Woman Who Lost 80 Lbs Was Body-Shamed at Lululemon
Most women who work hard to lose weight expect shopping for clothes to be easier and more fun once they shed the excess pounds. But that wasn't the case for Heather Albert, a 35-year-old mother from Las Vegas who recently lost 80 pounds after undergoing weight loss surgery in December of 2015.
Heather credits much of her weight loss success to yoga, a hobby that's made her quite the Lululemon fan. But when she walked into a Lululemon retail shop in Park City, Utah, to treat herself to clothes that fit her new figure, two salespeople there royally ruined her experience, according to a Facebook post about the incident. While looking through the store's sale rack, Heather overheard one of them loudly whisper, "Do we even have anything in her size?" then giggle. Because Heather was the only customer in the store, it was clear that the salespeople were referring to her.
The thing is, Heather knew for sure that she fit into Lululemon clothing; she wears a size 10 or 12 top and an 8 or 10 bottom. Still, she was both mortified and upset by the exchange, mostly because no one should have to feel remotely self-conscious while shopping.
Anxious to get out the situation ASAP, Heather quickly paid for the two items she was holding. Later that night, she cried in the shower, and ultimately decided to share her awful store experience by tagging Lululemon in her Facebook post:
A woman named Kate from Lululemon contacted Heather via Facebook less than 30 minutes after the post was published. While Heather wasn't offered a lifetime supply of Lululemon gear to make up for the incident (a girl can dream!), she received something more meaningful: a heartfelt apology. But that doesn't mean she's satisfied.
"The most important part of my decision to make my experience public was to ensure that the individuals involved are re-educated," Heather told Cosmopolitan.com. "I would never want anyone to lose their job over something like this - I'd much prefer diversity and inclusion training, so that it turns the negative experience into something positive, a learning experience."
Here's to hoping the salespeople in question learn their lesson - and that Heather's story gives other shoppers the courage to speak out when rude retail workers make them feel uncomfortable - #NotOK.
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