store policies

This Store Lets You Shoplift for a Day

Photo: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The “buy, wear, return” policy — a longstanding but frowned-upon shopping practice — is going legit. GU, a chain store in Tokyo run by the company that owns Uniqlo, has figured how to make sneaky behavior part of the store’s policy. Customers are allowed to pick out clothing (limit three items), and see how the outfit does in the wild before making a purchase.

This program solves so many problems with dressing rooms: unnatural (unflattering) lighting, and lack of space for a “walk test” or “deep-lunge test.” You’re free to test-drive your outfit anywhere you want to, such as the comfort of your own home. I bet you could even test-drive it in real-world situations like that job interview, or an early evening date you don’t have an outfit for — so long as it’s returned “at some point in the day,” reports Kotaku.

Remember, though, it only takes one bad apple to spoil the bunch — if you take the outfit for a spin to, say, see if you like the ensemble on a lunch date, please wear a drop cloth.

This Store Lets You Shoplift for a Day