As Marissa walks into a wedding dress salon, ready to find her dream gown, she\u2019s met with two entitled saleswomen who judge her based on her appearance. At 55 and Hispanic, Marissa already knows of the stereotype that walks in with her. When John, the salon manager, reveals who she really is, the saleswomen learn a lesson.<\/p>\n
Walking into the bridal salon, I couldn\u2019t help but feel the excitement mixed with a bit of nervous energy bubbling inside me. This was the first time I was actually doing this. The first time I was setting foot in the bridal salon. The first time I\u2019d be looking at wedding dresses.<\/p>\n
But I also knew there was a slim chance the salespeople would receive me well. I was 55, Hispanic, and unapologetically myself. I knew I didn\u2019t exactly fit the \u201cusual\u201d bridal mold.<\/p>\n
But so what? I\u2019d worked too hard to let anyone dim this moment.<\/p>\n
The salon was practically gleaming. The marble floors and chandeliers looked like they belonged in a palace. It was as I\u2019d seen it online. It was exactly what was promised to me.<\/p>\n
And the best part?<\/p>\n
The rows of stunning gowns that were hanging from every corner. I couldn\u2019t believe each dress looked so incredibly different from the rest, too. I couldn\u2019t wait to start pulling the dresses I wanted to try on.<\/p>\n
But as I stepped further inside, something in the air changed.<\/p>\n
The young, polished, sleek saleswomen in their black uniforms gave me a quick once-over. I knew they were already judging me as an older woman who had waltzed in like she owned the place.<\/p>\n
I could feel their eyes linger just a little too long, their whispers carrying through the room. I took a deep breath, my heels clicking on the shiny floor as I approached the nearest rack.<\/p>\n
Suddenly, one of them, a tall blonde with a smile that didn\u2019t quite reach her eyes, sidled up to me.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan I help you?\u201d she asked, her voice thick with fake politeness.<\/p>\n
I nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, I\u2019d like to try on some dresses. Lace would be my first choice, but I\u2019m open to trying out anything else that might flatter my figure.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her eyebrows shot up like I\u2019d just asked her to buy the entire store for me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, uh, it\u2019s just that\u2026 these dresses are quite delicate,\u201d she said, drawing out the word like she didn\u2019t think I knew what it meant.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou should be more careful, you know? Try not to touch them with your\u2026 hands.\u201d<\/p>\n
I blinked hard, trying to process the insult.<\/p>\n
My hands?<\/p>\n
I glanced down at them, wondering what exactly she thought was wrong. They just looked like the hands of a woman who worked hard.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy hands are clean,\u201d I said slowly.<\/p>\n
She smirked slightly as if amused by my response.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just meant, these dresses are very expensive, ma\u2019am,\u201d she said. \u201cYou might want to look at something more affordable. We have a range of those, too. It\u2019s quite small, very little to choose from, but you\u2019ll probably find something, right?\u201d<\/p>\n
Before I could respond, another saleswoman came forward, a brunette this time. She had such a tight ponytail that I found it difficult to believe she could breathe properly.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, we\u2019ve got some great clearance dresses in the back. They\u2019re more last season\u2019s dresses. But they\u2019re probably more in your price range,\u201d she smirked.<\/p>\n
I clenched my jaw but forced a smile.<\/p>\n
\u201cActually, I\u2019d like to try this one on,\u201d I said, pointing to a lace gown on the mannequin in front of me.<\/p>\n
The blonde\u2019s eyes widened, her smirk turning into a soft laugh.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, are you sure?\u201d she asked. \u201cThat dress is over $10,000. It might be a little out of budget for someone like you.\u201d<\/p>\n
The condescension in her voice hit me like a gust of wind. But I refused to let them see it. I smiled through it.<\/p>\n
They thought they had me all figured out. To them, I was an older Hispanic woman who wasn\u2019t dripping in diamonds. They probably thought I was a maid, given that stereotypical comment about my hands.<\/p>\n
I was just another \u201cout of place\u201d customer.<\/p>\n
Little did they know, they were in for a surprise.<\/p>\n
As if on cue, the manager, John, appeared from the back. He was dressed smartly in a black suit and had a smile. His eyes darted between me and the two saleswomen, and I could tell he knew something was off.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s going on here? Girls?\u201d he asked, his voice carrying a strong authority.<\/p>\n
Before I could say anything, the blonde sneered.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, nothing, just trying to make sure our merchandise stays safe. This lady was eyeing the more expensive gowns. And you always told us to watch how we all handle the gowns.\u201d<\/p>\n
She thought she was being clever. John, on the other hand, was livid. He turned to her, his face growing darker by the second.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis lady?\u201d he asked, his voice tense. \u201cYou mean Ms. Morales? Soon-to-be Mrs. Shepherd? The new owner of this salon?\u201d<\/p>\n
Shock took over their faces.<\/p>\n
\u201cWait, what?\u201d the blonde stammered. \u201cThe owner? I thought the owner was an old Mr. Thomas?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Shepherd, Ashley!\u201d John barked. \u201cHe\u2019s Ms. Morales\u2019 fianc\u00e9. She has taken over the store. You\u2019d know this if you paid attention to anything but yourselves!\u201d<\/p>\n
You could have heard a pin drop. The saleswomen were frozen in their spots. They had no idea who they had been speaking to, but now the realization of who I was had them thinking about their jobs dangling by a thread.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have the mind to fire you both on the spot!\u201d John shouted. \u201cSo what if Ms. Morales wasn\u2019t the owner, do you two treat customers like this?\u201d<\/p>\n
I turned to John and shook my head.<\/p>\n
\u201cJohn, don\u2019t fire them,\u201d I said. \u201cNot yet, anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMa\u2019am, are you sure?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n
I nodded, turning back to the saleswomen. Their arrogance was long gone, replaced by something far more satisfying.<\/p>\n
Fear.<\/p>\n
\u201cInstead of firing her,\u201d I said, pointing to the blonde one. \u201cI want her to be my personal assistant for the next month. Thomas and I have a lot to do before the wedding.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her jaw dropped.<\/p>\n
\u201cP-Personal assistant?\u201d she stammered, her eyes wide.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s right, Ashley,\u201d I said. \u201cYou\u2019re going to learn what this business is really about. You will serve customers, regardless of how they look, what they wear, or where they come from. You\u2019re going to understand that this job isn\u2019t just about pushing expensive dresses on people. It\u2019s about making every bride beautiful. We\u2019re not just selling dresses. We\u2019re helping women\u2019s dreams come true.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room was dead silent, the weight of my words sinking in. John just nodded, not daring to challenge my decision.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd what about me?\u201d the brunette asked. \u201cI\u2019m Matilda, by the way.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMatilda, you will do exactly the same thing, but you won\u2019t focus on being my personal assistant. No. You will study wedding dresses. You will learn every material we carry in this store. You will learn every style of dress. And every type of bridal veil.\u201d<\/p>\n
I paused for a moment, looking between each of them.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo I make myself clear?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
They both nodded vigorously.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo\u2026 what now?\u201d Ashley asked nervously.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow, you get me some champagne and ask me what kind of dress I want, Ashley,\u201d I said boldly.<\/p>\n
The poor girl went running through the curtained area, getting me a glass of champagne, while Matilda ran off to the lace section, pulling the same gown from the mannequin off the rail.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you think, Matilda?\u201d I asked. \u201cThink it will suit me?\u201d<\/p>\n
Matilda looked at me earnestly, as if trying to figure out how she should react.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think you\u2019ll look beautiful in anything, ma\u2019am,\u201d she said quietly. \u201cBut I think a sweetheart neckline will suit you better, it will enhance your shoulders.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMuch, much better, Matilda,\u201d I said, smiling sincerely at her.<\/p>\n
I knew there was a lot to come, and I\u2019d have my hands full with these two girls. But they both deserved to learn how to do well in this industry.<\/p>\n
As for me? I had a wedding dress to find.<\/p>\n
What would you have done?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As Marissa walks into a wedding dress salon, ready to find her dream gown, she\u2019s met with two entitled saleswomen who judge her based on her appearance. At 55 and Hispanic, Marissa already knows of the stereotype that walks in with her. When John, the salon manager, reveals who she really is, the saleswomen learn …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":943,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-942","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifevibesever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/942","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifevibesever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifevibesever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifevibesever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifevibesever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=942"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lifevibesever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/942\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":944,"href":"https:\/\/lifevibesever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/942\/revisions\/944"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifevibesever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/943"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifevibesever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=942"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifevibesever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=942"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifevibesever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=942"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}