Ladders in Stilettos Workplace Safety Tips to Protect Your Home-Based Business

Whether we are away from your home business on a business trip or just taking a break, at some point, we all have to go clothes shopping. Am I right? One thing that I don’t appreciate, though, are those two-way mirrors in the dressing room.

Two-way mirrors are, ironically, also called one-way mirrors. They are the types of mirrors that you see in police interrogation rooms on television.

Quite a few of the older department stores had these mirrors installed in their dressing rooms to prevent theft before they were considered a breach of privacy.

Many stores have renovated and have subsequently removed these mirrors from their dressing rooms and for those that still contain these mirrors, they usually go unused. Still, I like to keep a skeptical eye out when I come across them.

On a recent business trip, I had a chance to do a little clothes shopping in an older part of town where I stumbled upon quite a few of these shops with dressing rooms that still had those two-way mirrors installed.

How to Detect a Two-Way Mirror

Here are a few safety clues to keep in mind to detect 2-way mirrors in your dressing room. I am always aware to look for these clues when trying on clothes, especially underwear and bathing suits.

• Is the mirror set into the wall and not mounted on the wall? Most two-way mirrors are set into the wall and have a window molding-type of framing; while regular mirrors, have the picture-frame type.
• Is the wall that the mirror is mounted on, thin?Tap the mirror, it shouldn’t sound hollow as regular mirrors are mounted directly on the walls and would not make a hollow sound. If the top or the bottom of the wall is open, then the wall is likely, just a thin room divider-type wall that was often used to mount this type of mirror.
• If you can see to the adjacent room and it is dark, then this could be a red flag. As in the case of two-way mirrors, they are viewable when the viewing (area of the) room is darker.Is there anyone moving in the adjacent, darkened room. You should wonder why would anyone be scurrying about in a dark room, behind the mirror, just as you are about to try on your underwear.
• You could form a cup with your hands and look back, into the mirror to see if you could see what’s on the other side. If it is a 2-way mirror and the room behind it is lighted, you may be able to see images in the next room. This also could be accomplished by turning off the light in your room but, you probably won’t be able to do this in a dressing room.
• Put your fingernail on the mirror, if your nail appears flush with the image in the mirror, it could be a two-way mirror.

Take Safety Precautions

If you find that your dressing room mirror possesses these traits, I submit to you that this is not a reason to become paranoid. Use it as just a precautionary measure and become a little more conservative in your changing techniques. Here are a few suggestions:

• If possible, hang clothes or your bag, on the suspected mirror to minimize their view.
• Try on your swimwear underwear over your clothes. (Health-wise, this is also the preferred method on trying on under garments.)
• Turn your back on the mirror when trying on your clothes and face it only when you’ve got the garment on.
• If there is a liberal exchange policy, you can try your clothes on in the privacy of your home, or in my case, hotel.
• Go with your instincts. Answer this, “Is trying on the article of clothing worth compromising your safety?” If not, you always have the choice to shop somewhere else.
• If you are still skeptical but must purchase the garment, I recommend that you pay by cash and not leave any personal information such as your, address or phone number.

As mentioned earlier, if you do come across these mirrors, it does not necessarily mean that your merchant is participating in covert tactics. Many such two-way mirrors were commonly installed in dressing rooms in the past and, for the most part, forgotten about. Many are likely blocked or covered up from the other side.

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