Designer Shop Fright

[pluff]

I feel sorry for them... It can't be easy judging people all day long 5 days a week minimum... This must be why the old ladys are usually the worst

 

[brian w]

I remember the first time going to by the Costume National botique in NYC (which is ALL BLACK execpt for these lightboxes showcasing their designs in the center) and is VERY intimidating... you just have to go in with a fu**k all attidide, like me, and I found the salespeople to be really nice! Just don't be intimidatded, you shouldn'n't!!!

 

[meowmix]

i don't know why, but i find brooks brothers a bit frightening... much more intimidating than designer boutiques

 

[PrincessImp.]

^ Maybe it's the merchandise

Back to the topic, I don't sweat so much over it. After all it's just a shop and the SAs are also out to make a living. In fact, I do have pretty good experiences with most boutiques so far, so I guess I have been lucky.

 

[Vintage_Addict]

what i have found is that in larger cities, there is no problem, or less often at least, with people assuming that perhaps you can't afford things and then being rude. i find that in smaller cities where people are mimicking what they think is a cosmopolitan attitude, and they can't read the visual [or whatever] clues properly, that is where the salespeople are the worst. in ny or tokyo, i was usually treated like if was there, there must be a good reason for it. i got used to dressing however i wanted to in ny and being treated well. i almost always get nervous though. i have to brace myself sometimes and then i think, what am i doing? and why do i care?

 

[Vintage_Addict]

at LV in toronto, i was looking at a pretty knitted jacket thingy, and an old senile lady grabbed it from me and was like "i'll put that back, thank you" and i was like "oh sorry i wasn't done looking at that" so i took it back off the rack and dropped it on the floor, said "ok I think I'm done now" and left.

that is amazing!

 

[fashionista-ta]

i don't know why, but i find brooks brothers a bit frightening... much more intimidating than designer boutiques

I'm frightened by Brooks Brothers too ... I don't go in the store, it's the ads that scare me

 

[Stylephox]

I love going into designer stores...the salespeople usually ignore me but I prefer that. Otherwise I'd feel guilty about not buying anything. What's there to be scared at? At the end of the day it's just an overpriced leather bag B)

 

[travis_nw8]

advice marian keyes (chick-lit author) was give by a friend:

"Look evil and bored. Waft. Display no positive emotion. Above all, don't make a fool of yourself"

(of course later on she and her friends ended up falling into a display at miu miu - when she was reaching for the sole of her shoe to check the size )

 

[*JJ*]

i was afraid a few years ago when i first entered gucci. they know me now, so i'm calm :-) but the "look evil and bored" advice is a good one, because some of the salespeople look like they can smell your fear.

 

[rhiannonmars]

I used to hesitate a little, but now I don't fret at all. Ofcoarse, it helps to have $$ to possibly spend with.

I'm the type that needs to make a very educated thought out purchase. It's very likely I will look at an item and dwell over it for a while before I buy it. I want to make sure I spend my money wisely and make it streach as far as I can. I have ever right to look and not buy. I think with all the media, we get this concept that there are these people who just drop $10,000 every time they walk into a designer store and that were not good enough if we can't do that. If you think about it, only 1% of society is rich enough to do such a thing, if that. (1% makes over $250,000 a year)

Sales people are used to all types. Some are just grumpy because they had not made a sale today. They work on comission and want you to buy from them! Honestly though, they are just "shop girls" as Patsy from Ab Fab says. "Cut the additude sweetie, your just a shop girl". You just have to zone these snobby SAs out and go about your business. A good percentage of these people are really friendly and don't even think twice to judge you. That would be a long and tiring existance to sit there and judge people on their clothes and what they can buy if you did that 8 hours a day, 40 hours a week. They are like animals, if they smell fear on you they might attack!

 

[darkintragedy]

:raises hand:
i have that.
but maybe its because I'm a 17 year old guy, and usually everyone who goes in is older.

 

[Diorling]

That evil and bored thing is a good pointer. Your 15k Birkin bores me, and you're close to getting snapped on...

I have like three SA's that I actually like, and that's because they tell the truth, not everything is fabulous, not everything is must have fashionista... The rest annoy me with thier falseness...Oh that is soo fabulous, you must get it. Ive heard that a MILLION times.

 

[arlekindearrabal]

that is amazing!

zing!

 

[Honey~Blade]

So never walk in smiling?

 

[mb117]

advice marian keyes (chick-lit author) was give by a friend:

"Look evil and bored. Waft. Display no positive emotion. Above all, don't make a fool of yourself"

(of course later on she and her friends ended up falling into a display at miu miu - when she was reaching for the sole of her shoe to check the size )

It is so true...SA are nicer to you when you don't look thrilled to be there. It almost makes them want to strive to make you happy while you are in the store. If you come in smiling, what do they have to improve on.

 

[brian w]

So never walk in smiling?

smile if you want, it's always good to look and act friendly, but just pay attention to the clothes and not the salespeople. At first, anyway, I find salespeople to be pretty nice, generally... after all, they're trying to sell things, it benefits them to be nice to their (possible) clients!!! But if they try to give you crap don't take it!!!

 

[brian w]

I live in NYC and go to botiques quite often and honestly can't think of one instance where I've really noticed bad attitude from a salesperson. (well, maybe I don't go THAT often and don't go to a large number of them, but I do make the rounds...) And I've become quite friendly with SA's from a few stores, Comme des Garcons, Issey Miyake, Jeffrey, Yamamoto, If... and I think they're actually nice people, not just nice to me because I buy things...

 

[VICTIM]

:raises hand:
i have that.
but maybe its because I'm a 17 year old guy, and usually everyone who goes in is older.

i just turned 18 and i useually go shopping with swarms of friends the same age i think the sa's are more frightened of us, they dont like it when they think you know too much (like the different kinds of jeans in dior homme, they freak if you mention the 17cm and other size variations) like your undercover to make sure they're doing there job right.

 

[Casualuxury]

Well on rodeo, the folk inside all the designer boutiques are super nice, even at Versace. I think its just the small designer stores, like the Louis Vuitton Boutiques that only sell monogram plastered shoes and only two types of leather in the handbags, the larger stores usually have nicer people. I think its kind of a Napoleonic complex, like, "well I know there are stores much bigger and better than this one in which I work, so i'll just be a snob to make it seem nicer". I've never had it, i will walk in, touch, ask, spray anything I want, and they can't do anything, because you are a potential customer. That's how I feel.