I'm a day late on my Monday Blog readings, and I decided to follow the advice of Christine and repost an old favourite post from the past. This post was actually written back in the old days of my Diaryland account, but it still stands out to me. I re-read it today and still like it, I'm not exactly sure why. I liked my humour, and I think I had most of the comma's in the right place. Grammar is not one of my gifts. And I don't think there is a single, breathing, non-shopper female out there who can't relate. Forgive me as I generalize. (And - it's not about cats) So, I lay it at your feet to be the judge of my work.


Written March 23, 2004

Interaction in a Mall

I don't know about you, but this time of year (the casual bounce between winter and spring) always makes me very reflective and introspective -- -- of my wardrobe. Each morning I look into my closet in total disgust and wonder what heinous pieces of material can I put together today?

I am not a fashion hound. I was far more fashion conscious in the mid 80’s. A bit on the “out there” side, but chic none-the-less, I definitely made a statement. However, over the years as my weight has yo-yoed so has my taste in habiliment, combined with my lack of desire to shop, I think I’m bordering on frumpy. Not a good place to be when one gets meditative on ones wardrobe.

Friday last I had an errand to run for work down to Sears. After completing my task I felt it appropriate to take a quick look at shoes. I love shoes. I would have more shoes if my conscious would allow me. Darn my financial sensibilities! I have been looking for some specific styles to compliment and enhance my existing duds (a laugh given the state of my ‘existing duds’).

Kind of a catch 22 really. Do you match new shoes to old clothes, or new clothes to old shoes? Which came first the shoes or the rest of the outfit?

I balk at the price tag on some shoes, and the point they expect your toes to shape into on others. Who designs these things anyway? Low and behold, in the bargain bin, I find a pair of shoes that are the right price, colour and basic design. Typical for me – I hum and haw . . . . will they go with this dress? . . . . with that pair of pants? . . . . are they right for what I want to achieve? And the root query for all my apparel questions – Is this choice just as frumpy as everything else I own?

I see, waiting for her mom, a seemingly ‘trendy teen’. “Would she wear shoes like these?” I ask myself, except I don’t just leave it to an internal pondering. No – I sally up to the lass and say –“You look like a trendy teen – what do you honestly think of these shoes?”

She gets a kind of funny look of her face. I can’t quite tell if it’s a look of “Why is this tasteless woman asking me this?” or “Those are the most grotesque shoes I’ve ever seen. Don’t come near me with them!”

However – she replies “Well . . . . They’d kinda look ok with Capri pants . . .”

To which I’m sure I get a funny look on my face, because little does she know that I don’t do Capri pants. But I respond with a shrug – “not very trendy, eh? Thanks anyway” and I wander back to the rack, deposit said shoes, and leave the store.

Those darn shoes – they stuck in my mind for the rest of the evening. I contemplated them in different scenarios, accompanying different outfits. The ewww’s and ahhh’s from all my friends and of course the approval my thoughtful husband.

To heck with what that young, slim, blond, snippet of a girl thinks. I’m buying those shoes!!!!!!!!!!! And traipse back to Sears the next morning I did! In fact not only did I get the shoes, but I also manage to score with two new skirts and a top. I RULE!!! And I shopped successfully, and without harming anyone.

No humans were hurt in the implementation of this exercise, with the exception of my husband receiving the evil eye when he stated his opinion of the new shoes.