s/o your butt is showing - when they're leaving

[Iris]

I was at the shops Christmas Eve and returning some packages to the car when I realised that I could see the backside of the woman walking in front of me. As in, her dress had a sheer panel about 10 cm wide running around out at about the point where her bottom was widest (not that it was WIDE just at that height). Anyway, after following her for a few minutes, idly wondering why on earth someone would choose that particular look, I realised that actually she may have been having a wardrobe malfunction, due to the type of dress it was. I debated telling her for a moment but hesitated because I couldn't be sure it wasn't deliberate. Then when I decided, based on the other thread that yes, I should tell her and risk the foot in mouth, she left the shopping centre for the car park.

Given that she was leaving I changed my mind and kept my mouth shut. Was that the right thing to do?

[Penguin_ar]

If you were sure it was a malfunction or almost sure (based on how she looks, age etc did she seem the sort of person to show her backside?), I would say something.  But if you were genuinely in doubt, I would say nothing.

[CakeEater]

I might say something like, 'I'm not sureif it's just your dress, or if it's caught up, but.....'

I got dressed in a hurry after a swimming lesson with my toddler while he screamed the other day, then I did a whole grocery shop while my shirt was inside out. It wasn't til I got to my car and was packing the groceries away when a woman driving past rolled her window down and called out to me. I was happy.

[Iris]

I might say something like, 'I'm not sureif it's just your dress, or if it's caught up, but.....'

I got dressed in a hurry after a swimming lesson with my toddler while he screamed the other day, then I did a whole grocery shop while my shirt was inside out. It wasn't til I got to my car and was packing the groceries away when a woman driving past rolled her window down and called out to me. I was happy.

Ah, this was the bit I was specifically wondering about. Was it better to be told when you were actually leaving or better to be left in blissful ignorance? I was vaguely hoping that she would get home, notice her dress and think "Oh, must have happened when I sat in the car". I guess an inside out shirt isn't quite the same as that, though. You definitely know the time that had to have happened.

[CakeEater]

If it was fixable, I'd definitely want to know, and if it wasn't, I'd still want to know, because I might be heading out for the day and would go home and change, or even buy something else. My inside out shirt wasn't really fixable in the middle of Woolworths, and I was actually too frazzled to care that much, but if I was heading somewhere else, it was good someone let me know so I could flip it in the car or something.

[m2kbug]

I might say something like, 'I'm not sureif it's just your dress, or if it's caught up, but.....'

I got dressed in a hurry after a swimming lesson with my toddler while he screamed the other day, then I did a whole grocery shop while my shirt was inside out. It wasn't til I got to my car and was packing the groceries away when a woman driving past rolled her window down and called out to me. I was happy.

I totally did this!  I had gone to the store, thankfully not a day of errands but a quick trip.  When I got home my daughter informed me that my shirt was inside out. "How embarrassing," I said to her.  "I went to the store like this!"  No one said anything to me at the store (obviously) and I hope no one really noticed.  I also went out with my pants on backwards once.  I have no idea how I managed that one.  My shirt was long enough that hopefully it wasn't obvious.  I quickly went to the bathroom to rotate.   

[The TARDIS]

It depends on the malfunction in my personal opinion. If for example a woman was baring an embarrassing part of her chest, she should be told privately so she can cover up before someone less polite draws the wrong sort of attention towards it. "Pardon me, ma'am, but you should check your top. It may be too loose/bowing out/torn/seethrough in sunlight/etc."

[Xandraea]

This reminds me of one day at church when a woman in my group had on a leopard print bra that was visible through her shirt.  I ended up not telling her, because I couldn't decide if perhaps she meant it to be that way or not, as she has a different fashion sense than I.