Mirror checks need their own plane
A fitting-room mirror note should describe the mirror and the person standing in front of it, not the general retail floor. The note should name the mirror plane, face-height vertical light, fabric or garment colour condition, side and top lighting arrangement, reflected glare view, active scene and repeated measurement labels.
This page sits inside the broader retail lighting sector worksheet, but the scope is narrow: fitting-room mirror, face and garment checks only. Wider wall bays and display areas belong with retail display lighting guide or display wall lighting guide.
Keep mirror plane, face-height vertical light, fabric colour, reflected glare and control scene as distinct fields. A room average can support background context, but it should not replace those mirror-facing notes.
Match the mirror question
Fitting-room mirror questions often combine brightness, face visibility, colour appearance, reflection and measurement repeatability. Split the question by lighting job before citing a calculator, table or supporting page.
| Question type | Note job | Useful supporting page |
|---|---|---|
| Mirror plane brightness | Name the mirror centre, mirror edge or full mirror plane as a vertical surface. | task plane table and vertical illuminance guide |
| Face-height vertical light | Note face-front, left-side and right-side vertical points at the normal standing position. | lux meter reading table and task lighting |
| Fabric or garment colour | Keep CCT, CRI/Ra, fabric sample, viewing path and adjacent finish beside the material being checked. | colour quality table, CRI ratings and colour temperature |
| Side and top balance | Name the active side lights, top lights, accent aim and background wash that affect the mirror view. | Beam angle and surface reflectance planning |
| Reflected glare | Describe the observer position, visible reflected source, glossy reflection or contrast condition. | Glare and glare check guide |
| Control scene | Attach zone, active group, dimmed level and daylight state to every measured point. | lighting control table |
| Estimate against field reading | Keep calculated assumptions apart from measured points and repeated readings. | Lumens to lux and lux to lumens |
The supporting page should match the job. A colour-quality note should not carry the glare note, and a glare note should not carry a colour-rendering claim.
Label the point, plane and scene
The task-plane table helps distinguish the surface being measured from nearby support surfaces. In a fitting room, the mirror plane and the person's face-height plane are both vertical. A floor point near the standing position may support movement notes, but it does not describe how the face or fabric appears in the mirror.
| Label field | Fitting-room examples | Note detail |
|---|---|---|
| Point label | Mirror centre, mirror left edge, face front, left face side, right face side, garment torso, standing floor. | Keep the name short enough to repeat on later visits. |
| Plane label | Mirror plane vertical, face plane vertical, fabric plane vertical, rear wall vertical, floor plane horizontal. | State the surface and orientation rather than relying on a room name. |
| Scene label | Normal fitting-room scene, side lights active, top light active, side plus top scene, dimmed mirror scene. | Tie every reading to the active group and control condition. |
| View label | Direct face view, mirror face view, direct fabric view, mirror fabric view, observer standing view. | Keep direct and reflected observations clearly named. |
| Repeat label | Same point, same plane, same meter orientation, same scene, same daylight note. | This keeps later readings comparable without implying a universal target. |
Point labels should be stable across notes. Rename a point only when the physical position changes; otherwise keep the same label and note the new scene or measured value beside it.
Face-height vertical readings
Face visibility is a vertical-light question. A ceiling or floor estimate can support planning, but a mirror note needs a condition tied to the face plane and reflected view.
Lumens to lux can compare a defined area with an estimated average value, while lux to lumens can estimate output for a named condition. Keep those estimates apart from field readings in the lux meter reading table.
| Evidence type | Fitting-room note | Boundary note |
|---|---|---|
| Calculated estimate | Mirror or face plane area, stated assumptions and scene condition. | Does not prove side shadows or reflections. |
| Single vertical reading | Face-height point, vertical meter orientation and standing distance. | Does not describe the whole mirror zone. |
| Paired side readings | Left and right face side at the same relative height and distance. | Does not cover every posture or body height. |
| Fabric reading | Garment or fabric sample at torso position, direct view or reflected view. | Does not replace colour-quality notes. |
| Floor reading | Standing zone or entry support point. | Companion movement value only. |
Keep the measured condition plain: point label, plane, lux value, meter orientation, scene, daylight condition and date of reading. That supports comparison without turning one fitting-room check into a general standard.
Fabric colour and white-light condition
Fabric colour notes should not collapse CCT, CRI/Ra and brightness into one judgement. Colour temperature describes the appearance of white light, CRI or Ra notes a colour-rendering indication, and vertical illuminance notes how much light reaches the face or fabric plane.
For fitting rooms, keep the colour-quality line beside the material being viewed. The colour quality table gives the schedule shape, the CRI ratings table supports CRI/Ra notation, and the colour temperature table keeps Kelvin wording consistent. The colour temperature calculator supports comparison between named CCT descriptions.
| Colour field | What to note | Why it matters in a mirror note |
|---|---|---|
| CCT or Kelvin | Stated CCT or selected white-light scene. | Warm, neutral and cool settings can change fabric appearance. |
| CRI/Ra | Rating from luminaire data, project schedule or maintained note. | Colour rendering belongs beside the actual face or fabric surface. |
| Fabric note | Dark, light, textured, red, navy, black, white or patterned sample. | Some fabrics show shifts more clearly than others. |
| Viewing path | Direct view, mirror view or both. | Reflection and direct view may not appear identical. |
| Adjacent finish | Wall, curtain, carpet or mirror frame colour. | Surrounding reflectance can change the perceived balance. |
This is a colour-quality note. It notes lighting conditions only; it does not rate the garment, the room or individual colour perception.
Side light, top light and beam aim
Side lighting can soften face shadows or create uneven vertical light if one side dominates. Top lighting can support the room but may place stronger shadows under the brow, nose or chin. The note should name the arrangement and normal mirror position.
The beam angle calculator can support notes for recessed, track or adjustable luminaires aimed towards a mirror or fabric point. Beam notes should state mounting position, target point, beam angle and any missed face or fabric zone.
| Arrangement | Check focus | Reflection check |
|---|---|---|
| Vertical side lighting | Left and right face-height readings. | Check visible source image near the face in the mirror. |
| Top lighting only | Face-height reading plus side-shadow note. | Check whether the luminaire appears above eye line in reflection. |
| Side plus top lighting | Balance between face, fabric and floor support. | Note which group or scene was active. |
| Adjustable accent | Aim point, beam angle and fabric plane. | Check bright patch on mirror or glossy trim. |
| Back wall wash | Background brightness behind the person. | Check silhouette or contrast against the mirror view. |
The surface reflectance planning table helps note mirror-adjacent finishes, pale walls, dark curtains, glossy trims and textured fitting-room surfaces.
Reflected glare and mirror view
Mirror glare notes should describe what is seen from the normal standing position. The glare glossary and glare check lighting guide keep the language cautious: observer position, reflected surface, visible bright source and measured condition.
| Glare or reflection check | Note wording | Avoid claiming |
|---|---|---|
| Direct reflected source | Bright source visible in mirror at face-height view. | Comfort for every viewer. |
| Side-source image | Left side source reflected near cheek or eye line. | Whole-room glare condition from one view. |
| Glossy trim reflection | Bright line visible on metal, glass or polished edge. | Fabric colour result from reflection alone. |
| High contrast background | Face appears dark against bright rear wall. | All viewing positions from one observation. |
| Dimmed scene change | Reflection reduced under named scene. | Final installation status. |
A reflected-source check may sit beside the lux reading even when the number looks adequate. Brightness, colour quality and visual comfort are related, but one field does not prove the others.
Control scene and repeated readings
Controls belong in the fitting-room note because readings are only meaningful under a named condition. The lighting control table keeps scene, zone, dimmed level and daylight state together.
Note the zone, scene, dimmed level, daylight condition and active lighting group beside every measured point. If a reading is repeated later, keep the same point, plane, meter orientation and scene so the comparison stays within the measured condition.
For task lighting language, the task here is seeing face, fabric and fit in the mirror. It is not a general display-lighting claim, retail performance claim or formal project sign-off. The disclaimer sets the wider boundary for calculator and guide content.
Display checks by topic
A useful fitting-room mirror note finishes with a small schedule rather than a loose link list. Each line should make clear what was checked, where the note sits and what remains outside the claim.
| Closing line | Keep in the note | Related page |
|---|---|---|
| Sector boundary | Fitting-room mirror, face and garment checks only; wider retail floor notes stay distinct. | Retail |
| Estimate line | Calculated area, lumen input, assumptions and scene name, kept apart from measured readings. | Lux to lumens and lumens to lux |
| Colour line | CCT, CRI/Ra, fabric sample, viewing path and adjacent finish. | CCT calculator, CRI ratings and reflectance planning |
| Beam and position line | Side light, top light, aim point, beam angle and missed face or fabric zone. | Beam angle and task-plane table |
| Measurement line | Point label, plane, lux value, meter orientation, scene and daylight condition. | lux reading table and vertical illuminance guide |
| Control line | Zone, active group, dimmed level and repeated-scene condition. | Controls |
| Glare line | Observer position, mirror view, visible source image and glossy reflection note. | glare guide |
| Adjacent retail line | Display walls, merchandise bays and public retail displays noted on their own pages. | Retail display and display walls |
| Boundary line | Guide and calculator content remains general education, with project decisions checked by the responsible professional. | Disclaimer |