Marks & Spencer has reversed its decision to prohibit the use of tape measures during bra fittings, a policy that was introduced amid controversy involving transgender staff and customer interactions. The previous restriction, implemented in May, required customers to rely on visual assessments for sizing rather than precise measurements, drawing criticism from both shoppers and employees for making the process less efficient and more time-consuming.
The retailer's recent adjustment now allows customers to request tape measurements during fittings once again, restoring an option that had been broadly favored. One store employee described the reversal as a “victory for common sense.”
The earlier policy change came in the wake of a dispute sparked last August when a customer reported that a transgender woman employee had offered assistance to her 14-year-old daughter in the lingerie section of a Marks & Spencer store. The incident attracted public attention following remarks by author J.K. Rowling, a vocal critic of transgender activism. Rowling called for a boycott of the retailer, accusing it of prioritizing the preferences of transgender men over the comfort and privacy of female customers, particularly referencing the fitting of bras for teenage girls.
Rowling referenced a Supreme Court ruling that mandates changing rooms to be segregated based on biological sex and argued that transgender women should not enter women-only spaces. In a post on social media platform X, she stated that consumers should “vote with their wallets” if stores continued to disregard these rulings and facilitated access for transgender individuals in sensitive retail areas.
Marks & Spencer responded to the initial complaint with an apology, clarifying that the employee who interacted with the customer’s daughter had intended to offer general assistance rather than specifically help with a bra fitting. The company has consistently maintained that the ban on tape measures was unrelated to the transgender-related controversy.
In a statement issued following the policy reversal, Marks & Spencer emphasized the expertise of its trained bra fitting staff, noting that tape measures are available upon request from either the fitter or the customer. The retailer confirmed that it had recently updated its internal communications to clarify this option to employees.