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Original poster

So hacked off with (non-existent) child fitting rooms in M&S

22 replies

PerspicaciaTick · 30/05/2019 18:26

Buying a suit for 10yo DS, plus shoes, shirt etc. for a wedding. Ready to spend a lot of money.
There is no child fitting room. He is not allowed in either of the fitting rooms on the first floor as both are used by women.
He could use the mens, but I couldn't go in to help and nor would we be allowed to take in all the combinations of clothes we want to try in one go and as it is on another floor, there is no running back and forth with the additional items.
So stressful.

OP posts:
YorkieTheRabbit · 30/05/2019 18:48

Take all clothes to the fitting room, sort into combinations you want him to try, ask the assistant to put your son in a cubicle nearest the door, give all remaining clothes to the assistant and wait for your son to come out dressed in each combination you ask the assistant to give him. Chances are they will allow you in to give him a hand.

EssexGurl · 30/05/2019 18:50

We were in an M&S today. Kids and mens on same floor. No issue for DD to go in the changing room with me to try stuff on. This one was staffed, so I did ask the question. Proper, lockable doors so all good.

Our local M&S the same set up - men’s/kids on one floor - but no changing rooms manned so no one to say who can go in or not.

I think it was an issue with the individual staff member you encountered, not M&S.

We ended up buying loads as 20% off - so definitely in their best interests to let us use the men’s changing room!!!

Soola · 30/05/2019 18:50

Why would you need to help a 10 year old dress himself?

My son at that was able to stay in a men’s fitting room and try on clothes with me outside and he would trot out to show me and if need be I would go to another part of the store to find another size, colour or style.

Or you order a load to try on at home and return why you don’t want.

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EssexGurl · 30/05/2019 18:51

Should have said, no separate kids changing room, only one on the floor was in the men’s section and both me and DD (both female) allowed in.

isthatabloborwhat · 30/05/2019 18:57

OP, I would have gone and plonked everything on the customer services desk and asked them where he was supposed to try them on.

Original poster
PerspicaciaTick · 30/05/2019 19:44

I found the temporary child changing room!!!
They had slung a curtain across the corner of the school uniform section (separate from the rest of childrenswear). The space was less than a metre square and there wasn't any much privacy...and there was a queue by the time we'd finished trying on all the suits.
BTW I didn't need to help him dress, I did need to make sure that the clothes fitted properly. He has no idea how a suit jacket is meant to fit across the shoulders etc. as he's never worn one before.

OP posts:
Sexnotgender · 30/05/2019 19:46

I did need to make sure that the clothes fitted properly. He has no idea how a suit jacket is meant to fit across the shoulders etc. as he's never worn one before.

Of course, but he can put on the clothes and come out the changing room for you to check fit etc.!

At 10 he’s more than old enough to do that.

User10fuckingmillion · 30/05/2019 19:47

Do these exist anywhere?

Comefromaway · 30/05/2019 19:50

Whenever I’ve been in M & S with the kids they used the ladies fitting room if I needed to go in with them & the appropriate sex one once they reached the age of about 10.

Comefromaway · 30/05/2019 19:50

They used to put the clothes on then come out for me to check the fit.

jollyohh · 30/05/2019 19:55

I've had this problem when buying kids school uniform. Shabby curtain as you describe. Total nightmare so went to Sainsbury's instead.

donquixotedelamancha · 30/05/2019 20:17

He is not allowed in either of the fitting rooms on the first floor as both are used by women.

Men can use the women's changing rooms as M and S and vice versa.

twitter.com/marksandspencer/status/1004447371944656896

m0therofdragons · 30/05/2019 20:27

Ds gets changed in men's then comes out to show you surely? Dd is 11 and does this even though technically I could go in with her. Why is this an issue? I often shop with dh who waits outside and I go to him to show him and get his opinion (he's a great shopping partner!).

TheInvestigator · 30/05/2019 20:31

There are chairs outside almost every changing room. You sit outside the men's and send him in with one combination. He comes out dressed and you have a look. Then you send him in with the 2nd combination etc. Continue. I do that with my 8 year old. You can manage it with a 10 year old.

ChequersDog · 30/05/2019 20:34

@soola, if you think a poster is saying they help their ten year-old dress you can either assume you’ve misunderstood or the child in question has special needs which you don’t need to comment on. Either way, best not to make a sneery comment.

AuditAngel · 30/05/2019 20:50

DD was refused access to the changing rooms near kids section of M&S as they were “Men’s” that meant we had to trail even more sizes downstairs to try, which wouldn’t have been the case upstairs.

Original poster
PerspicaciaTick · 30/05/2019 21:40

I know there are all sorts of ways of making this work. But it doesn't explain why M&S don't provide fitting rooms for use by families as part of their (in the case of this particular store) very large children's department. Why make life more complicated for families? River Island had convenient changing rooms for families. Next had convenient changing rooms in the children's dept. H&M ditto. So why not M&S?

OP posts:
Troels · 30/05/2019 22:27

Dd used the mens and I went in with her to try on school uniforms. I asked about kid changing rooms, they directed me to mens (same floor) and had no problem with me going in and out to get different sizes.

Smallinthesmoke · 30/05/2019 22:35

Last time I went to M&S Marble Arch there were no children's fitting rooms, and indeed no fitting rooms of any kind on the same floor.
It was clearly not seen as a big issue as when I asked an assistant where the fitting room was, he had to check with a colleague before coming back and telling me there wasn't one.
This in their flagship store! We didn't buy anything...

S1naidSucks · 30/05/2019 22:42

Just identify as a man, then they can’t refuse you. I’m not being funny. You’re not permitted into the male changing room if you’re a woman, but men are permitted in the female changing room, by uttering the magic words, “I’m a woman”. Therefore just say you’re a woman. Actually I’d love to see all those women with children in their care, declare that they are men and go into the male changing room with their boys. I wonder how long the mixed sex changing rooms in M&S last if that happened? I think we can guess.

Bokky · 30/05/2019 22:43

I had the same today! Was at M&S in the Trafford Centre and DD wanted to try on a few dresses so I asked where the kids changing rooms were and was told there weren't any and had to go to the ladies fitting rooms, 2 floors up and across the store.

TwigTheWonderKid · 30/05/2019 22:51

Surely all changing rooms have seperate cubicles these days, so why would it matter if he went in the ladies changing rooms?

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