Posted on 05/23/2004 11:59:52 AM PDT by mhking
BELLEVUE - When Ella Gunderson wanted some new clothes she thought for sure she'd find something in the junior's department of Nordstrom.
But she was surprised by what she found.
"Some of the clothes there just aren't very appropriate," she explained.
She found short skirts and blue jeans that left her belly button bare.
So, Ella took her complaint to the top. She wrote the company a letter.
The letter read: "Dear Nordstrom, I'm an 11-year-old girl who has tried shopping at your store for clothes, in particular jeans. But all of them ride way under my hips and the next size up is too big and it falls down. Your clerk suggests there is only one 'look'. If that is true then girls are supposed to walk around half naked. I think we need to change that."
Ella got Nordstrom's attention. In fact, two executives wrote her back.
Deniz Anders, Nordstrom's Spokesperson, said, "We're always looking at our sales floor to see what kind of merchandise we have and want to make sure we're carrying something for everyone."
Nordstrom told Ella managers would coach sales people to suggest more modest options and they would ask buyers to look for a wide range of clothes.
But Ella knows girls all around her are sent the opposite message by their role models and the models in magazines. Her peers might be a tougher sell than Nordstrom.
"We can be cool and we can be good looking," she said, "but you can still be modest at the same time."
If that message doesn't sell, Ella said at least "I've learned you should stand up for what you think is right and people will listen to you."
Ella and her mother have also helped plan a kids' fashion show at the Hyatt in Bellevue on Sunday, May 23. The fashion show will feature more modest clothing options for girls.
Just damn.
If you want on the list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...
Kudos to this young girl :) I'd be damn proud of her if I was her dad.
Qwinn
Is Nordstrom's the only department store in town? Although I applaud her for taking the store to task for only offering a "Young Whore" line of teen apparel, she can also just shop elsewhere.
bump
Good for her. People think that designers just give the public what they want, but I believe its often the other way around. The design industry is densely populated by gays, talentless artsy fartsies and other assorted liberal lefties who want everybody to resemble them, so they can legitimatize their corrupt lifestyle. You wouldn't believe the trouble I have finding a plain dark blue cotton civilian shirt or plain black shoes. Everything has gay tutti frutti and tassels on it.
Ella ***ROCKS***
Bless her heart for taking on the big-wigs and standing up for her principals. She's a smart one to know at that age that styles are being manipulated by trashy designers and tramps like J-LO and Brittney Spears.
She is one gutsy little girl!
Actually, most other stores of full of the same pants as Nordstrom. The only women's jeans that cover the belly button are in the "plus" size area. I take this on good authority from my sister.
What a great kid!
My daughter is modest, too.
She doesn't like what she calls "The Hootchie Look".
When did a 11 year old girl, not showing off her abdomen change from being appropriate, to being "modest"?
Sick freaks...
Frankly I don't think low cut jeans look good on ANYONE... the straight line across the hips breaks up the curves and frankly does not look nearly as good as clothing that is above the hips and covers them fully allowing the clean lines of the hips. But that's for adult women.
For Girls, its insulting and disgusting that parents allow their children to wear such things, let alone go out and buy it for them.
My nephew (now an LA cop and DA's investigator) used to work as a stock room guy in the summer at a Nordstrom's in the Bay Area.
One day he was working in the stock room when an elderly man came through the curtain with some clothes over his arm.
"I want to try on these clothes but all of the changing rooms are busy." he said.
My nephew explained that the man wasn't allowed in the stock room, but if he'd wait a minute he'd check for a changing room. He did check and all of the changing rooms were busy. So my nephew went back to the man and let him know that he'd have to wait. The man said he couldn't wait. My nephew looked around at the stock room and told the man "I shouldn't do this but... " and then proceeded to stack boxes in the stock room until they formed an enclosure.
He told the man to use the area to try on the clothes. The man did. When he was finished he left the area, after offering a tip, which my nephew politely declined.
The next morning when the staff got in for their shift the manager called them all together. When they all got there he said "we have a hero in our midst. Mr. Nordstrom was here yesterday and one of our own went out of his way to be helpful."
I love that story. He was a good kid then and he's a good man now.
Is there a Kohl's in Seattle ?
OK, I just went and talked to my wife and her mother--your sister is right; they don't make anything but the low-slung pants for women. I stand corrected, and good on the girl for taking Nordstrom's to task.
She probably will shop elsewhere, but it's important that she's letting the Nordstrom marketing idiots know that there are pre-teen girls out there who aren't interested in looking like sluts.
Who says she didn't shop elsewhere.
Git outta da mall biatch. Let the skanks waste their money.
She could just buy a sewing machine and take up sewing and make her own clothes.
"Queer Eye For Girls They Despise"?
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