H&M - Esbjerg

[Stu]

Yesterday afternoon, I found myself in the H&M store in a retail park on the outskirts of Esbjerg, Western Denmark. I saw an A-line corduroy skirt with tie-waist for 98 kroner - nice skirt, good price! There was a choice of three colours, i.e. beige. black and maroon. Mette told me to buy one and I didn't need to be told twice. The trouble was that I couldn't work out what size I would need as the sizes were either US or European, and not UK. So I asked a sales assistant. Initially, I spoke to her in Danish, but later wished I hadn't as she spoke quickly and had a very strong west-Jutland accent. Nevertheless, we communicated. The conversation went roughly like this:

"I'm English and I want to buy one of these, but I am unable to estimate the size I will need because the UK sizes are not shown".

She looked me up and down and replied: "I think you should try on the largest and next-to-largest sizes, then you will know for sure".

This was odd, because I hadn't said the item was for me, and I was with my wife and daughter! She pulled a couple of garments from the rack and took me to the "prøverum" (fitting room), but there was a long queue. She said to me:

"Do you know how many centimeters you have around the waist?"

"No. I just know in inches. My waist is about 36 inches".

"That's OK. We can estimate from that. Just a moment." She walked over to one of the tills and produced a folder with tables in.

"OK, now I know what size you are for menswear. Agh! I wish they would put the menswear equivalents for items THAT ARE OBVIOUSLY SUITABLE FOR BOTH MEN AND WOMEN"

Did I hear that right? This is a corduroy skirt, and she's saying that it's a garment suitable for both sexes? In the end, as I was about to board the ferry back to England, I decided to wait in the queue and try on the garments because I couldn't return it if it were the wrong size. The largest size they had did fit me (US size 16), and I bought one in maroon. A couple of hours later I boarded the ship with her words "THAT ARE OBVIOUSLY SUITABLE FOR BOTH MEN AND WOMEN" reverberating in my ears. Yes, I know H&M are a progressive and risk-taking brand. But to have a girl who works in a provincial branch saying that a woman's skirt is obviously suitable for men is somewhat encouraging. Don't you think?

Stu

[crfriend]

Stu,

That is an absolutely grand story! Thank you for sharing it.

You never stated what you were wearing whilst you were visiting the establishment, but the lass' estimation proved quite accurate. Either she overheard you and your wife chatting or simply "gets it" that skirts are "not just for girls anymore". The fact that she knew what you should try on based on the "up and down" speaks well to her ability as a clothier. I'd be tempted to post a note to Corporate HQ lauding her! One word: BRAVO!

Good choice, too, in maroon. It's a colour too often overlooked for men -- which is sad because it works very well. Maroon tr*users might look a bit odd, but a skirt doesn't! (Been there, done that!)

Photos, of course, would be welcome.

[Tim Stannard]

Brilliant, I imagine you were rather impressed! to say the least.

Well I know the reason you are reticent about posting pictures of you skirted,

Perhaps you could make an exeption in this case and let us see it.

I will understand if you decide to "cut your head off".

I seem to remember that H&M have tried a mens line in skirts some time ago.

Tim

[Stu]

The girl certainly hadn't overheard my wife and I chatting beforehand because I had to go and find her. So she clearly recognised that guys do buy skirts like these for themselves and was complaining that the store hadn't taken account of this and made sure the men's sizes were included on the label. I will be writing to their Head Office in Denmark to compliment them on having such a switched-on sales assistant.

Anyway, I've tried to include a pic of the item as requested. It's my first time using both the camera software and this site for downloading pics, so I'll just hope it works.

Stu

[Departed Member]

Stu, did you get your shoes from Netto, by any chance? Approve of the overall 'look', by the way. I find this 'works' well, too.

[Since1982]

Nice hat. I was a long time Yankee fan until Steinbrenner bought the team, then I sort of lost interest.

That ensemble looks fine. Now if you'd only turn your hat sideways, with that jacket, you could be the poster boy for "rappin' in a skirt"..:)

[iain]

unbelievable! a small group of people really have changed the world.. and we were there.

[boca]

I am amazed and glad to see such a clerk. Luckily she happened to be there to help you!

[Tim Stannard]

Nice pic Stu, The ensemble looks very good.
Good idea to send compliments where they are due, might make a few people think.

[Since1982]

I've just entered a plateau that I've probably not seen since I was 10. The ability to enter a clothing store and buy something off a rack. My diet has worked to the point that I can now go in a store and buy T-shirts in size 2X and actually have them fit. Most stores now have clothes to 2X because Americans have been getting fatter and fatter as I've been losing weight. I went into K-Mart on Friday and bought a T-Shirt with Lance Armstrong on the front of it in size 2X. I admire him and have long viewed from afar the T-shirts with his persona on them. From a starting weight in February of 450 pounds I'm now down to 350 pounds and still losing. 100 pounds gone, wow! Sure will be nice to get out of black, brown, dark this and dark that colored clothing without having to sew it myself.

Without surgery I won't ever look thin I suppose, no matter how much I lose. The excess baggy skin will still be there and make me look fatter than I actually am. I'm afraid of surgery at my age, mainly because of my fatal allergy to morphine. If there was a lot of "after the fact" pain, someone "might" give me morphine to shut me up, and after I died from it, go "OOPS" but I'd still be dead.

The increased rise in my weight loss has probably come from a very stressful thing that happened to me last month. It will take a lot of time for me to get over it, IF I ever really can.

[crfriend]

Stu,

That skirt looks good. Congratulations on the find!

[ChrisM]

Skip - COngratulations on the weight loss. Very impressive, and I applaud you for keeping it going.

And I'm sorry to hear of your 'stressful experience' and hope it won't bring you down. You've been through some stress before, in your life, so I know you have the tools, but here's a 'pat on the back' or 'well wish' or whatever from a few thousand miles away.

Chris

[Skirt Chaser]

Stu, your experience is encouraging. I'm so glad the saleswoman will get a good word from you since she took a risk that she could be putting a customer off H&M with her assumption it was for you. Her comments later make it sound like she was not just comfortable with selling a skirt to you in a professional demeanor of no questions asked but from actual feeling that skirts are for all. You never know when somebody has a skirted family member and skirts on guys are a non-issue to them.

Quiet Mouse

[Butterfly Bill]

If you carry a tape measure with you when you shop (that has inches on one side and centimeters on the other), you can translate any size, and find out if something will fit you when it is still on the rack.