why I found it pretty funny when I stumbled across this article:

No, Retailers: Communal Fitting Room Mirrors Are Not Fun | Twin Cities Business

Engaging the customer is a fine goal, but know when to back off.

tcbmag.com

The writer basically complains about the way the setup makes her feel, insisting that there's nothing creative or on-brand about that method of customer engagement compared to say, the photo booths in Urban Outfitters. 🥱 I don't know, the 2XS and 00 size offerings at Aritzia are pretty engaging to me.

The fitting room layout in question:

And the full text for anybody who can't access the article for whatever reason:

I shimmied into a denim dress at the new Aritzia store at Mall of America. A roadblock in the general vicinity of my hips told me, without looking down, that this was not the dress for me. Still, I wanted to see just how bad it looked, and whether, by any miracle, sizing up might help. But there was no mirror within the private confines of my fitting room. The Canadian retailer’s fitting rooms are strategically positioned around a dramatic center lounge, decked out with modern furnishings, leafy greens, and communal mirrors.
I poked my head through the curtain of my mirror-less room. I could see the big mirror and the good lighting just a few steps away. There was no one around. But the dress was still stuck around my midsection and mostly unzipped. Not worth it, I thought. I took it off and got out of there.

“How did it work out!” an eager sales associate gushed as I emerged.

“Not so well,” I told her. “And I really hate the communal mirrors.”

She seemed shocked. Perplexed. Sad, even.

“But they make trying on clothes so fun!”

Maybe if you’re 15 and have no cellulite.

Am I too old for Aritzia? Too prudish? Because that’s what the communal mirrors tell me. Meanwhile the $225 blazers and $200 dresses sold at the store are clearly aimed at a fashion-conscious contemporary shopper who embraces design and can afford to step it up from Forever 21 or H&M.

I appreciate that retailers are trying to make their stores experiential, but when that experience starts to feel forced—like a cashier who wants to know if you have “any fun weekend plans?!!!”—it can backfire.

I’m not calling for the abolition of the communal fitting room mirror; I’m just saying, offer options. Keep the pretty communal mirror area, which invites spontaneous fashion shows and selfies. But throw a mirror up on the wall of each (or at least some) individual stalls as well, for those of us who prefer to examine our angles in private.

Store engagement works best when it feels authentic to the brand and not like a trap. For example, the meditation stations at lululemon’s Galleria store—silly, you might say, but very much on brand, and a sleek place to sit. Another good example is the “Cold Room” at Canada Goose, which opens Thursday at Mall of America—right across the hall from Aritzia. This fitting room sized ice box (with a mirrored wall and window for selfies) gets down to -13 Farenheit, with windchill simulators. It’s the perfect way to test drive a Canada Goose parka, which, at $1,500, is probably a good idea. The opportunity to step inside a freezer is a fun surprise, and it tells you that Canada Goose has the utmost confidence in the jackets it sells.

Not every brand lends itself to such a specific interactive display. But the ones destinted to survive and thrive are figuring out ways to add memorable moments. Urban Outfitters and Kiehl’s have photo booths. TOMS offers VR goggles that let shoppers travel to the far off places where its shoes are donated.

Getting it right requires creativity, and consideration. Make store experiences fun. And, particularly where getting undressed is concerned, make them optional.

 

[tessabean]

LOL I have the exact same feeling in Aritzia. And also if it's so atrocious on you then you should have known before even pulling it that the shape or style doesn't work on your whale body. I've seen lots of midsize girls look great in pieces in their own size. This type of woe is me everything must make me feel comfortable is my favorite thing to laugh at. If you don't feel comfortable stepping out into a communal mirror then maybe it's time to re-evaluate your lifestyle babe.

The last few times I shopped at Aritzia, I totally bought pieces that I first saw other girls trying on, so it's a great practice imo. The stylists can get pushy but that's their job.

Maybe if you’re 15 and have no cellulite.

Also I love how these people can't comprehend the fact that you can be a full grown woman and take care of your body. And I thought we were glorifying cellulites? Why so ashamed of it then? Make it make sense!

 

[peanutcalorie]

If you don't feel comfortable stepping out into a communal mirror then maybe it's time to re-evaluate your lifestyle babe.

Yup, now I just want communal fitting rooms everyone – more subtle little reminders that being a pig is supposed to induce some shame.

 

[levidedelavie]

Also I love how these people can't comprehend the fact that you can be a full grown woman and take care of your body. And I thought we were glorifying cellulites? Why so ashamed of it then? Make it make sense!

This. If you feel shame just by stepping out of a changing room and having people see you trying on an outfit, you should work on your body and mind. If they're truly happy about themselves and hashtag #loveyourself, then why do they still feel ashamed of their bodies? The world isn't there to cater to your feelings of self-loathing. Work on yourself instead of throwing a tantrum.