Topshop Switches to All-Gender Dressing Rooms
Over the past few months, the topics of gender fluidity and sexuality have been highly publicized and discussed, drawing strong opinions of both support and dissent for the movement. The latest news highlighting the subject of gender norms comes from the world of fashion, in which European brand Topshop has announced a sweeping move toward solely “gender-neutral” changing rooms in all of its stores. Topshop, with 510 stores in almost 40 countries, came under fire this past week when entertainer Travis Alabanza tweeted a harsh message to the brand after experiencing discrimination in a Manchester store. Alabanza, who uses “they” and “them” pronouns and identifies as trans feminine, claims that they were denied entry into a Topshop changing room by a transphobic store attendant.
Though Topshop maintains that its changing room policy already allowed for all-gender use, Alabanza replied that this apparent company standard “didn’t work.” Many transgender and queer twitter users came to Alabanza’s defense, citing other instances in which Topshop’s policy was not strictly enforced by its employees. One user even commented that “Topshop needs to do a hell of a lot more for its trans customers.” Still, while some supported Alabanza’s call for equality, others disputed their call for change. Some opposing arguments that received support noted that the all gender changing room policy makes it “easier for sexual predators to abuse the system.” One muslim user wrote to Topshop in response, stating that “Many Muslim women are not allowed to undress in the presence of men. Why are you pursuing an Islamophobic agenda?” and added that her “13 year old nephew just said: 'I tell them I identify as female and they let me into the changing room to watch everything. Brilliant!!' This policy has not been thought through, has it?”
The real issue here is that Topshop’s executive decisions are not being carried out on the operations level. This is a significant problem because it indicates structural misalignment within the company, which translates directly into an ambiguous customer experience. Although Topshop managers and big decision-makers may be instigating progressive changes, if these policies are not carried out by store associates, customers do not feel or experience their impact.
Therefore, Topshop’s “big” announcement about gender neutral changing rooms in response to Alabanza’s complaints may not be as revolutionary as it sounds. Sure, it is a step in the right direction that a large fashion corporation wants to take a stand to support the transgender and queer community, but words are only meaningful when backed by action. It is extremely important that Topshop does not let Alabanza’s claims amount to a simple company-wide announcement if it truly wishes to enact change. Employees, store managers, and customers alike need to be trained to accept the policy, whether in support of it or not. Current workers that dislike the new rules should be free to leave, and shoppers that do not agree with the policy do not have to go in the store.
When it comes to enacting change in an organization, many businesses find it difficult to ensure that new policies and directives stick. Sometimes, change can lead to a drop in sales, and this can be a hard pill for many money-hungry companies to swallow. However, change can also be incredibly rewarding to a company’s culture and over time, the internal benefits that a business reaps from change can be more meaningful than monetary rewards.
The fashion industry in particular constantly undergoes changes, adapting to the environment, political views, societal norms, and preferences. Unlike other industries, going against the grain in fashion is often praised, as many designers and artists actively avoid conforming. In the future, it will be interesting to see how the fashion industry continues to evolve to the changing atmosphere around gender and sexuality. In my opinion, the next logical step would be to look inward rather than outward when considering change, making sure that employees understand and align with the vision of the business as a whole.