OK...So Now You're Out Shopping...Have you noticed?....

[Chrissty]

I was reading a great post from CC and thinking back about my own experiences when a couple of thoughts came to mind that would like to air...

....Thinking about how the shopping experience varies, between presenting as a Guy, and presenting as a Girl I've noticed the following, particularly when clothes shopping.....

PERSONAL SPACE.. As a guy I command personal space when shopping, people keep their distance, and if we touch an apologise usually ensues from both parties. I get no personal space as a girl, it is common to get touched, squeezed, and leant on without a second thought by other women reaching in front of me.

ME TOO... It's an empty shop...I've found that gorgeous little top...I reach for it..... and two other women appear from nowhere, and are interested in it!...moments later they look bored and fondle anything close, but their secretly looking for what your going to look at next..... like stalkers.....   As a guy I rarely noticed this happening except in the "Sales" (never in a quiet shop).

COMMUNAL EXEPRIENCE.... So there you are, looking at a nice skirt on your own, and suddenly you get asked questions from other lone women shoppers about "do you know where they have the ----", "have you seen this in a size----", and "does this fit me OK from behind".   ....OK as a guy there is an occasional question in desperation, but we rarely try to strike up a conversation on the subject.

Now I'm not trying to scare off any first timers out there, but I wonder if anyone else has noticed these, or other differences...

Chrissty

[MarySue]

I don't have the courage to go shopping in girl-mode, but my guy-mode experiences are exactly like yours. I get plenty of personal space, even when shopping for women's clothes. Although to be fair, I'm careful to keep my distance from female shoppers; I don't want to spook them.

But from what I've seen of other women shoppers, they do get up close and personal with each other, just like you say.

ME TOO... It's an empty shop...I've found that gorgeous little top...I reach for it..... and two other women appear from nowhere, and are interested in it!...moments later they look bored and fondle anything close, but their secretly looking for what your going to look at next..... like stalkers.....

That's never happened to me in guy mode (duh!), but I can easily believe it. Hey, shopping is hunting, isn't it? There are primary hunters, and then there are scavengers ....

Speaking of "the hunt," I have learned to understand the attraction of shopping. Searching for a cute skirt or top ... in a color I like ... wherever it's hiding in the store ... it's a hell of a thrill when I close in for the kill and discover that yes, it is in my size!

[mickie88]

surprisingly no i haven't had this type of shopping experience either way and now i just for everything in the juniors or women's department. i'm still lucky if i can ever find anything to fit either place since i'm so skinny.

[Kaitlyn]

Speaking of "the hunt," I have learned to understand the attraction of shopping. Searching for a cute skirt or top ... in a color I like ... wherever it's hiding in the store ... it's a hell of a thrill when I close in for the kill and discover that yes, it is in my size!

I know just what you mean.  I used to hate shopping, but now I can spend hours picking out a hat.

[Chrissty]

Speaking of "the hunt," I have learned to understand the attraction of shopping. Searching for a cute skirt or top ... in a color I like ... wherever it's hiding in the store ... it's a hell of a thrill when I close in for the kill and discover that yes, it is in my size!

...LOL 

...YeAh! Mary Sue bags another fine catch on a Saturday Mornin'!.....

..but seriously..., pre-HRT and the like it, takes quite a lot of work at the moment for me to get my look 100% right and build up my confidence, so I still buy a fair amount in "man mode", but when I do go out en-fem, I have an "interesting" time!

But you want to know something REALLY SCARY! ... For all the posts about using the ladies rest room, the ladies changing room can be completely on another level on a Saturday. They don't close the cubicle doors, they barge in if they see a top they like left on a hanger, and at least one cubicle has at least 20 girls crammed into it trying on matching outfit's for a hen night......

So being chicken, I tend to go to stores where they do no quibble exchange/refund, unless it's reasonably quiet and the middle of the week.

surprisingly no i haven't had this type of shopping experience either way and now i just for everything in the juniors or women's department. i'm still lucky if i can ever find anything to fit either place since i'm so skinny.

Maybe it's more of a UK thing then...There is one store here that tends to exhibit the behaviour more than the others, and it's called M&S (Marks and Spencer's). Unfortunately it is the one place that does all the tall sizes and great lingerie, so it's not somewhere I can avoid....

Being tall has become easier over here, with many of our high street stores now stocking "tall" products, but the ranges still tend to be little limited....I actually came across 36" leg skinny stretch jeans the other day in UK sizes 8 to 16 !

Chrissty

[MarySue]

But you want to know something REALLY SCARY! ... For all the posts about using the ladies rest room, the ladies changing room can be completely on another level on a Saturday. They don't close the cubicle doors, they barge in if they see a top they like left on a hanger, and at least one cubicle has at least 20 girls crammed into it trying on matching outfit's for a hen night......

I'd heard rumors about that! Thanks for the confirmation. And yes, that would be scary.

Although the scariest thing would be running into a woman I know in RL, who doesn't know about my, ah, extracurricular activities.

... now i just for everything in the juniors or women's department. i'm still lucky if i can ever find anything to fit either place since i'm so skinny.

I believe I've seen that phrase used in a court case. Something about Grounds for justifiable homicide. 

[Sephirah]

Maybe it's more of a UK thing then...There is one store here that tends to exhibit the behaviour more than the others, and it's called M&S (Marks and Spencer's). Unfortunately it is the one place that does all the tall sizes and great lingerie, so it's not somewhere I can avoid....

It's not just retail warfare... it's M&S retail warfare!

*cowers in a dark corner*

That's it... I'm never going shopping again. I'm going to... learn telekinesis instead and use that.

*sigh* The way I shop is akin to premature ejaculation: Dive in enthusiastically, rummage about as quickly as possible, and back out with total satisfaction before anyone else has even noticed I was there at all.

[Kaitlyn]

*sigh* The way I shop is akin to premature ejaculation: Dive in enthusiastically, rummage about as quickly as possible, and back out with total satisfaction before anyone else has even noticed I was there at all.

That's horrible, Leiandra!   

[tekla]

Shopping, like anything else, is a matter of timing.  Of course it sucks to go into some retail jungle here at the consumer rutting season. 

But I find that the suburban malls are dead on Monday and Tuesday when they open, City stuff is pretty empty between like 2-4 on Tu/We.  Though I'm not sure why.  I know that a lot of the manager types are busy on Mon putting together the paperwork on the last week, so they are pretty much out of sight on that day.

[TamTam]

Generally, at least where I am, shoppers tend to keep to themselves.  I've never had anyone purposely bump into me, and only very rarely have I gotten into conversations about "does this look nice on me" and such.  Shopping here is a lot like walking the streets; keep to your own path, don't bump into anyone, and don't make eye contact.   Dressing rooms especially, I've only once or twice had someone try to open the door, but only because they thought it was empty, not because they wanted some of my clothes. O.o

I can be in Macy's for three hours and not talk to anyone except salespeople. ::shrugs::

[goingdown]

I am at full time RLT so I must go shoping as a woman. I thought that one of the people who served me outed me. No any polite words. 

[tekla]

Well where I am is a long way from where you are, and the retail climate in huge retail areas is different too.  I see almost everyone looking to make the sale, that might not be true everywhere.

[goingdown]

Here people pay usually by cash the shoppings even in the bigger and better stores. And in case you have a lot of money in your wallet (or whatever) you get usually better service for same price.