Discrimination based on appearances

Being discriminated against sucks. I felt it first hand yesterday. Sure, I've seen it happen before -- it made me angry. I've been discriminated against because of the color of my skin. I chalked that up to inexperience. Yesterday I was discriminated against because of my appearance.

I needed shoes for work. I had planned on shopping with a friend, but woke up not feeling much like doing anything, so I cancelled. Decided I would go Monday because I start this new job on Tuesday, no big rush. Well, then I got a call from my manager that she needed me to come in Monday instead. Feel like it or not, I had to go get shoes. Now, I was away from home when all this happened. At the in-laws house. My jeans and t-shirt were clean, but they're my comfy clothes. My hair was brushed, but frizzy and wind blown - and not in a fashionable way. Makeup was nonexistent. I had no choice but to going out into public looking like this. My husband was wearing ragged jeans and an old shirt because he was working on my car. He also had no choice but to take me to the shoe store as is.

We walked into the door of the shoe store to some looks, smiles painted on the sales associates faces were fake and snarky as they looked us up and down. Not a word spoken to us. Not long after we entered and started the search for out of season shoes I need for work, more customers came into the store. The same employees welcomed these new shoppers. One even left her position at the end of one shelf to offer assistance to these new shoppers. We were in the store for thirty plus minutes, never once offered assistance or spoken to at all. I noticed that as customers entered the store some were greeted while others were ignored. The ones greeted were dressed nice with hair and makeup. One other lady and I, with comfy clothes and no make up were ignored.

I made my selections and went with two new pair of shoes to wait in line at the register.  The sales associate offered the lady in front of me to sign up for a rewards program. She declined. It was my turn now. I approached the counter being looked up and down. The employee's sincere smile for the previous customer faded back into the fake one. I purchased my two pair of shoes and left the store. The employee never offered for me to join their rewards program, did not thank me for shopping, and did not invite me back to the store. In fact, the only words spoken to me was my transaction total.

I guess my point is -- don't judge people based on appearances. I really didn't want to go shopping that day. I didn't feel good. My HS was flaring out of control. I had no choice. I had to have shoes or I wouldn't have this new job. Just because someones hair is frizzy and wind blown, just because they are not wearing make up, just because they are not wearing designer clothes does not make them less.