If you see that someone you know has something embarassing about their appearance, do you tell them?

Yes, Privately

If they’re my close friends, I’ll say something like, ‘Hey, Nice Zipper!’. Just cuz that’s how we are, just like if I had something in my teeth they’d tell me sligtly obnoxiously. If it’s people I don’t know. I’m not sure. I’ve never been in that situation

Only if I am close to the person. I wouldn’t tell a stranger.
I get this a lot because I leave my boots untied sometimes. Guaranteed, at least once a day, someone will tell me my laces are untied. Well duh, I have eyes, I can see that they’re untied! I’ve been actually thinking of putting a little note on my boot that says “Yes, I know they’re untied.”

Yes, as discretely as possible, but if that’s not possible, I will still let them know. Esp. if it’s a big OOOPS.

Probably only something I would do with the older generation that knows how to dress properly :P (dig dig) Telling someone under 21 about something that has to do with the way they dress…. who the hell knows what’s “right or wrong”

I think most people would rather be embarrassed in front of a few immediately rather than look foolish for the entire day. Generally it’s something that everyone has done at one time or another, so often it opens a discussion with “I did that once” from the bystanders.

I tell someone if I see something. I’m not embarrased, I’m sure I will never see that person again. I know the people honestly appreciate it.

Yup. I would want to know. I am sure they would. I am smart enough to do it under the radar in any situation. I am also the type of guy who can make them feel fine with it.

Absolutely. With strangers, it’s a little tricky. Years ago, before the look became popular, I saw a young woman whose thong was hanging up out of her pants. This was in a restaurant, and all the diners were staring. Later outside, she bent over to tie her shoe and you could see just about the whole shebang. I quietly told her, she smiled and said “I know. It’s no big deal.” I felt awkward.

With strangers (and I know it’s an embarrassing bit of business and not a stylistic choice), I’ll make a motion that alerts them to the problem, if I can. With someone I know, I take them aside and say something, like “Eeek! You’ll want to fix that! Let me help you!” or some such.

If it’s someone that I’m at least an acquaintance with, I will tell them because I would want them to tell me, even if it is embarrassing.. I mean, ultimately, it’s less embarrassing than walking around with spinach in your teeth all day. If it’s a stranger, I won’t, I will politely and studiously ignore the fact.

@elijahsuicide, agreed. I would want people to tell me if something was up, visually, that I was completely oblivious to and I would certainly provide some sort of reciprocity depending on the severity of the offense. My friends and I try to keep track of each other in the same way; so far so good.

Yes. I’d want someone to tell me, so I tell them…discretely, of course.
Who wants to go through the day with spinich in their teeth or a stain on their clothes & and not have it brought to their attention?

Definitely.

I don’t know how many times I’ve pointed something out to someone
and they were really upset that all the people they’d been interacting with
didn’t bother to say anything. I think that would be much more embarrassing,
to have to look back and realize people were just smiling politely
while staring at this hunk of spinach in your teeth.

I’ll just laugh and tell them that it happens to me all the time too. Which it does.
Usually helps to put them at ease a bit.

This has been a man law at every job I have ever worked.

If someone has booger hanging from their nose, an open fly, a smudge on their face, or any other temporary physical anomaly you say nothing.

ok you say plenty to each other about it but never to the subject in question. this is…funny?

Men.

Absolutely

I tell them but disguise it in a show tune sung at the top of my lungs.