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A birthday trip to your favorite store should feel good. For Lizeth, it ended with her hiding in a fitting room, crying. She had driven to Los Angeles specifically to treat herself at Aritzia when she stepped out to check the mirror and caught the employees laughing at her. She filmed the whole thing on the spot. The video has since hit over 4 million views.
She Says She Was Ignored While Others Got Attention
Lizeth, who goes by @lifewithlizeth on TikTok, said the laughter was one thing, but being ignored on top of it was another. She wrote in her caption that employees were helping everyone around her, but passed her over when she asked. At 4’11”, she had cuffed the hem of the pants she was trying on, which she says is when she caught the workers laughing.
She Asked for Their Opinion and Was Ignored Again
When Lizeth stepped out to get a second opinion on a blouse she was considering, she says no one acknowledged her. It was only once she went back into the fitting room that they came to check on her, and by then she had already decided to decline. She ended the video, wiping tears away and saying she was furious.
Viewers Were Split, but Many Told Her to Speak Up
Not everyone who watched was on her side. Many viewers rallied behind her, with one commenter pointing out that Lizeth shops at Aritzia while the employees simply work there, and others saying the brand thinks it is more upscale than it actually is. One commenter even dragged Zara into it, saying both stores have notoriously bad customer service. Others, though, were less sympathetic, calling the whole thing a non-issue and saying crying over it was “wild.”
In a Follow-Up, She Explained Why She Stayed Quiet
Lizeth addressed the criticism in a second video. She said that under normal circumstances, she would have spoken up, but in that moment, the embarrassment was so overwhelming that she froze. Several viewers said they understood exactly that feeling, with some admitting that walking into Aritzia gives them anxiety to begin with. Her fiancé, who was waiting in the shopping area, encouraged her to say something when the store manager rang her up. She did not.
She Noticed Something Else About Who the Employees Helped
Looking back on the experience, Lizeth pointed out that the other shoppers receiving help were, in her words, tall, skinny, and blonde. She acknowledged it may not be directly connected, but said she could not help but notice. She also noted that the two employees introduced themselves to other customers but never to her.
She Decided to Contact Aritzia Directly
Rather than let the situation end with the TikTok, Lizeth said she planned to reach out to the company. She knew both employees’ names because she had watched them introduce themselves to other shoppers, which she said made it easier to report the incident. She chose not to name them publicly, not wanting them to be targeted online.
Aritzia Responded Two Days Later
Two days after the original video went viral, Aritzia replied in the comments, asking Lizeth to send a direct message on Instagram. She did, and in a follow-up video that has since crossed 166,000 views, she shared what happened next. The company apologized and told her they were aware of the comments and that action was being taken.
The Company Offered Her a Styling Appointment
As part of their response, Aritzia offered Lizeth a complimentary styling appointment, something they make available to any customer. She declined, saying she had already done it before. Beyond the apology and the offer, no further public action was announced by the brand.
She’s Still Deciding Whether She’ll Go Back
Lizeth ended her follow-up video without a clear answer on whether she would return to Aritzia. She said the apology was a first step, but the experience left a mark. For a trip that was supposed to be a birthday treat, she came home with one item and four million strangers who knew exactly how she felt.