Self-Concept

Day One - July 12

            Tuesday I only had one class, so I decided to get myself out in public a little longer.  Instead of just going to one store, I went to the mall and visited a few different retailers.  I wore sweatpants, a plain white t-shirt, and tennis shoes.  My hair was thrown up into a messy bun and I wore no make-up.

            On campus, I felt perfectly comfortable with my appearance.  I have actually, to my remembrance, never worn sweatpants to class, though I have on occasion gone without make-up.  Even though it was below the standard in appearance I usually set for myself, BYU campus has a very relaxed atmosphere (especially during summer term), and is often inhabited by those dressed similarly.  In class I didn’t feel any staring eyes or jeering expressions.  The only time I felt less than great was when another woman, Tina, entered the classroom wearing a very beautiful dress, nylon stockings, and heels.  Tina sits right in front of me, so I leaned over and asked her what the occasion was; her husband was invited to speak at the devotional.  Suddenly, I felt almost disrespectful for my ultra-casual appearance. 

            After class I drove to the mall and arrived around 11:00; I chose not to take a purse.  My sweatpants had deep pockets, so I buried my wallet and keys there and went inside.  I entered near the food court and my first stop was Bohme, where I’ve frequently visited, but never purchased.  The workers there didn’t seem to judge my clothes to the degree I expected.  They were very friendly and chatted with me, not just about their store promotions, but also about working in retail, summer, and other little things.  I was very surprised and their response.

            From Bohme I moved to other shops: Bella Ella, Bath & Body Works, and Banana Republic.  Usually my customer service experience is kind of poor at Bella Ella, and Tuesday was no different.  I felt ignored, wasn’t told of any sales/promotions, the salespeople seemed to wrapped up in their work to even approach me, or say more than “hi” and “have a great day”.  At Bath & Body Works I, again, had a pretty standard visit.  The women talked to me, told me about promotions and special coupon offers available via email.  I was greeted warmly and encouraged to try new scents.  For these reasons, this has always been one of my favorite stores in the mall (let alone the fact that I love their candles!).

            Banana Republic was the only store at the mall that I felt that my appearance caused any difference in my customer service/overall shopping experience.  I don’t normally visit the store, so I had only my dressed up experience (which I hadn’t done yet) to compare it to.  When I entered the store, I was greeted, but beyond that, not a single word was spoken to me.  I wandered through their new styles, their clearance section, looking at sizes and feeling the materials.  After spending 20-30 minutes there, I decided to leave.

            Overall, day one didn’t seem to have had much of an impact in how people interacted with me.  I definitely felt more approachable that I had anticipated.  I expected people to snub me, but in retrospect, just like on BYU campus, people seem comfortable choosing fuction over fashion and interacting on a regular basis.

Day Two - July 14

            Thursday I wore a dark blue undershirt with a strappy-sleeve white lacey dress.  Over that I had a tan cardigan.  I accessorized with a belt, strappy sandals, a long chunky blue and peach necklace, dangly blue earrings, and a pearl-esque bracelet.

            Again, on campus I didn’t feel completely out of place.  Many girls wear dresses to class regularly.  In/before class one girl remarked “you look cute today,” which was the only comment I received at school regarding my appearance.

            After class I went directly to the mall again arrive around the same time, where I entered from the same area and went to the same stores.  I started at Bohme.  I didn’t have as much of an interaction with salespeople there.  On Tuesday I spotted a very cute shirt, so I went back to it, pulled it off the rack and further inspected the finer details, and the price.  A salesperson and I talked about it for just a moment, before she had to move on to another task.  Maybe this salesperson just wasn’t outgoing as the girl I talked with on Tuesday, but I felt less important to this new girl.  As a consumer, it was kind of a turnoff.

            From there I went to Bath & Body Works.  When I walked in, I wasn’t greeted in their usual manner.  I wasn’t approached by the sales staff at all, I smelled some candles, looked at their soap prices, wandered over to the opposite side of the store, and then proceeded to leave.  I visited every corner of that store and wasn’t approached once.  This is very unusual for Bath & Body.  In my mind I wondered if my outfit had anything to do with it.  Was my appearance more intimidating to the staff?  Did I give off a sense of arrogance or self-importance?  I doubted this, because like on campus, many women wear dresses on a day-to-day basis and not only for important days/events.

            On my walk between the stores, a lady from a kiosk (you know the pushy ones I mean) tried to stop me to try out her product.  As I walked past, she said, “Oh I love your dress!  It’s so beautiful!”  She then proceeded to ask me over to her kiosk, which I gave no response to.  I try to be polite in these situations, but after getting conned into a worthless, expensive cream once, I have given up even politely declining.

            At Banana Republic I was greeted again, and as I wandered through the store, still no interaction from the sales staff.  I still wonder though if my appearance was a factor in their decision not to pursue me as a client.  Although I was dressed nicer, I still think I was below their standard.  I know that I didn’t have on anything worthy of the store’s reputation to sell.  My clothes all came from other retailers far below their standard.  This time, I felt that if I wasn’t approached within just 5-10 minutes, it wasn’t worth my time to keep waiting.  I left pretty soon after that.

Conclusion

            In relating to chapter 3 in The Dynamics of Fashion I understand that I’m not necessarily in the demographic or psychographic Banana Republic aims for as a consumer.  I’m sure I fall way below the income of their typical customer, however I don’t think that should be a reason to treat someone with disrespect.  I feel as a salesperson, anyone that walks through your door should be treated as though they plan to purchase anything inside.  At the other stores, I know that I’m within the demographic that they normally cater to, and based on my dress, I feel like I am definitely within the psychographic they were looking for, even though at extremes on both ends (casual and dressy).  Bohme I even felt more within their psychographic aim when I was dressed a little nicer, yet that was when I received less attention from the staff.

            Regardless, this experiment gave me insight to understand more of what a consumer might be looking for and how a sales staff is the final deciding point in whether they will make a sale or not.