I always feel like I look thinner when I'm changing in department store dressing rooms. Even looking at everything from one of those three way mirrors. Problem is when I get home, I can look in my mirror and it looks like I ballooned out. Then I get depressed and don't want to wear this new amazing outfit because I now think I look huge in it. What about you guys?

Yup its why I hate thin mirrors. Just show me as I am, but maybe the store figures they'll fool people into thinking that their clothes are slimming, get them to buy it and its too late by the time you get home-unless you bother to return it.

The shops I've been to seem to prefer very harsh, brilliant white light in their dressing rooms. I'm sure there is a practical reason for this (possibly for enhancing the color or texture of an outfit) but it has the side effect of bringing every stretch mark, pimple, and vein out to its full glory. Seeing my skin defects is more miserable for me than any slimming effect (or the opposite) of the mirror.

im with demosthenes i feel like my skin looks terrible in dressing rooms i look dull and evrey pore is magnified my stretch marks look ghastly , makes me not even want to buy the outfit if all i can see is the horrible skin its sitting on .... and ordinarily i think i have nice skin .... i dont wear any sort of face makeup except eye stuff


as for looking fatter/slimmer .... i usually think i look nicer at home than i do in those god forsaken angled mirrors .... ugh just when i think i look great i get a glimpse from another angle and notice the flabbiness on the back of my upper arms ..... nice ! (NOT) lol

It seems to me that the mirrors in plus-sized clothing stores are slimming. I always look smaller at the store, bring home the pants... then think, 'wow... not what I thought those looked like!'...

Department stores in my experience though tend to have normal mirrors, but yes, with super-bright lighting.

I usually think they look bad either way. I guess it more depence on if Im having a good day or not. If Im feeling good about myself, everything looks better. If not, I shouldnt even bother to try it on, because then I'll think it all looks like ****..

There was a Seinfeld episode on this awhile back. Basically, Elaine gets really upset because all the mirrors at stores are skinny mirrors so she can never see how a dress actually fits on her.

It's definitely true. I rarely shop in stores in more but when I did I always got annoyed by this because I could never figure out how an item fit. Now I shop almost entirely online (I can find way better fitting clothes that way) so I just check in my own mirror.

never seen that episode running, lol

i gotta believe that dressing room mirrors are concave or something, because the same thing happens to me. likewise on the harsh, unforgiving lights.

I just had this experience about a month ago! It's actually the first time it has happened. I bought a dress for an event and thought it looked great in the store. When I brought it home and tried it on, it looked so tight and awful! I was pissed. However, the dress is hanging in my closet as "motivation" to wear another 10-15 pounds from now. However, I will not rely on fitting room mirrors so heavily in the future.

I change faced away from the mirrors, then turn around and SURPRISE myself with my new look - love it or hate it - I can't get undressed over and over looking at this mess.

I've never really noticed that except at one consignment shop that has a funky skinny mirror.

What is this a conspiracy to keep women in the dark about our true size? From vanity sizing, to skinny mirrors.....ahhhhhh run for the hills Martha!!!!!

Definitely has happened to me. I hate coming home with what I THINK is a cute, flattering new outfit just to find that I look terrible in it!
I also hate those super bright lights. Helloooooooooooo stretch marks! Sigh.

I'm one of the ones who winds up looking just slightly better then death warmed over in those mirrors. The lighting is awful for me so I always look washed out, but I can't say I've ever seen a skinny mirror where I shop, so I'm obviously not shopping in the right places!

I normally think I look better in the dress when I take it home and try it on there because the lighting tends to be better and I have more room to look at how it actually fits on me.

ive never been in any store that has a skinny mirror...however ive also never been in stores that only cater to plus sizes....maybe they dont have those in alaska?? not sure

the mirrors at the stores here (walmart, fred meyers) make me look way heavier and the lighting is bright and horrible...often times i'll try something on and not like it, but then have to just turn away from the mirror and really move in it, sit in it, and decide if i like it enough to wear to work (which is mostly why i buy things)...and at costco here, they dont even let you try on things...you just have to buy it...needless to say i dont buy any clothes from costco except the occasional kids' stuff because i know what sizes the boys take