Do you remember the horror that was communal changing rooms in clothes shops?

[Sidebeforeself]

Just reflecting on this today .. I remember cowering in a corner trying to show as little as possible ( I was obese as a teen) . Then the shame if something was too small ( everyone’s looking!) . Also the wait for the mirror
It made clothes shopping a nightmare for me

I remember sometimes seeing something in a shop and not trying it on because I wasn’t wearing presentable undies!

OMG I was just thinking about these the other day! The humiliation of trying on clothes that looked awful on you or didn’t fit! True about a stranger saying you looked nice though, best compliment ever 😅

I right back there in my mind now you've mentioned it.

Topsham, Oxford Circus, 1990s.

The awful lighting, mirrors everywhere, musty, feety smell.

The horror of trying to squeeze into clothes that were too small. And looking back in probably had a decent figure then. Was juat to self-conscious to realise it.

God I'm right back there in my mind now you've mentioned it.

Topsham, Oxford Circus, 1990s.

The awful lighting, mirrors everywhere, musty, feety smell.

The horror of trying to squeeze into clothes that were too small. And looking back in probably had a decent figure then. Was juat to self-conscious to realise it.

God I'm right back there in my mind now you've mentioned it.

Topshop, Oxford Circus, 1990s.

The awful lighting, mirrors everywhere, musty, feety smell.

The horror of trying to squeeze into clothes that were too small. And looking back in probably had a decent figure then. Was juat to self-conscious to realise it.

God I'm right back there in my mind now you've mentioned it.

Topshop, Oxford Circus, 1990s.

The awful lighting, mirrors everywhere, musty, feety smell.

The horror of trying to squeeze into clothes that were too small. And looking back in probably had a decent figure then. Was juat to self-conscious to realise it.

Did you never shop in TopShop?

I'm 60 and remember quite a few shops that had communal changing rooms

I remember them well. Looking back on it they were pretty weird but you did just get on with it.

Also hated those shops that had cubicles, but no mirrors in them. You had to go out into the open area on the shop floor, to see a mirror. Not sure if they still exist, they weren’t Top Shop style of shops but a bit more ‘fancy’. Really offputting.

I remember them well.
I was young so didn't really bother about stripping off in front of other females, but the odd smell and the queueing up for a good view in the mirror was awful.....I wouldn't put up with it now.

I get miffed if there are less than three hooks and a comfy chair in a solitary dressing room.

No idea why my post posted so many times, got stuck in some weird loop. Sorry everyone!

Yes! Bay Trading definitely held on into the early 2000s. I have clear memory of the entry door and changing area in my local one but was having trouble recalling the shop itself - it was Bay Trading (loved that store!)

Not sure whether you're implying other people are making them up?!

I'm early 50s and I remember them.

Oh god yes I remember the hell of them! I also remember a shop called Jeanius, they had little cubicles around the edge of the shop, they had saloon doors. One Saturday I was shopping with a friend, she tried some jeans on, lent against the doors to try and take them off and promptly fell flat on her back in the middle of the shop, jeans around her ankles 😂

I’m in my 60’s and definitely remember communal changing rooms. In Chelsea Girl, Van Allan and Top Shop in particular. Everyone hated them.

The showers never worked for the entire five years I went. God knows how the teachers could stand being in a classroom with 30 unwashed teenagers after a double PE session.

I particularly remember them in Miss Selfridge in the 90’s.

Same here.

I had actually forgotten all about this OP - I think it must be some kind of trauma amnesia, but the horror has come flooding back 😁 Topshop and Dorothy Perkins being the worst culprits!

Well of course schools had/have communal changing - you can hardly expect thirty odd individual cubicles for a class to get changed in every PE session. 🤷‍♀️ At the girls school I went to we were skilled in changing without showing too much, no more than bra and skirt, then shorts on, skirt off, gym shirt on,
plus any extra clothing such as sweatshirts or tracksuits. Certainly I don't recall any girl standing around in bra and pants at any point.

I am mighty thankful that we didn't take showers at school, though, the many horror stories I've read on here make me realise how lucky we were in that respect.

You poor innocent child!

I had a job at Chelsea Girl and would sometimes be put on changing room duty.I think I was more embarrassed than the customers

And Snob as well. Small, low ceilinged sweaty room with mirrors everywhere. Awful.

But relating to CG, did you know that it turned into River Island? I was 😮when I found out!

Vague memory of the Etam changing room.

More recently the local leisure centre has a communal changing room until a few years back.

I'm 54 and remember it

"all communal, like a nude tribunal": the late great Victoria Wood.

Yes! Remember this very well