Dressing Rooms

My wife and I had a chance to leave the kids with a sitter and run around to do some errands and go out to eat. It is a rare activity these days for us to do that without any kids, so we hit it hard. We love running errands, bumming around all day going store to store.

One of our stops brought us to Old Navy. Mrs. Forrest had a return to make and wanted to get some new shorts for the summer. She had 10 or so items to try on and I went with her into the dressing room. I am not sure what the proper dressing room behavior or etiquette should be, but I am always a little uncomfortable waiting outside of the door.

First of all, Old Navy dressing rooms are always crowded, so I feel like I am dancing the two step with the teenage worker to get out of her way so she can put the number tags on the door levers whenever someone new comes in with 8 items of clothes.

Secondly, while I am waiting, I don’t know where to look. I don’t want to stand face first looking directly into the door Mrs. Forrest is in. I lean with my back against her door frame. Is it rude to watch people’s ankles under the door as they try on clothes? If I stare up at the ceiling, that will give away the fact that I am uncomfortable being there. I think confidence is the key to being in a weird environment. I can’t help but stare at people when they come out of a room to look at a mirror or get advice from a friend or parent. Should I help out too? “I’d try the next size up.” “Those stripes really aren’t becoming of you.” “I think you nailed it there.” I watch any human movement in the dressing room. The teenage worker is scurrying about at the front of the room with the task of hanging and folding clothes. Should I watch her work? I hope that doesn’t weird her out. Uh oh! New people to try on clothes and there is another person standing outside the door. Don’t make eye contact, don’t make eye contact! So I make the rounds: Look and comment about Mrs. Forrest’s clothes, watch a few ankles, check out the door that just swung open and the people coming out, watch the teenage worker fold and hang, count closed doors, and then look at the other person standing nearby without making eye contact. Repeat this process over and over until all ten items have been tried on and commented on.

The third weird thing about dressing rooms is the whole female factor. Old Navy is coed, but some of the other stores we go to are just female clothes. I don’t know the rules. Are guys allowed in dressing room? I only feel weird about it, because I don’t want anybody to think of me as weird Uncle Digory. And that goes back to the “what do you look at while you are waiting outside the door.”