Last minute Christmas shopping over the past weekend reminded me of “Men’s Night” when the local stores would be open one weekday evening during the holidays to cater to men who were at work and unable to shop during the day. I remember my town doing it back in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s. Maybe your town did it, too.
One store in my town, Worth’s, took it a step further. They sent their female staff home for the evening and only used males as sales associates on Men’s Nights. The idea was that male customers would be more at ease buying gifts for their ladies if the sales people were male.
But Worth’s did not stop there. The males working on Men’s Nights crossdressed as female sales associates!
Evidently this stunt was very popular and Worth’s was very busy on Men’s Nights. Even my father, who hated shopping, took advantage of Men’s Nights and the next day, would mention the “sales ladies” at Worth’s. I always wondered if any of the male customers showed up as crossdressed female customers, but it being circa 1960, I doubt it.
I tried to talk my father into taking me along on Men’s Nights, but he never did because Men’s Nights’ extended past my pre-teen bedtime.
And so it goes.
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| Wearing Cynthia Rowley |
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| Patricia Sánchez, Madrid, Spain |
