How are we supposed to buy trousers with all fitting rooms closed?

[babyguffingtonstrikesagain]

I went shopping the other day and it hadn't occurred to me that none of the fitting rooms would be open for use. I picked up a couple of tops as I'm pretty good at knowing by eye whether they will be a good fit but trousers I have no idea about. I've put on weight in lockdown which doesn't help but even usually I am terrible at knowing if trousers will fit until I try them on.

I urgently need to buy a suit for work. I want a trouser suit, but I find it ridiculously difficult to get trousers to fit me anywhere.

I think I will be forced to resort to trying items on (especially the trousers) in the shopping centre toilets, but this is still really, really inconvenient.

I will still have to buy 2-3 different sizes, the trousers could touch the cubicle floor (yuck!), I will have to leave the cubicle to look in the mirror in front of an ‘audience,’ and I will have to wait for refunds too (already waiting for over £200 in refunds from internet purchases).

I’m sure clothes don’t really need to be quarantined after just trying them on in a changing room for a few minutes. I have bought some tops in the shops recently and have no idea how many people have touched them, or held them against their clothes on the shop floor.

I desperately need new bras but always struggle to find bras to fit having had a quite substantial lumpectomy. I can try between 20 and 30 bras until I find something to fit. Also I need someone else to make strap adjustments for me.

I went to Uniqlo recently and they told me that I could try on the clothes on the shop floor! I tried in mainly shirts/jackets, but also tried on a skirt over the top of my trousers.

Smaller local shops will generally let people use the changing rooms.

Bit ridiculous policy regarding having to quarantine clothes after trying on when a couple of times recently when I’ve returned clothes for a refund I’ve had to use their pen to sign the receipt.

Oooh, this drives me potty! And is one reason why a lot of the joy has been sucked out of the retail experience. Not only were the changing rooms in our local H&M closed, they had stuck great big posters over all the mirrors, so you couldn't even hold something up in front of you. Grrr.....

If I spot something in a high street shop it is easier for me to make a note and purchase it online (in multiple sizes), then return via the nearby post office. Of course, this assumes you have spare cash to tie up in the interim.

Incidentally, small/independent shops often have changing rooms open.

I love a charity shop (where trying on is pretty much essential, and returning items leaves a bad taste in the mouth), so that's a risky purchase right now.

Some fitting rooms are open. They quarantine the clothes that have been tried on.

I need some navy work trousers but I've given up now. Three trips into town, to buy and return pairs that don't fit. Waste of time.

I posted previously about this problem when I needed new jeans. I am sometimes a 12 sometimes a 14, sometimes petite sometimes regular depending on the make and design. I usually take 6/8 pairs into the changing room to try but of course now I can't.

I ordered four pairs from M&S and used Clearpay, that splits the payments in to four, so I got to try the four pairs yet only paid the equivalent of one pair.

By the time the second payment was due the one's I didn't want had been returned and the payment adjusted. I have never waited more than 48 hours for a refund or payment adjustment.

I can't afford to have lots of cash tied up waiting for refunds for clothes that don't fit. This is the only way I can try on more than one thing at a time.

Oh god yes. And it’s nothing to do with bloody Covid safety and everything to do with minimising staffing levels. I am not wasting my time traipsing back and forth. Also not everyone can order online easily ( I live in a flat so I can’t have parcels left) or afford to have ££ in limbo between refunds. So I’ve stopped buying clothes. So don’t come complaining to me Rishi that the economy is tanking.

Sorry but I needed to get that off my chest

I'm another one who normally buys lots of new things, but I don't see the point of going shopping if I can't try things on. I'm just waiting. Hopefully there will be more autumnal things in soon and changing rooms will reopen.

Most of the boutique shops in my city have got their changing rooms open (I haven't been but have seen them pushing this as a selling point on fb etc). Most people can't afford their prices, though (although not all boutiques are as pricey as people might assume they are), and they're not also necessarily the kind of place you'd expect to find work trousers etc.

Next must have seen an uptick in business. You only pay for stuff after 14 days or something?

Yep all of the above! Can't buy online as haven't yet found anywhere consistent enough with sizing (e.g I've been anything from an X Small to a Large in Next) Personally I find it just an unnecessary hassle returning clothes by post and then waiting weeks for a refund.

I've had to return things even after buying them in a shop and holding against me (lots of shops don't want you trying anything on even on the shop floor) It's just impossible without changing rooms open and I refuse to try on in a public loo. So I've stopped buying clothes until all this madness ends

As Danglingmod said, the small boutique places are offering changing rooms, so why can't the bigger Stores? Its not that bloody difficult to take the tried on clothes and put them aside, steam them if necessary.

The one good thing about this for consumers is that clothing retailers are throwing around discounts left, right and centre - sales have certainly decreased.

Why can't you just try them on but have a tighter limit like 5 items?

Is anyone really going to get Covid from trying on clothes?
I thought the risk was theoretical or so minuscule that you have more chance of winning the Euromillions

I don't believe you would get Covid from trying on clothes. This is one of those restrictions that make no sense whatsoever.
Use hand sanitiser before and after. Don't touch your face in the meantime. Job done. Which also stands for lots of other things we are not "allowed" to do.

Sainsburys has big signs up saying no trying things on. There was no one around so I tried shoes on my daughters. Lots of hand sanitiser was used. Bought 4 pairs of shoes, would have bought 0 if I hadnt tried them as both DD's have awkward feet!
Going into big shopping centre this week, wont be buying much if we cant try on as cant afford to keep going back for returns.

I will be returning DS1’s trousers today and attempting to exchange them for a smaller size. He’s had a major growth spurt during lockdown so we didn’t want to buy new school trousers early. School uniform everywhere has been picked clean so we had to resort to menswear. We took measurements before we went out, but I forgot my tape measure. Turns out that menswear has some vanity sizing too. It’s a chore.

Like others, I need to try on too. I can’t be bothered to buy anything at the mo. It is too much faff.

I never try anything on, I know which online shops to go to where everything will fit and buy from there. I can't imagine anything worse than trying clothes on and live in such a rural area that shopping centres are a distant memory.

Agree @AnyFucker - you aren't going to get covid from trying on clothes, while at the same time it being OK to touch all the hangers to find a particular size.

I've got my eye on a few things seen online for Autumn/Winter, but like the OP, trousers will have to wait until I can try things on.

We spent the day shopping yesterday. And will take half the stuff back today.

Sure,y they’d be better off just putting a sign up saying “ Please refrain from licking the clothes”!

Sweaty Betty had changing rooms in use in the Bath shop on Sunday. The irony being that gym clothes are just about the only ones you don't need to try on to see if they fit.

Yes, a lo;t of nonsense, I would be quite happy to try on clot;hes as we did before the Covid situation.

It must be hard to know stocking levels needed as well. I mean, now its not a problem, a lot of it is summer stock they.wont bother restocking once its sold. But when all the winter clothes come in, how to the fast fashion chains know what styles/sizes to restock into stores, when half of what's sold will probably be returned at some point I the next month, although it won't be clear which half...

Its going to be hard for shops to operate like this for long. I wonder if we'll end up having more shapeless styles /stretchy clothes in stores as that way its less likely you'll get it home and find it doesnt sit quite right on you, compared to tailored styles.