Mark from Liverpool spotted this sign in the window of a vintage clothing store in the center of Rome. Please, someone go take a dump in their fitting room.
Meanwhile, as Tyler and his pals discovered, this vintage store in Madison, Wisconsin is apparently only obnoxious to its actual customers. “The changing rooms were covered in notes,” Tyler says, “and the old woman behind the counter had a continuous look of disdain on her face. It took us a while to realize that was just the way she rested her face.”
Rather than, say, passing judgment on the sizes of their potentially TOO LARGE waists.
related: Yo, sweaty beasts!
What does “fashion forward” mean to you?
92 responses so far ↓
#1
farcical aquatic ceremony
yay! I’m #two-four-six-oh-one!!
(be sure to sing it)
Jun 23, 2010 at 8:47 pm rating: 6
#2
farcical aquatic ceremony
so, thrift stores in Rome want no chest-bursters, no bees, no sad sacks~only wrinkled old folks mackin’ in the changing rooms…blech, I’ll pass!
Jun 23, 2010 at 8:50 pm rating: 4
#3
Lil
I buy a lot of vintage clothes, and it is true that the sizes run smaller. The signs are annoying, but some vintage clothing can get pricey, and with people trying them on it could ruin them. I see the shop owners point.
Jun 23, 2010 at 9:00 pm rating: 17
#4
rosie
This doesn’t surprise me. Madison is a snooty place.
Jun 23, 2010 at 9:03 pm rating: 6
#5
JW
After working in retail for the last eight months, I can agree with the second lot of passive-aggressive notes. If I had my own store, I would have these sorts of notes too, and I would also let my staff tell you what they really think.
(Also, just FYI, if you have a size 10 foot, it is in no way going to *ever* fit into a size 6 display shoe, so don’t even try, because you’ll ruin it for the people who do actually have size 6 feet. Thanks).
Jun 23, 2010 at 9:11 pm rating: 16
#6
marky not mark
Looks like Bernard Black has found a new business to run!
Jun 23, 2010 at 9:15 pm rating: 15
#7
seacurs
The only reason I was going to go to the first store was to buy a tourist. That sign they posted about their lack thereof really saved me some time.
Jun 23, 2010 at 9:51 pm rating: 25
#8
se
keep your fat ass out of the skinny girl clothes!!!!
Jun 23, 2010 at 9:54 pm rating: 6
#9
H for Toy
What if you’re a tourist who loves vintage clothing? Or a miserable buyer?
Jun 23, 2010 at 10:15 pm rating: 11
#10
Canthz_B
I’m a vintage lover. Luckily, I can still go to their used old clothes shop since the sign doesn’t exclude the inebriated.
Jun 23, 2010 at 10:45 pm rating: 21
#11
D
With that “attitude” plastered all over the place and the unclean look of the dressing rooms, I wouldn’t even consider shopping there. If they want to drive away customers so fervently they should just close the business and be done with it.
Jun 23, 2010 at 10:46 pm rating: 7
#12
Canthz_B
That store in Madison makes me want to STOP!! and check with the building inspector.
Jun 23, 2010 at 10:49 pm rating: 14
#13
bowloftoast
Serendipitous timing…a vintage clothing store set up a few weeks ago across the street from my place. I was, without a lie, looking out my window this morning and thinking that their customers are consistently the worst dressed people on the street
(The high tattoo to skin ratio notwithstanding).
Jun 23, 2010 at 11:22 pm rating: 7
#14
not gen anything
But look at the top of the second photo! I think Santa is a peeping Tom in that store.
Jun 24, 2010 at 12:31 am rating: 1
#15
Lauralee
oh wow. I just discovered your blog and it has been so hilarious and entertaining. come check out mine sometime. Just wanted to say totally love your site!!
Jun 24, 2010 at 1:06 am rating: 0
#16
DC
No problem with the message, but rather the repetition is what I find nearing SUPERCOMPULSION. “AllworkandnoplaymakesCHECKWITHTHESALESPERSONCHECKWITHTHESALESPERSONCHECKWITHTHESALESPERSON” A bit much.
Jun 24, 2010 at 1:54 am rating: 11
#17
jinx
Do you really need 10 million signs saying you’re too fat for the old clothes? :/ Instead of writing all that shit and wasting ink, she shoulda just wrote “No fatties!”.
If you choose to run a thrift store, in any country, chances are most of your customers are going to be poor and/or crazy.
Jun 24, 2010 at 2:11 am rating: 8
#18
1948goa
I totally agree with JW. Human beings can be a nuisance when they decide to go shopping…. …we are a sort of Dr Jeckyll mutating into Mr Hyde, especially when we are in the wrong mood.
All our frustrations are poured on the ware on show. I just experienced a noughty guy opening up a few varnish tins in a shop and than leaving the premises without buying at all. Is it Italians only who can be as nasty as that ?
GPM – Italy
Jun 24, 2010 at 5:10 am rating: 1
#19
thursdaynext
I’m getting the feeling I should go and check with someone.
I don’t know why, any ideas?
Jun 24, 2010 at 5:55 am rating: 7
#20
Splint Chesthair
I’m torn on retail notes. In a vaccuum they sure look passive aggressive and quite obnoxious, especially if you’ve never worked in retail. If you have worked in retail, then you can pretty much relate to all of them. People who use dressing rooms as toilets, grocery shoppers who open bags of chips, eat them as theyshop, then hand them to you at the checkout and say, “I don’t like these so I’m not going to buy them.”
You know, someone craps in your dressing room 2-3 times and gosh-darn it, a passive aggressive note is inevitable.
Jun 24, 2010 at 7:03 am rating: 9
#21
taosaur
STOP! Don’t make that post. Please check with the site owner.
Jun 24, 2010 at 7:05 am rating: 8
#22
The Elf
What in hell is a “stingie”? Is that a stingy person or a person with a sting?
But it’s clear that by “no miserables” she is referring to early 19th century street urchins and student revolutionaries who randomly burst into song. Frankly, I can’t blame the store owner for banning them.
Jun 24, 2010 at 7:52 am rating: 32
#23
Edwina the Defrocked Nun
Here’s betting those stores are history (and not even a footnote, at that) in under five years… more likely, in under two. If the dollars were rolling in, shopkeeper would be too busy counting them to write angry notes. And with signs like these, they aren’t likely to start rolling in.
Jun 24, 2010 at 8:11 am rating: 3
#24
Edwina the Defrocked Nun
I can’t believe no one has commented yet on “No Aliens” … huh what?
Jun 24, 2010 at 8:13 am rating: 7
#25
FlaGlamazon
I have seen countless women try on clothes that won’t zip and BEG me to zip them over their flab. And one enterprising lumpella who snausaged herself into a too small dress, zipped it all the way up, then danced around in it and broke the zipper. Of course lumpy didn’t BUY the ruined dress!
Jun 24, 2010 at 8:52 am rating: 8
#26
aaa
Vulcans can’t help it if they love old clothes and find it illogical to pay heinously inflated prices.
Jun 24, 2010 at 9:02 am rating: 7
#27
Beanster
why doesn’t the owner just lock the change rooms?
“ask for key” sounds way less “OMG I HATE FATTIES AND YOU RUIN EVERYTHING AND I’M CRAZY” and, whilst providing siad fatty with key, store person could check clothes.
TADA!!! this has been Beans for Clever Ideas.
(Brand Power, helping you buy better)
Jun 24, 2010 at 9:27 am rating: 26
#28
oi
I don’t even understand vintage as in-thing. We moved to modern times for a reason you know! Vintage clothes and cars are ugly.
Jun 24, 2010 at 10:21 am rating: 4
#29
Elizabeth
Does anyone know what store that is? It looks like it could be that tiny one next to Amy’s Cafe. I forget the name. I went in there one time and instantly felt terrible about myself, so that’s why it came to mind.
Jun 24, 2010 at 11:30 am rating: 1
#30
tj
I live in madison and have been to this store multiple times. I can verify that they really enforce this and once tried to stop me from trying on some hot pants for a costume party. Of course the pants were tight; they’re hot pants! This store is also ridiculously over-priced considering the other vintage stores in the area.
Jun 24, 2010 at 1:44 pm rating: 5
#31
?
In all honesty, I can’t understand why someone overweight would try to fit into something too small anyway? Is it really worth looking bloated and uncomfortable just to have that knowledge that you are in a piece of clothing not your size? It’s not like anyone else knows what size your pants are, and wearing something that doesn’t fit draws more attention to it :/
Also, I hate the way many clothing companies have changed the sizes so that they appear to be smaller. 5 years ago, I was a 4. Now all of a sudden, I’m a size zero? Is anyone really fooled by that? The actual size of the pants haven’t changed, just the number on the tag. What will happen, I wonder, if they do this again to keep up with the ever-expanding waistlines of the population? I’ll be a size -2? or will it go to fraction, .5? I think I’ll move to a country where obesity isn’t taken for the norm.
Jun 24, 2010 at 2:12 pm rating: 7
#32
carramrod
Dear clothing store (especially second hand) owners:
Destroyed merchandise is a cost of doing business. Budget an accurate amount and get over yourselves. People are not mannequins… accidents happen.
Jun 24, 2010 at 3:50 pm rating: 4
#33
Andrea
I once wreaked an item at a vintage shop, I was so embarrassed that I bought it.
As a retail peon, I also believe in the you break, you buy policy.
Jun 25, 2010 at 1:58 am rating: 1
#34
Anon
Why don’t they just put a “No Fat Chicks” sign in that store?
Jun 25, 2010 at 10:31 am rating: 0
#35
Roundredhead
Look, I’m a fat chick, in fact I am a very fat chick. I have never in my life torn or otherwise damaged a piece of clothing while trying it on. I know how big I am and I have never liked tight clothing. My guess is that most of the people who are ruining the clothes at this vintage store are anorexics whose self definition is completely tied up in the number on the label. People who think that because they are “thin” and thus morally superior to the rest of us that they don’t have to use care in the treatment of items they do not yet own.
Jun 25, 2010 at 11:05 pm rating: 19
#36
Catskillet
I live in Madison…where is that store!? I’m so curious.
Jun 26, 2010 at 9:36 pm rating: 1
#37
TippingCows
I can’t quite make out the picture on the “Shoplifters will be Prosecuted” sign, but it looks like your unborn fetus will be taken from you as punishment.
(Am I the only one that sees an ultra-sound on that paper)?
Jun 26, 2010 at 11:20 pm rating: 2
#38
Jules
I’ve been to a vintage clothing shop where they measure the clothing before it goes on sale and then put it on a rail marked with the MODERN measurement. This makes things a lot easier. So 1950′s size UK 16 will be hung up on the modern UK 10 for example as the measurements are similar.
Jun 28, 2010 at 7:41 am rating: 5
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