I was trying on a cardigan in M&S this evening. Stood in front of a mirror in the shop, I took off my coat and jumper. I had a sleeveless top on underneath. An old man said hello to me and I said hi back he then stopped and continued to stare at me. I wanted to cover my shoulders back up because I felt really uncomfortable with him looking at me. I hadn’t got the buttons of the cardigan undone yet so I couldn’t get it on quickly enough. He said “it’s all old lady’s where I live. We don’t get any young things like you”. He then walked away and another man walked past openly staring at me as he did so.
I felt so uncomfortable and powerless in the space. I was wearing a top that I’d happily wear with nothing over the top when the weathers warmer but I felt so over exposed because it was fewer layers than I’d been wearing all day.
It’s an act of sexism that on most days I brush off but today it really upset me. I don’t think I deserve to be sexualised while doing a bit of shopping.
