I don’t normally write specifically about my life. My life is both boring and sad but this is important.
or how my magical trip to Kmart was a slap in my face
Right now I would rather be writing an upbeat post about the beautiful new Sofia Vergara Intimates line at Kmart and they are beautiful. Instead I have to write about what actually happened to me at Kmart today. I have to write about it because it’s been going on for half of my life.
This past Saturday the talented Sofia Vergara hosted Saturday Night Live. She did a great job BTW. She has a fun, clothing line with Kmart that I’ve previously mentioned. The ad that was played during this episode of SNL (shown above) was fast and vibrant. It really excited you about her new spring pieces. Included was an intimates line (sleep and loungewear). There were a few bras in the commercial but I was unsure of whether or not they were included in the line. I happened to be screwing around on Facebook the next day and saw a status update from Kmart Fashion about the commercial. So I inquired about the bras. Normally I would go searching myself but I was feeling lazy.
I edited it with flowers so as not to include other people without reason.
Today I had a reply from Kmart with a link to the new collection, including bras! Super duper I thought. Obviously I was headed to Kmart at my next earliest convenience, which turned out to be today.
On my way to the underwear department I swung by to see if there was anything else new from Sofia in the regular clothing section. On my way I happened to breeze through the new Spring/Summer stuff from Bongo (amazing 90s influenced stuff). However I was on a mission so onward to intimates.
At this point I was in a good mood. Maybe another time I’ll come back for a few pieces from Bongo I thought. When I entered intimates I was in 7th heaven. I really adore the collection. It’s obviously Asian influenced. Most of the pieces are super soft and all are striking. I was in such a wonderful mood. I’m not kidding. I know that if you know me my default mode is eh but I was giddy, okay? There were sheer sleepwear caftans! To give you an idea of how awesome this stuff is, I usually am incredibly cheap when it comes to nightwear, I can often buy vintage nighties at thrift stores for $2-$3 that I love so it’s not unusual for me to stick with those mixed with some fugly worn out pj bottoms. There weren’t any Vergara bras at my store but they don’t get everything, so no biggie.
Of course I was piling pieces onto my arms. I do not know how many pieces and I was later so angry that I didn’t do a proper count but somewhere from 12-16 things were on my arm (including a couple of clearance things, a couple of bras and other pj bottoms). This is how I like to shop. I need to go through everything and then getting the trying on over with. I do have bad knees but that’s not really the reason. I just have no interest in running back and forth repeatedly from the clothing sections to the dressing room. Any woman of most any body type can tell you that we can’t just pick stuff up and expect it to fit correctly or be our style either (especially since there still isn’t a universal sizing out there). We need to go through a lot of things to find the personal gems. This usually isn’t a problem at this store. The store is often slow, there are a surplus of dressing rooms (about 7) and so it’s not often manned. I like this as dealing with people is not my strong suit.
I heard them call for someone in the ladies section over the loudspeaker but I didn’t give much thought to it. As I arrived at the dressing room and elderly school marm type wanted to know how many clothes that I had. “I’m not sure, just a lot of good stuff” is something to the effect of what I said. Now if you are having an average day of shopping (this has included trips to Dots and Target for me) they usually just smile and say “go ahead”. They might count the pieces first but that’s about it. She was adamant though. “5 pieces at a time only”.
I was getting angry. I was getting angry because this has been going on for half of my life. When I was a teen I was horribly bullied for years. As a result I am twitchy. I have severe social anxiety. People scare me. So to put it mildly I look suspicious to people. I also have an affinity for finding a jacket or coat that suits me and wearing it until it falls apart. At this point I am still wearing my faux leather bomber that I’ve had for something like 3 years. When it’s colder I go with a long black peacoat (that I’ve had forever, no it doesn’t go over either).
You might wonder how I can be profiled for anything. Obviously I cannot be racially profiled. I am a nondescript white girl/woman (whatever). Right now I have a labret piercing, this also doesn’t seem to go over here. However I don’t really believe that any of this has to do with what I’m wearing, but just for fun, here are two pics of what I looked like today, for you.
my normal disposition
my "happy face" that I probably had while in wonderment
It has more to do with my disposition. So that’s why I’m saying social profiling. I have no other way to put it. I have poor social skills. Yes, this has happened to me in the past at other places (Bon Ton comes to mind). But no I’m not used to it. I’m done. I’m done with being treated like a stealing teenager my entire life. I do know that’s what it is. I was told this to my face once at CVS for spending too much time in the makeup section trying to pick out the best shades for my face.
But today I realized something important. I’m not changing. I will always be me. I am sick of being treated this way. Had this happened as a teen one of two things would have probably been the outcome, I would have screamed at this woman that I was starting to think of as a super bitch (you can say she was just doing her job but I used to work in women’s at a Target and I would have at least sympathized with the person if I’d had to do something like this to someone) and thrown everything down (leaving with nothing, so only punishing myself) or I would have went into the dressing room, felt demeaned and cried while trying on everything (incredibly slowly because you have to keep getting redressed to go out for more stuff).
Instead after muttering to myself and at her (about being sick of being treated like a teenager and for them wasting my time, etc) I thought of a plan. In the first 5 pieces I found a darling nightie that I freaking loved (photos below). I was definitely buying this. So this is what I did.
After trying on the other pieces I put the nightie back on and went out with my rejects and pieces that I was considering buying. I hung up the rejects and sat the others to the side and I told her “I’m not getting dressed every time”. And that’s what I did. Every time I went back in with 4 pieces while walking out into the toddler section (yep, that’s where the dressing room is, no toddlers were present) in my nightie to get more pieces. I call this self confident bitch mode. I’m tired of being stepped on in the name of fashion/the basic human right to clothe my body. I was semi hoping someone would ask her why this ridiculousness was occurring but it was slow, as is common.
Sofia Vergara by Sofia Vergara Intimates Chemise
She never did relent. I did mention a few more times while bringing stuff out how ridiculous this was. I also addressed her directly at one point, “you can tell them next time they make you do this that not everyone is a teenager, some of us are just trying to get stuff done”.
And now I’m writing about this. This is for all of the social misfits. This is for all of us with problems. This is for everyone who is sick of being stepped on because we are solitary (that never would have happened had it been an occasion when I was shopping with another person, for instance my sister). They saw me as a thief. The fact that I’ve never stolen anything from any store ever is irrelevant. Life is about perception. This is not just a Kmart problem. This is a world problem.
At one point someone came back to the dressing room to ask about an item that was supposed to be on sale but that they didn’t actually have (not unusual at this Kmart BTW) and she told them that she couldn’t leave because “I have to finish folding these socks”. I shit you not.
I don’t know the answer to all of this. All I know is that I’m sick of being pushed around.
What did I buy? I bought the chemise above and a pair of soft, purple shorts (both by Vergara), a top for a gift and some mouthwash. (I am on the poor person’s budget).
In case you are a fashionable lady, sizing info, cuz I’m cool like that
The chemise and shorts are true to size. I got a large in both, which is what I currently wear. In the future (when I have a bit more dough and/or it goes down in price a bit) I will probably be picking up the sheer black caftan to go over the chemise/other nighties and slips (it is being sold online as a coverup too though, which is awesome). I needed that in a medium. I would even consider a few other pieces in the future.
I am sick of this though. I am so sick of this treatment. I’ve changed myself enough for other people. This is getting ridiculous. I can’t even say what I think is at the root of what’s been going on with me my entire life due to what I’ve discovered about myself in the last year because, well, you try getting diagnosed with a little known developmental disorder when you are almost 30, believe me it ain’t easy. If it were I guess I could call this some other type of prejudice.
But instead let’s go with people hate me so they think that I’m shit. I’m not shit and I refuse to be treated like it my entire life. I matter. All of this matters. In the past a few other people have told me about stores treating them like this (a Dots in Maryland was mentioned at one point).
I don’t want special treatment.
I want human treatment.
I want to not be singled out.
I WANT TO BUY A FUCKING NIGHTIE!
That’s all.
UPDATE-After posting this I messaged Kmart on twitter and Facebook to no avail. However when I emailed them Sears (they merged a while back) offered me an apology and requested the info of the store so that something like this doesn’t happen again.
UPDATE April 28, 2012-After I emailed Kmart, Sears (they merged a while back) got back to me and apologized, which I was satisfied with.
You may also enjoy:
Dressing Room Sneak Peak: Sofia Vergara for Kmart
Style File: Winter Lady-featuring my Sofia Vergara for Kmart sweater
Life Imitates Art: Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer-this is what happened to me in school
Hi, I'm Mary. I share awesome things with the world. 
