ONLINE OR IN-STORE
Which Do You Prefer?
I used to love going shopping when I was younger. My girlfriends and I actually called it “Retail Therapy.” We’d spend an entire Saturday at the mall wandering in and out of stores, going to lunch and even dinner sometimes. It was so much fun. And the best part was being able to pick any outfit I wanted right off the rack without worrying if it would cover my sagging neck, my crepey arms and my bulging belly. I didn’t even have to try clothes on back then!
I’m not sure when or why it happened, but I stopped going on those fun trips and started ordering black pants and colorful tops online whenever I needed some dress up clothes.
I don’t know what got into me last week? I must have been lost in my memories when I decided it would be fun to actually go shopping for a dress that I could wear to see Camelot in NYC this weekend.
~~~
I got so excited when I first entered the store. I saw a dress that looked just like me. Oops! That was the Junior Dept. And my dream dress turned out to be a beach coverup — in Petite Small. What? Well, I thought it looked like me? Ha!
A smirking clerk said, “This way, Ma’am,” pointing to the Misses Dept.
Things were looking up when I saw a beautiful bittersweet colored dress with long sleeves. It didn’t have a collar, but it had an exquisite effect above the waist. When I glanced in the mirror, I loved how the jersey dress looked on me so I decided I’d just wear lots of jewelry around my neck. Then I turned around — and saw them! Not one, not two, but three rolls cascading down my back.
Oh, well…
I was disappointed for a minute, then I spotted a brightly colored dress with a collar and three-quarter length sleeves. I was REALLY getting into that psychedelic pattern when I looked down – and saw it had 3 inches of gold fringe all around the hemline. Too much, maybe?
Well, at least it had a hemline. When I pulled the next dress off the rack, the bottom of it was missing. I hadn’t worn anything that short since the 1970’s.
And things just kept getting more ridiculous.
A clerk talked me into trying on a beige dress with no waistline, but a cinched back. It had a sophisticated tailored look with buttons down the front and folded cuffs on the sleeves. She handed me a Large. I couldn’t believe it! I couldn’t even get the front pulled over my boobs let alone get the buttons in the buttonholes.
I was almost hysterical by the time I saw IT -- a long-sleeved, high necked, no waist, mid-calved black beauty. I pulled it closer and hugged it — relieved — until I realized I had bought that same dress twice already.
What a day! What can an aging woman do when things change? I chuckled, pulled myself together and walked out to the parking lot like old royalty — proudly holding my new black pants under my arm.
I sure hope Amazon Prime can get me a colorful top by tomorrow!?
It’ll Be OK.
~~~
On the street in New York — does that say No Stopping or No Shopping? *Wink
“Life is so boring when you don’t have an online order to wait for.” ~ Virgo Boutique
COMMENT: Where do you shop for clothes?
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Loved this Jan. It sounds like me. I gave up dresses as I need a larger size for the top and a smaller size for the bottom and most dresses are either large all over or small all over. Pants and tops are what I go for now, so you are not alone in that. Unfortunately it is even getting harder to buy nice things for an older person. Most shops seem to cater for the young and forget that older people like to wear nice clothes too..
Once menopause hit I was done for. I gained 20 pounds overnight it seemed. I buy most of my clothes at Chico’s. Their pants are very slimming. The tops are comfortable and fun. I have so much of their jewelry, colllected over two decades. Last time I wore a dress was about eight years ago when my granddaughter got married. I guess we just have to settle in and enjoy life... in the clothes that fit us!