Aussie ‘humbled’ by shopping experience at Kookai

An Australian woman asked for a bigger size when trying on shorts in a popular retailer – but the staff member’s response shocked her.

A mum has been left close to tears after a shop assistant deemed her ‘plus size’ when the size 10 shopper asked for a different pant size.

Yassie Marie posted about her experience online in an Australian Kookai store, saying she felt instantly judged by the shop’s staff.

“I went and pulled an item – some high waisted pants – off the rack. I went to try them on and the chick that was standing out front of the change rooms completely ignored me,” Yassie said in a TikTok video.

Yassie tried to get her attention, but was ignored so she went to try the pants on anyway.

A woman has slammed Kookai for body shaming. Picture: Yassie Marie TikTok

“They didn’t fit, and I came out of the change rooms and there were two girls standing at the counter,” she said, explaining one staff member walked out of the store and another tried to walk past her.

“I said, ‘hi, sorry, do you have this in a bigger size?’ She took it off me and checked the tag, and said she didn’t.”

Yassie asked if another store had her size and the staff member said “no we don’t stock plus size items”.

In Australia, the average size for women is 14 to 16.

The TikTok user said she didn’t consider herself plus size, and tried to walk out of the store as fast as she could.

She said she was ready to give up and go home when she went into General Store, and walked out with a size 10 pair of denim pants.

She was told the store didn't stock "plus size" items. Picture: Supplied

Yassie captioned the clip: “Thank for that Kookai, I needed to be humbled.”

The mum, who had a baby earlier this year, told 7Life she had been struggling with her body since giving birth and it was one of the few times she felt good enough to try on clothes.

She said the experience made her want to cry.

A spokesperson from the brand said it had reached out to Yassie to understand more about what happened, with the range currently stocking sizes six to 14.

The video has had almost a million views, as well as 84,000 likes as people shared their own reactions and experiencing with the brand in Yassie’s video comment section.

“I had the exact same experience at Kookai! The girl literally said to me we don’t have your size here, you can try City Chic. I was a size 8,” one social media user commented.

She was shopping at Kookai. Picture: Philippe HUGUEN / AFP

Another said: “You should try walking into Kookai and actually being plus size.”

“I actually worked at Kookai over 10 years ago during uni and literally still talk about that whole experience in therapy,” one added to the comment section.

Another said: “Same happened to me! Fully ignored because I’m a size 12 Lebanese woman and don’t fit their ‘ideal’, I left my $450 purchase at the till.”

“OMG yes, the Kookai workers don’t even acknowledge you unless you’re a IG model,” one person said.

Another said: “Once I met this girl in a club bathroom, she told me she worked at Kookai and I literally screamed out loud. No thank you ma’am! Ran for my life!!”

News.com.au has reached out to Kookai for comment.

Originally published as Aussie ‘humbled’ by shopping experience at Kookai