A Liberal MPP in Ontario wants to make it illegal to charge differently for products and services, dependent on gender. I first saw this in the Western Standard, but since their archives are subscriber-only, I’ve linked to the CTV coverage.

As the weather got warmer here in Waterloo, I wandered aimlessly about town, seeking to upgrade from Pants to Shorts for the more moderate months. The store I found was a super-exclusive sporting-goods boutique which sought to sell me a single pair for more than $150. This of course, was absurd, and eventually I ended up at a Winners store.

Most places, like Wal-mart and Zellers and so-on, put their stuff in big piles by brand. So there’s a big rack or table of Levi’s, and I’ve got to pick through them, looking for the 34″ waist and eye-balling the inseam.

It’s a time-consuming process! For each style of garment I intend to purchase, I need to establish all the different subcategories and brands that are liable to be arbitrarily grouped, and then go fishing through every pile on its own, seeking my size!

The Winners approach, to me, seems much more oriented toward a pragmatic shopper. They simply put every single pair of Men’s Pants on the same rack together, with the biggest ones at one end, and the smallest ones at the other. Jeans, khakis, army-pants, whatever, it’s all there together. Once I’ve found something that fits, I can grab the two on either side of it, and there’s a decent chance that they’ll fit as well.

The Fitting Room

What’s the trick to this whole process? It’s finding that first one that fits. I’m terrible about measuring myself, so I just grab three or four and head for the fitting area to try ‘em on.

This is fine the first time, but they always give me a funny look the second or third time. I think the fitting rooms are primarily in place for twelve-year-old girls to try on dresses and shoes they can’t afford, not for eighteen-year-old guys to try on five or six pairs of bare-distinguishable khaki shorts.

Shorts are a difficult business, though. You can’t go too tight or too short, because that’s just gross. But you can’t go too big or too long, or you might as well be wearing a skirt. It’s got to come right to the knees, and sit on the hips without a belt.

Even if I did have measurements for myself beyond the ~34″ waist, I’m highly doubtful that I’d be able to just go ahead and pick up a pile of clothing based on numbers alone.

I’d rather face a glaring fitting-room attendent than a returns-desk attendent.

But is better treatment at the fitting-room built-in to the higher price of women’s clothing, or do they simply resist the probing look of disappointed salespeople?

Mike

← Earlier Later → Posted at 4:20 pm to Uncategorized.