Real Housewives star Bethenny Frankel has an estimated net worth of millions, so if she wanted to shop at Chanel, she could. Actually, that’s not entirely true because she recently took to social media to slam the prestigious fashion brand’s Chicago store for their treatment after they refused her entry. The problem? Frankel believes it could have been because she was not dressed in a way that would immediately convey she was wealthy.
Frankel shared her story in a short video on Instagram, detailing what had happened. “I’m in Chicago and the man in the Chanel store opens the door like this much,” she gestures to a very small gap. “Like Ratatouille couldn’t fit in there,” she explained, referencing the 2007 animation film of the same name, which features a rat with a desire to become a chef.
Frankel continues, “And he’s like, ‘Hello, do you have an appointment?’ he’s like Lurch from The Addams Family … and I’m already on the offensive, and I’m like ‘No, I don’t have an appointment, I have a credit card … am I not allowed to come in?’” The answer to her question was she was denied entry, and she felt like she had been “treated like an interloper.” She also claimed she “didn’t realize we aren’t allowed to walk into stores anymore!”
In the caption of the post, Frankel shared her thoughts, and it’s clear that the encounter has shocked her. “Crime is at an all time high and security is critical. I could easily call one of my salespeople and get on this list,” she wrote. “That’s besides the point. I was straight of a plane in a sweaty tshirt and not dolled up or looking wealthy. There are several ways to convey a message and this way was rudeness and elitist and exclusionary, which is also a crime.”
She continued, “In business, first impressions are lasting. I would never want anyone to feel lesser than, particularly from a luxury brand making billions off of people buying into the hype.” Her final thoughts were for the brand and how they should do better. “Being kind to customers of all socioeconomic backgrounds is also timeless and classic.”
Bethenny Frankel’s fans react to her video about Chanel
Bethenny Frankel’s Instagram post has been getting a lot of attention. Should stores be turning away customers based on their appearance? Many fans have shared their thoughts on the comment section of Frankel’s Instagram post. Some feel it’s because of the crime rates, with a commenter writing, “Because they get robbed. Chicago’s crime has gotten super bad.” Others feel this behavior is unacceptable.
“Coco would just turn over in her grave if she knew this. What were they thinking,” a fan wrote. “She loved and served everyone with kindness and respect.” Other comments include, “You could’ve had a pretty woman moment and asked if they worked on commission,” and “lol imagine being black sweets, love you tho you’ll be fine.”
Frankel decided this was not where her story ended and she returned to the store, this time dressed up. She shows a video of herself walking up to the store, looking great. The doors were opened for her this time, and she went in, only to remerge seconds later. “No problem today,” she tells the camera. The reality star was not pleased, but she noted in her caption how this time there had been different people manning the door. “It’s important that I mention that the three gentleman outside (not present yesterday) were lovely,” she wrote.
Still, does that mean she was judged based solely on her appearance?