Since Christmas is coming up I decided to get another part-time seasonal job just so I can get some spiffy presents for family and friends. I got hired at Forever 21, I was not so stoked about it because I am not really a clothes person, but it was a job after all. After a day of orientation I returned on Black Friday for my official first day wearing a black Horror Pops t-shirt, jeans, and a blazer, which I thought was appropriate, but I was proved wrong. The manager on duty pulls me to the back and says, “sorry, you’re going to have to put another shirt over that because this is Forever 21, not Hot Topic!” I was really surprised and mad because the shirt was not offensive at all and I just thought it was ridiculous because Hot Topic would not hire me because I don’t have visible piercings or tattoos.
The point of this story is that is really amazing how discriminative some stores are because a person does not fit their look. Hot Topic stereotypes what a “rocker” should look like and Forever 21 shadows what’s “in”. I quit on the spot because when it comes to customer service I know I am great and it does not matter what I am wearing. I currently work at Coffee Bean and we have a uniform but if you want to color your hair rainbow or show off your tattoos, if they are not offensive, you can do that because it’s the person in you that matters when it comes to serving not the name of the band on your shirt. I was warned that Forever 21 had some pretty stuck girls with no personality but I never thought it was to that extreme.
*no offense to anyone. =]
