I've been in communication with the mom in the story, and she has yet to get a response from her complaint. Yesterday she talked to someone at the corporate headquarters (Hollister is owned by Abercrombe & Fitch) and is not sure they will even respond at all.
Anyone who is motivated to do so might want to call either their local Hollister store or A&F's corporate office and ask them to clarify their store policy. Some good questions to ask are here: http://firstright.org/lactivism_q_a
I just heard about this yesterday, I am beyond outraged. And thinking I should comment on the article once I've calmed down, because the lack of information out there is stunning.
I live within driving distance of this mall. Nurse-in anyone?
Putting aside the BF angle for a minute (which is outrageous--not denying that for a second!)...
So she's in a dressing room, the attendant saw her go in there, saw feet under the curtain and he rips the curtain open? What if she'd been trying on a shirt or something (wouldn't be able to tell looking at her feet)? Isn't this a store where primarily teenagers shop? Would any of us want our teenage daughter for example trying on clothes someplace where the dressing room attendant feels the right to rip open the curtain whenever they want? Basic privacy???
That was unbelievably rude! I am personally of the "breastfeeding should be done in private" persuasion but this poor woman WAS trying to do so discretely and that BOAR ripped open the curtain? This incident makes my blood boil and I hope the appropriate people are punished.
Why on earth would he open the dressing room door?! That's not even a BF'ing issue, it's just basic respect & privacy!!
But regardless, I don't understand the BF'ing thing, I've BF in fitting rooms many times & never had an issue. I also don't understand the part that says she was told that there were nursing rooms available... why would she want to trek halfway across the mall (I'm guessing) with a screaming baby to use what probably amounts to a dirty family restroom with a hard plastic chair? (I have no idea what that mall is like, just speculating)
And why won't the company comment?
Well I would totally nurse-in but I'm all the way across the country... Although I could see if there is a Hollister near me!
Originally Posted by dogmom327
So she's in a dressing room, the attendant saw her go in there, saw feet under the curtain and he rips the curtain open? What if she'd been trying on a shirt or something (wouldn't be able to tell looking at her feet)? Isn't this a store where primarily teenagers shop? Would any of us want our teenage daughter for example trying on clothes someplace where the dressing room attendant feels the right to rip open the curtain whenever they want? Basic privacy???
I don't care *what* what she was doing. How can the company think it is okay for a male employee to open the door of a changing room while someone is inside it?!?!?
Personally, I do think it is okay, if there are few changing rooms, to says, "I'm sorry, but we don't have very many changing rooms, could we ask you to breastfeed over here" and then offer a chair or something outside of the dressing room itself. I would hope they would only do that if the store was crowded, though. Just because a nursing room is available somewhere in the mall does NOT mean the mother needs to use it!
How infuriating. I can't believe he just whipped open the curtain like that! Breastfeeding or not I think it is incredibly inappropriate for him to invade her privacy like that.
From what I hear the nursing rooms are actually pretty nice at this mall, and just upstairs from Hollister, but regardless it is up to the Mom where she feeds her baby, no one else has a say! I'm going to XP this story in Find your Tribe to see if anyone wants to organize a nurse-in.
I can't believe a male employee just pulled the curtain back like that! It was bad enough that he bothered a nursing mom...but that just screams misconduct on all levels.
Originally Posted by dogmom327
So she's in a dressing room, the attendant saw her go in there, saw feet under the curtain and he rips the curtain open?
Not that it makes this situation any less sickening, but he claims that he DIDN'T see feet under the curtain.
Quote:
The employee said he saw Yap go into the dressing room with the baby. When he was checking to see if the dressing room was open, he didn't see feet under the curtain. He pulled open the curtain and saw her breast-feeding.
His actions don't add up when he starts off with saying that he saw her go into the dressing room. Did he think that she just magically disappeared once she went in there?
Originally Posted by NettleTea
His actions don't add up where he starts off with saying that he saw her go into the dressing room. Did he think that she just magically disappeared once she went in there?
Blech, I can't get anywhere near that store. If I'm in the mall and I need to go to a store and hollister is between me and it, I have to hold my breath and run. It reeks SO bad and makes the stores on either side of it stink too. When I was pregnant, it would make me nauseous. Even at an outdoor mall here the SIDEWALK stinks. Don't think I could stomach a nurse in
Okay, I am extremely pro-nursing and support the right to nurse in public without being harassed, but I have to play Devil's advocate here.
The store clerk opened the curtain because he didn't see any feet underneath. I believe that the clerks in such retail stores are responsible for making sure the fitting rooms are usable at all times.
Secondly, I think this whole situation is not so much "Hollister doesn't allow nursing in their stores" as much as it is "You can't hog up one of our fitting rooms for your personal use." The article doesn't even say that the woman was shopping at Hollister. For all we know, she marched in from the mall proper, made a beeline for the fitting room, and settled in to nurse. The stores have the right to keep their fitting rooms for their intended purpose.
It sounds, to me, like it's against Hollister's policy to provide private breastfeeding rooms for nursing mothers, and I can't say I blame them. They're trying to run a business. Sure, this mama wanted a quiet, private place to nurse. That's not Hollister's problem. If there are three fitting rooms, and one has a nursing mama in it, the other has a napping man in it, and the third is being used for two teens to make out in, then where shall people try on clothes?
I couldn't resist, I commented on that article, the other comments there were infuriating.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2xy
Secondly, I think this whole situation is not so much "Hollister doesn't allow nursing in their stores" as much as it is "You can't hog up one of our fitting rooms for your personal use." The article doesn't even say that the woman was shopping at Hollister. For all we know, she marched in from the mall proper, made a beeline for the fitting room, and settled in to nurse. The stores have the right to keep their fitting rooms for their intended purpose.
It sounds, to me, like it's against Hollister's policy to provide private breastfeeding rooms for nursing mothers, and I can't say I blame them. They're trying to run a business. Sure, this mama wanted a quiet, private place to nurse. That's not Hollister's problem. If there are three fitting rooms, and one has a nursing mama in it, the other has a napping man in it, and the third is being used for two teens to make out in, then where shall people try on clothes?
Would it have made a difference if she had grabbed a shirt off the rack first? What if she was in the middle of trying on a shirt, and the baby saw the milk source and got hungry? Should she just cover back up and leave with the baby screaming (and not get a chance to buy the shirt) just so she can find a better place to nurse?
I don't know what the malls in TX are like but around here, there are usually a few extra fitting rooms. I've rarely had to wait to try something on. But even so, you're at the mall. Trying on clothes. Waiting a few minutes isn't gonna kill you, you couldn't be in that much of a rush if you have time to try on jeans. There's always teenagers who stand in the fitting room half-dressed talking on their cell, because to them texting their friend is way more important than hurrying up so the next person in line can try on their clothes. It isn't really bad for business either, because every minute that someone is standing in line is one more minute that they're seeing everything in the store, maybe they'll spot a cute jacket that they just HAVE to try on & they'll run and grab it while their friend holds their place in line.
Originally Posted by crunchy_mommy
Would it have made a difference if she had grabbed a shirt off the rack first? What if she was in the middle of trying on a shirt, and the baby saw the milk source and got hungry? Should she just cover back up and leave with the baby screaming (and not get a chance to buy the shirt) just so she can find a better place to nurse?
Sorry, but the whole story just sounds "off" to me. It really sort of sounds like she just ducked into the store to nurse her child behind a curtain. Would a nursing mama even fit into any shirts that Hollister sells?
And anyway, whether it's good for business for people to wait longer to try on clothes is beside the point. The point is that no private business should be made to provide private rooms for people's personal use that fall outside the scope of their intended purpose. If they choose to do so, that's something else altogether. Hollister obviously chooses not to.
Originally Posted by LiLStar
Blech, I can't get anywhere near that store. If I'm in the mall and I need to go to a store and hollister is between me and it, I have to hold my breath and run. It reeks SO bad and makes the stores on either side of it stink too.
Here, it's Abercrombie and Fitch that stinks up the mall. I hate it. When my asthma is acting up, I can't even walk on that level to get from one end of the mall to the other.
I have removed several UAVs. Would you all please keep the discussion focused on the actual incident in the store and NOT about the comments on another site about the incident in the store!
Thanks!
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