Pretty Woman Moment

A few years ago dh was looking for a good quality used car.
We went to the nearest VW dealership and they refused to let him test drive a car because he wouldn't commit to buying it??
He was dressed casually (shorts, t shirt)
The next week we went to another dealership and bought 2 cars for cash...
I decided I fancied a new one, too 😀
I was SO tempted to email the manager of the VW dealership 😡

Snorerephron · 12/05/2026 14:08
CoffeeCantata · 12/05/2026 14:04
A firend of mine (very horsey) was always dressed in messy clothes, muddy boots and a grotty old Barbour jacket which had lost practically all its wax! She had an outdoor job, so never really got dressed up during the day.
She went to the local market town after work to a posh jewellers in order to buy her parents an anniversary present, and planned to spend about £1,000 - but as soon as she walked in the assistant fetched a big brush and literally swept the floor in front of her, edging her back out of the door. Needless to say, she didn't spend her money in there!!
I think that's a terrible story, she didn't show any respect to the shop by going in there all muddy.

That's a bit of an over-reaction! It was a country town - lots of farmers and tradespeople similarly popped into the shops during their working hours - it was the norm. This friend was just a horsey lady - not an uncommon sight at all there. And when I say 'muddy boots' - I simply mean riding boots or wellies which might have a smidgin of mud on them - not someone dripping clods of wet earth everywhere. Fgs - shops should be able to cope with that, in that kind of place. We're not talking Knightsbridge here!

I remember as a Youth Hosteling teen calling in at a souvenir shop en route to the hostel (hard tile floors) and getting very much the same reaction from the proprietor, who couldn't get us out of the shop fast enough. I think a broom was used on that occasion too! We were definitely NOT muddy! We just had walking boots on, and basically, walkers were the punters in that village. If you can't deal with walkers and their outdoor boots, then perhaps shop-keeping in that village isn't for you.

I've never seen the whole film...but when I first heard about it I was baffled as to why people seemed to think the premise was OK.

It hasn't aged well!

Sorry,

Plenty of posters have filled me in on what it means but as a 40 year old bloke I think i've only seen pretty woman once, so didn't really make the connection.

I know . And I did read the thread. And I don’t care. And why should you? 🤣

You realise you're around the 47th person to explain it, don't you? You should have read the thread. I think that poster got the message 42 replies to her ago.

The other side of the coin… several years ago I was in Selfridges looking longingly at designer bags.
The assistant asked if she could help a d I said “Oh it’s ok, I’m only looking and I don’t want to waste your time. These bags are way out of my price range.”
She said that it didn’t matter and she’d be happy to let me try some out (holding the handbags, putting g the shoulder bags on). She treated it like it a little adventure and we had a few minutes fun.
I thanked her and told her how kind she was and how she’d made my day.
She was lovely.

Buying clothes from supermarkets isn’t looking like a hobo!!!

It’s not a disguise, it’s wearing comfortable clothes they’re happy in. Wasting money on needless shit and expensive items for show is why some can retire at 50 hugely wealthy having never had a or needed a mortgage and others are scraping together the money before bills whilst frittering money on clothes and beauty they don’t need.

I know which I’d prefer.

You mean you don’t get it? I hope someone with more patience than me explains it to you 🤣. If you don’t get the ‘pretty’ bit do you think she’d been ‘womaned’ ?? 🤷‍♀️

If it's a homebuilding and renovation show this could be very different from a general construction industry event and it could be very much about individuals doing up their home.

I can't imagine being happy going round looking so awful!

I also suspect that this thing where you're wealthy but look like a hobo is a bit of an affectation. Like reverse snobbery, but reverse pretentiousness. I bet all those rich hobo types take off their disguise when going on a date or suchlike.

I call stealth boast! “ just buy a door already, you don’t need to go to show then tell us about how you can afford stuff lol and if the “sales” person doesn’t rate their stock then neither should you 🤷🏽‍♀️

I don’t think being wealthy makes you suddenly incapable of enjoying a ‘scrape your hair back’ and wear your comfiest and oldest joggers kind of day.

Many garments become their most comfortable when washed a hundred times.

I mean I spend a lot of my disposable income on horses, which makes me very happy. It also means I look like a bag lady a lot of the time and I could not care less . I can think of nothing more boring than sitting for hours having nails / beauty treatments done weekly etc.
If Im not with the horses, dogs, grandkids Im in the garden or at a gig. Very little use for anything other than jeans/ jods/ joggers in my world.

but they ARE happy like it.

There are a number of tales on here about very wealthy people who look unkempt or like they can only afford supermarket clothes etc. I do understand not spending money for the sake of it and not being flashy, and not always having to be dressed expensively. If I was very wealthy, I think I'd be the same. I really think I'd continue with my Marks jeans and Boden tops. But at the other end of the scale, I also don't understand being frugal and unkempt to the extent described here, if you are very wealthy. What on earth is the point of having money if you don't enjoy it a little? I do understand not enjoying it a LOT, but I don't understand the other extreme, either. It sounds like a really miserable way to live, for no reason.

I posted further up about a similar thing, as I'm a high end jeweller and one of our best customers was refused service at another jeweller due to how they were dressed. I never judge, I hardly ever dress up and am usually in a hoody and jeans. However in the CCTV images we get sent of criminals visiting jewellers they usually dress like wealthy customers in order to enter the store and commit the crime. The latest prolific thief in our area looks like a lovely middle class woman, she'd definitely gain entry to any shop.

I had this thought too. Maybe the sales person was new, inexperienced, felt uncomfortable about the price herself, and/or had bad reactions in the past. Many sales people (of luxury or expensive goods) are low paid and couldn't dream of affording the products they are selling.

But also, it could just be she was snobbish and assumed you couldn't afford it!

You'll never know - and yes, better training for her should have tackled both possibilities.

Honestly if I worked in an expensive shop I’d know as soon as he walked in that he was probably loaded 😂 It seemed like half the school mums drove old bangers and had filthy clothes and would say “We’re take us as you find us around here” when you went over after school. Then at Speech Night it was another story altogether!

He whiffs a bit

Only if you climb on top of him and sniff hard

I dont think they got that close to him as they shooed him out

They judged him on his appearance as soon as he stepped into their shop and that is the problem

They didnt get close enough to smell him

The same shop that didnt want his custom are always pleading for everyone to 'shop local' as they say they are always on the verge of closing

The small shop that treat him well are doing a roaring trade and flog gorgeous bits and bobs-my mother had done very well from that shop,most of what she owns is from there

I think it is deeply disrespectful to walk into a nice shop if you are actually smelly and dirty. That's quite different from just being in cheap clothes etc

There used to be a lovely jewellers in a local small town near me. I wasn't minted at the time, but did buy a few special gifts in there. The man who ran it was lovely. He loved what he sold and nothing was ever too much trouble for anybody. I got the impression that he understood that people who didn't routinely spend a lot on non essentials wanted to feel special and enjoy a special occasion. Its a sensible business decision because there are more "ordinary" people than millionaires around.

Don't you think someone who intended to nick a car from a showroom (pretty silly in the days of trackers of various kinds) would know this and present themselves as a bona fide purchaser?

Again I say, while I would not go shopping dirty or in rags, I am the customer and I expect to enjoy my shopping. If a shop wants my money then either they behave decently towards me or I will go elsewhere. I don't expect to be fawned over, just to be treated politely. I don't expect to have to fight for attention or prove my worth.

BTW amazed at the MFI stories. I don't remember MFI ever being posh enough for the staff to behave with attitude, even when it first launched.

When me and DH got our first house we went to MFI as we wanted a small glass shelf. We were ignored for ages and then treated with such contempt that we left with nothing.
Got the shelf on a trip to IKEA....hmm wonder why MFI didnt last.