John Lewis, you should be ashamed of yourselves

[Nevershoppingagaininjohnlewis]

I had a bra fitting today. The partner was excellent and really knew her stuff.

The fitting was coming to an end. I was trying on the matching knickers.

As I was pulling them off, I heard a man talking to someone in a different cubicle just the other side of my curtain. I felt so vulnerable in that moment - I was only wearing a bra. I'd been having normal volume conversations about my boobs and my body with the partner, believing it to be a single sex space. And there was a gap in the curtain I could see out of, so knew it would be easy enough to see in.

I pulled my clothes on as quick as I could, whilst holding the curtain gap closed to recover them.

Once dressed, I found the man about 1m away. He was there with his wife. Why he couldn't wait by the sofa's and her come to him like it has always been, I don't know.

I spoke to the partner and she was very sympathetic. I asked her if there was a single sex space I could have had the bra fitting in, and she said no. John Lewis don't have them.

The bras are the last items I'm buying from John Lewis brand.

Bye bye Waitrose weekly shop.

I honestly cannot believe it has come to this.

Why are you calling a shop assistant a ‘partner’? 🤔

That's the terminology that John Lewis uses. Rather than calling staff 'employees' they are 'partners'.

He might need to help his wife for any of a number of reasons .. she might have an injury or a disability that means she needs fell trying on. I don’t think he’s in there to get his jollies, in case fe happens to see a flash of nip in the next changing room. I was in the M&S ones with my husband last week, as he was trying jeans on and wanted my opinion.

Well all you have to do is write to JL and ask for chairs for male companions to wait outside the changing room area. If they refuse then you make a decision - put up with it or vote with your feet.
Bit pointless boycotting Waitrose if the company doesn't know why.

I will never go to JL for a bra fitting again. I ended up with the most uncomfortable bra I’ve ever owned. Far too tight, yet gapey in the cups. Hopeless. I’d reach for my cheapy Primark bra before my Freya one.

Mobility issues for a start

No problems.

I drove to a different town for a JL appointment as I'd read on MN about M&S policy. I should have done more research, shouldn't I?

Is there any high street store where women can have their bra fitted without men being in the changing room?

For all those suggesting that the wife may have mobility issues, straws and clutching spring to mind.

I am not happy being naked from the waist up with only a lightweight curtain separating me from a man. It was hard enough to get past the partner fitting me. We're not all body confident and happy being undressed in front of strangers.

The partner was talking about her customers she fits who've had mastectomies and her maternity customers. I felt extremely vulnerable having a bra fitting post giving birth. I never would have gone if i was being fitted in a mixed sex space back when I needed that service.

Teenage DD feels the same as yours.

Who does that!!! I'm not sure I believe this post... because of that!

We don’t have a JL near us anymore, but M&S have solid doors (well, not all the way to the ceiling but about 6”6’ high) on their dressing rooms and a larger dressing room for bra fittings and wheelchairs so there’s enough room for an assistant and/or wheelchair as well as the customer.

I went to our local Bon Marche recently and as I need to sit to take trousers off and put them on I used their larger ‘accessible’ fitting room but as the curtain didn’t go all the way across I just bought the trousers and kept my fingers crossed they’d fit. I mentioned the curtain at the till and got an ‘oh we keep telling them about that but nothing gets done’. 🙄

Can someone tell me how you get knickers the right size if you don't try them on over your own knickers ? 🤔

How do you check for size if you don’t try them on ? It’s only the same as trying swimwear.

Please don’t say always buy the same size, that’s a whole other issue.

I wouldn't try them on over my pants - I would keep my trousers on - would most likely wear leggings if I needed to shop for knickers like that.

I hadn't seen the post where the poster explained that she tried them on over her pants- but still don't buy it - as they came off with my pants..if this is true suggests this method isn't the best.

That was the most alarming part of the post, imo 😂

I suppose over trousers or leggings could be a solution but trousers would be bulky and could be wet or dirtier than your own knickers and not everyone wears leggings.

I’ve been trying knickers and swimwear on over my own knickers now for about 60 years so apologies if I’ve been doing it wrong. 😉

No, but trousers aren't as close to the discharge area and you usually wear your own pants as a barrier.

This is why I always wash new knickers...

😂

Why is that silly?

Well, yes, but they’d still possibly be getting yucky just hanging in the shop with random people touching them so I’d always wash them first.

Same.

I'm now wondering how many people do and thinking I'm never buying a pair of knickers again.

I would rather have my dp helping me, whilst in a nakedish state than a mere stranger.

what about bikinis and swimsuits? Same thing. Of course you try them on over your own knickers. Makes sense. 🤷‍♀️

And @Nevershoppingagaininjohnlewis totally with you. I hate hearing male voices in the changing rooms. My instincts just kick in. Hate being undressed when I can hear male voices. It’s definitely a new thing, men being in female changing rooms . I complained about it recently in New Look.

How do you get the right size first time if you don’t try them on ?

Agreed, I haven’t needed to try on for ages because I always buy the same packs of passion killers but if I had to change brands for some reason, I’d try them on.

She 'accidentally' pulled them off with the ones she was trying on 🤔

OMG, there are men on the planet!!! HIiiiiiiiideeee!!!!!!

If you can't cope with someone trying on a pair of pants over their own, I hope you're taking your own bedding with you when you stay somewhere other than home. You don't want to know what happens in hotel beds.