Mirrors are not neutral. They are not just tools to check fit. In a shop, a mirror is an instruction. It tells us when to look at ourselves, how to look, and what parts of ourselves matter in that moment. Outside of retail, most of us do not spend long stretches staring at our bodies from multiple angles under artificial lighting. In shops, that behaviour is built into the experience. Mirrors pull attention inward. They shift focus from the clothes to the body wearing the clo