A quick run into a store is usually the kind of errand done on autopilot. Most of the time, the outfit is chosen for comfort and convenience, not for making any statement. But a viral TikTok clip shows how an everyday look can accidentally send a very specific message. One woman said that during a single ten minute shopping trip, she was asked six separate times whether she worked there.
At first, the repeated question seems random, until the camera pulls back and the reason becomes obvious. She was dressed in a crisp white T shirt, a black blazer, black trousers, and loafers, a neat and simple combination that looks a lot like a retail uniform. It is the kind of polished, neutral styling that blends into many fashion and beauty stores, especially where staff are dressed in classic monochrome. By the end of the video, she joked that she might go back to her car to grab a jacket, as if she wanted to break the spell.
The comments section quickly turned the moment into a comedy sketch, with viewers teasing her for looking like she was in charge. People joked that the shoes looked like the kind you wear when you might need to sprint to the stockroom, and others insisted she looked far too official to be a customer. The humor landed because it was so relatable. Many shoppers know the awkward pause of being approached for help when they are just trying to compare prices or find their own size.
@aislingfinlay2 I don’t work here, I just dress like I do 😂
♬ original sound – Aisling Finlay
Plenty of people shared their own stories of being mistaken for staff, often because their work clothes matched another store’s dress code. One commenter said she used to work at an electronics shop with a uniform that looked almost identical to a nearby supermarket’s. Every week after her shift, while she was doing her own grocery run, strangers would ask where items were, until she got tired of explaining and started pointing them toward random aisles instead. Another person described buying a simple trench coat from Barneys New York that apparently gave off old school workwear vibes, prompting older shoppers at her local store to repeatedly ask if she was on the clock.
One of the funniest replies came from someone who said she was waiting near the fitting rooms at Burton’s while her husband shopped. A man walked up and asked if he could try on a pair of jeans, and she replied that he could if he wanted, because she had no authority either way. These stories all share the same lesson that clothes communicate, even when the goal is just to get in and get out. If an outfit resembles a uniform, people will treat it like one.
Have you ever been mistaken for an employee just because of what you were wearing, and how did you handle it? Share your story in the comments.
