Retail therapy is supposed to fix your mood, not be the reason you’re crying in a fitting room. But for one 4’ 11 shopper celebrating her birthday at Aritzia, her experience left her in tears.
What should’ve been a feel-good splurge turned into a quiet humiliation when she says employees laughed as she stepped out to check the fit. What stung more? Being ignored when she asked for help, while other shoppers got the full VIP treatment. Now, viewers are angry on her behalf and tagging Aritzia to do something.
Their response? Less than comforting.
Aritzia’s Reputation Online
Aritzia is getting more and more popular by the day, but alongside its growing fanbase is an equally large dose of infamy. The biggest fault with TikTokers is their quality. For example, The Mary Sue covered a story where one woman claims she was able to wear the $100 sweatpants only once before they got irreversibly stained. In another, one woman showed the internet how her $450 Super Puff barely lasted a year before it got “busted.”
Aside from materials, one woman went viral when an Aritzia employee body shamed her to her face. The woman was struggling with the style of the jeans she was trying on. Before she could ask, the employee gave her unsolicited advice. She said the problem was with her body, not the clothes. As her clip went viral on TikTok, plenty of other viewers also came forward with similar stories they experienced at Aritzia.
What Did the Aritzia Employees Do to Lizeth?
Lizeth (@lifewithlizeth) is the newest in line to share her story. Her clip, filmed inside the Aritzia changing room, has already captured 4.4 million views. In her caption, she says she drives down to Los Angeles to shop at the Aritzia there all the time.
Her 70-second video is packed with emotion. She says she had to hide in the room due to embarrassment. The vital detail she emphasizes is her height, which is 4’11. Lizeth says that because of this, she obviously had to cuff the bottom hems of the pants she was trying on.
When she comes out of the changing room to look in the mirrors, she says she “caught [the workers] laughing” at her. Not only that, but when she asked them for their opinion on the blouse she was trying on, they ignored her. It’s only when she’s inside the room that they come to ask her if she needs their help. She declines it.
She ends the video saying, “I’m so mad,” and wipes tears away.
Viewers say ‘Speak Up’
Lizeth’s viral clip had a mixed bag of reactions. Many were as indignant as she was. Others…not so much. A common comment to Lizeth was to “speak up.” They said she should have called out the employees while she was there.
In a follow-up video, she agrees with the sentiment.
“Normally, I am one to speak up and say something,” Lizeth explains. “But in that moment, I felt so embarrassed and humiliated that I didn’t know what to do.”
She says she even had the opportunity because the store manager rang her up and Lizeth’s fiancé prodded her to say something. However, she didn’t, as she thought it wouldn’t have made a difference. Now she realizes she could have prevented it from happening to the next customer.
Because of that, Lizeth says she will reach out to Aritzia. She even knows the names of the two employees because they introduced themselves to everyone around Lizeth, except her. The TikToker says it might not be correlated, but all the other girls shopping there were “tall, skinny, and blonde.”
She even shows a screenshot of her texting her boyfriend throughout the ordeal. He couldn’t go into the waiting room area because it was full of people. So he was waiting in the shopping area. Lizeth ends the video by thanking her viewers for their support.
@lifewithlizeth @Aritzia I have never ever experienced this before. I drive down to LA all the time specifically to shop at Aritzia and this time I went for my birthday. I was so excited to buy some new pieces for spring and loved so many pieces I tried on. And the entire time no one was helping me. They were helping everyone else next to me besides myself. I asked for help and was ignored. I wanted their opinion on the shirt and instead I caught them looking at me laughing because I cuffed the jeans and was standing on my tip toes because I’m 4’11. I felt so embarrassed every time I had to walk out to look into the mirror that I decided to prop my phone up inside the dressing room to look in there. What drew the line for me was actually catching two people, who are suppose to style and support you, starring and laughing at me. I LOVED those jeans and SO many other pieces, but I grabbed one item and left because I wanted to cry and was so embarrassed. #fyp #aritzia #aritziaoutfits #beverlyhills #bullied ♬ original sound – lizeth bravo
Aritzia’s Response
After two days, on the original viral clip, Aritzia commented: “We’re so sorry to hear this and would love the opportunity to learn more. Can you please send us a DM on Instagram?”
Lizeth did so and posted a separate video with an update on Aritzia’s response. The clip already has over 166,000 views. She says the first thing they did was apologize to her. Then, she explained “in great detail” about what happened to her in the Los Angeles location of Aritzia.
She refuses to say the names of the girls so they don’t get bullied on the internet. However, she did share them with the company. To sum up the story, Aritzia claims that “action is being taken” and they are aware of all the comments on the TikTok.
They then offered Lizeth a “styling appointment,” a free consultation they offer to anyone. Lizeth had already done it before, so she declined the invitation. As of now, that is Aritzia’s only response. Lizeth ends the video by saying she’s unsure whether she will go back to Aritzia any time soon.
The Mary Sue reached out to Aritzia and Lizeth via email for comment.
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