Of course it did. Until then, she was suspected of trying to gain entry to the US with the possible intention of staying there illegally. Once they discovered she was married to an Aussie, that particular red flag was lowered.
Firstly, with regards to the workers in the “upscale” stores - they’re WORKING! I know that many of them are rude if you don’t look like a rich bastard… but y’know, impress yourself with the money you have in the bank and not with the way some $120 NTD/hour worker treats you. Psch! They can’t even afford the clothes themselves without the discount.
In terms of being treated differently based on how you look/dress… it’s a fact that superficial-ism is the only form of prejudice that can’t be stopped legally. Also, people don’t really talk much about it (they just do it), as opposed to teaching their kids not to be racist.
Try being an obese person and dress your best and see how people treat you! Let’s put the salespeople aside for a moment… let’s see how anyone would treat you based on how you look (or, let’s hear my opinion):
If you are naturally attractive, people will subconsciously treat you differently - they may be shyer around you or may be extra friendly.
If you are overweight/obese, you are in for some ill treatment. People won’t want to walk behind you, people will ignore you, people will make fun of you, etc.
If you dress shoddily, or don’t wear makeup (but need it), I reckon that most people won’t treat you any worse: they’ll just treat people who are really well-dressed that much better.
I am Asian and I totally experienced being treated better in Toronto when I dressed up well. It has led me to really believe in the saying, “The clothes make the man.” Pursuant to that, however, it doesn’t mean that you need to be wearing overpriced brand-name crap - it just means that you have to select well-fitting clothes that match and look good on you. Most of my best shirts were $100 NTD from various night markets! I just selected well-fitting and good looking clothes.
Of course, when you’re swimming, your body matters much more than whether you’ve got on Gucci swimwear or not!
Lastly, to comment on whether I feel I get better service from shop people based on the way I dress… well, as a China Man, I feel that I get equal service from any type of store - equally shitty. Haha… seriously, on the lower end, Chinese people just don’t know what service means. At the most “high market” place I go to, Starbucks, the service is always good no matter what!
But really, dressing well gives one a certain confidence and I haven’t yet decided whether it’s the confidence you get that gets people to treat you better, or if it’s the outward appearance.
People do start treating me better when they hear my crappy Chinese accent, however, and they start asking me where I’m from.