Apparel stores open with new trial-room practices

They are steaming and quarantining clothes tried on by customers

As the lockdown eases, many clothing and fashion stores are switching to new trial-room procedures. The concerns are many. Can clothes spread Covid-19 infection? What happens after a customer has tried out a piece of clothing? Would the pandemic put an end to trial rooms?

Metrolife called up several apparel and fashion outlets, and found them approaching the problem with new procedures of steaming, sanitising and quarantining.

Levi’s is ‘quarantining’ for 48 hours all clothes tried and not bought. The brand, known for its jeans and youth wear, has a dedicated space for trial-room clothes. Fashion brand Soch said it had a similar procedure in place.

Three items only

Indian-wear brand Biba’s outlets in Indiranagar, Kamanahalli and HSR Layout are open. It allows customers to try on a maximum of three items. Clothes tried and not bought are steamed before they are returned to the racks. A representative we spoke to said the trial rooms were being sanitised eight times a day. Customers not comfortable with trying in-store can take home clothes and exchange them within five days. The same sanitisation procedure is followed with returned clothes.

Fabindia allows trials, and is also steaming clothes tried out by customers, and sanitising the trial rooms after every use. PN Rao on MG Road, which specialises in men’s suits, follows a similar procedure. It is steaming every item after trial and spraying the trial room with disinfectant after every use. Its tailoring service is also open, and measurements are taken with precautions in place, a representative says.

At Pantaloons, trial rooms are cleaned after every use and clothes ‘quarantined’ for 36 hours after trial. A representative says clothes are kept away in a box until they are brought back to the racks.

Indian Terrain, which describes itself as a premium brand for men and boys, is allowing minimal use of the trial room. A sample piece is given to customers who can try it for size. This sample is air-dried for an hour and sanitised with a spray after every wear. The trial room is cleaned every two hours and after every customer uses it.

Not all stores have changed, though. A high-end fashion store on 100ft Road, Indiranagar, allows trials with no special sanitisation procedures.

No trial or exchange

The Jockey store on 100 Ft Road follows a strict ‘no trial, no exchange’ policy. The representative we spoke to was unclear if this is a policy followed by all outlets. Max is one of the only stores not allowing trials across outlets. Most chain brands such as Fabindia, Soch, Levi’s and Max have a blanket trial-room policy across states.

Does it work?

Dr Pratik Patil, consultant, infectious diseases, Fortis Hospital, says there is no understanding yet of how to sanitise clothes against the coronavirus.

“It can survive for days depending on the material, so quarantining clothes is not always a good solution,” he says. He says the best option is to wash the clothes after every trial and iron them on high heat.

“Heat has been proven to affect the virus and the effect of soap on the virus is well-known,” he explains. Washing after every trial is not a viable option for clothing stores, so he recommends ironing them. The risk can’t be completely ruled out, he says. As for trial rooms, they must be wiped down with disinfectant after every use; simply spraying it is not enough. He advises shops to adhere to all safety norms — make masks compulsory, don’t let in anyone with a fever, cold or cough, and promote the use of hand sanitiser before touching anything.