Well, I've never shopped at a White House Black Market before, as I am approximately 15 years…read moreyounger than their target market. However, I was in need of a PG, family-appropriate black top to pair with these ah-mazing purple satin pants I was planning on wearing to my bro in law's birthday party. I headed over to Pembroke Gardens late on thursday night to collect some options, but was finding no luck. Steps, Bebe, BCBG... they all offered what I already have hanging in my closet, ie. cropped, cleavage-boosting, see through, and "so tight I can hardly breath" tops. but nothing that I found suitable to wear in front of my grandparents. So in a last ditch effort, I stopped into WHBM.
Walking in, I received the most crabbypants of choral greetings ever. I was asked if I needed help by one associate, but her tone and face were throwing daggers and she was watching intently as I went through the store "messing up" the perfect folds and evenly spaced racks that she had prematurely set for closing (I walked in with about 45 mins till close). I could feel the sets of eyes on me as I walked about and it was making me super on edge. Keeping to shopping though, obviously finding something black was easy and the clothes here are all pretty demure, so I was able to find a top pretty quickly that I thought could work. Walking around, the clothes here were really expensive for what they are. Basic, polyester, made in China pieces running for a median of 150 bucks. When it comes to clothes, I don't mind paying in the triple digits, so long as what I get is quality and something unique, but that's definitely not the case here. The top I picked out had a $60 price tag for a basic black cami top, and that was on sale. If the party wasn't the very next night and the stores weren't starting to close, I would have moved on for sure, but what can ya do.
I brought my over-priced basic black top up to the register and the girl ringing me up was just as big a sour puss as the one who greeted me. I don't blame her, it was Thursday night, she was closing... but boy was she bitter. Not much for customer service here, enough so to bug me into yelping a clothing store which is not my norm.
When I got my new black top home and tried it on with my awesome pants... it just wasn't me. I don't know if I brought the vibe of the store home with me, but I didn't feel happy or pretty in my new top and even though I knew not wearing it meant I would be wearing something already hanging in my closet that would probably coin me the family harlot, but...with great power comes great responsibility.
So, spoiler alert, my outfit involved cut-outs and did not involve a bra.
Anyway... I went back to White House Black Market so I could return the overpriced top that was soaked in bad ju-ju, in hopes that it ends up in a more suitable home one day. When I walked up to the register, there were two associates; one was helping someone and the other was not. The available associate looked up at me, smiled and said hello... so naturally, I walked up to her and put my bag on the counter saying I had to make a return. "Oh you have to wait, I'm off the clock." Da fuq kind of sham is this? If you are on break, why are you standing behind the register? After more than 5 minutes of waiting while the other associate rang up someone else, another woman came over and without a word and just a hand motion, took my top and receipt and proceeded with my return. The only word she said the whole time was "sign." Not a "thank you," not a "have a good night," nada. So much unneeded unwanted pretentiousness from these employees it turned my aura dark, twice in two days. Not good guys, not good.
