Forget Dressing Rooms, Debenham's Has A Windtunnel

It turns out that moment when your skirt or dress accidentally acts like a sail boat and risks exposing your underwear to the world actually has a legit name: gale fail. And as reported in The Daily Mail, trendy UK store Debenham’s got a wind tunnel so shoppers can test how Marilyn Monroe pose-proof their short and flowy dresses are. And here I thought dressing rooms with stools and angled mirrors were exciting.

For shoppers lucky enough to drop into the Oxford Street flagship store this weekend, they can test out the tunnel. The specialized industrial fans are capable of mimicking a gentle breeze or full on gale (so maybe don't wear a thong?), and personal stylists will be standing nearby to help customers pick the best outfit choices–and possibly prevent them from accidentally blowing away to Oz.

Alan Mehada, Debenham's head of styling at the Oxford Street store, told HuffingtonPostUK his reasoning behind the unconventional shopping aid. He “hopes customers will take the opportunity to wind test their summer ensembles [because] it can ruin a special day when someone has spent a long time choosing what to wear, only to find themselves battling with the wind, holding on to their hat with one hand and the hem of their skirt with the other, while teetering in skyscraper heels.” #Preach, Mehada.

Everyone from Kate Middleton, Cannes celebs, and any woman that's walked over train grates in Manhattan has undoubtedly fallen prey to gale fail. Mehada’s awareness of his consumers’ summertime struggles is touching, and the quirky way for shoppers to test out their outfits is so unconventional and fun. For those of us not able to hop a flight to the UK and test this out, maybe we should start sneaking blow dryers into dressing rooms? Either way, don’t let potentially windy weather stop you from wearing adorable summer dresses for Memorial Day weekend!

Image Credit: Getty Images