Monday, February 18, 2008

Shopping, AAGH!!!!

I’m going out of town on Wednesday and needed to buy a new pair of jeans so off to the mall I went today. I can’t think of very many things that I dislike as much as I do shopping for myself. It is not that I don’t like to spend money on myself; it is just that I have an interesting body shape and it sure doesn’t fit what is so called normal. I could make a list of area: feet, arms, legs, and waist; they are just in a different proportion than what cloths are made to. Then there is the whole idea of buying something that I don’t feel like I’m 80 or that I’m trying to look 18. Is there really a style for someone that is over 50 that doesn’t include support hose and hairnets?

So back to my fun shopping experience; as I said I am not proportioned I have a 35” inseam and a typical woman’s jean is between 32 and if you are lucky you can find a few that are 34 or 35. I have only had success when I go to the bigger department stores, no sense even trying the Targets or Kohls. Nope if I’m going to find jeans, I’m going to pay about the price of a car payment for a pair.

I go into the first store and I don’t even look on the racks I find a sales person to ask where the Longs are? She says all of their jeans are 34 inches. I then as which designers stuff tends to run longer? I try on 8 different pants and nothing works, either they are too short or they are too tight. It doesn’t help that I am carrying more weight right now than I should. So off to the second store and I find a clerk to ask about the longs. She is so kind, she immediately takes me over to a few that are long and low and behold they are over $300. I’m sorry there is just something in me that won’t let me pay that much for a pair of jeans. I look past the clerk and there I see a whole area of jeans that she had steered me away from. Just for kicks I look at the sizes – sure enough I find some that are 34 and 35 in lengths in my size. After trying on another 6 different pair of jeans, I head out of the store with my little bag feeling totally defeated and thinking about skipping my trip.

The only good thing was that I got that pair of jeans for under $100. Too bad for that second clerk, in her greed to get a big commission instead of helping a customer, she missed out on a commission all together. I went to another clerk to buy them.

1 comment:

Heather said...

Karen - I so don't like shopping, either!! Trying on clothes created for women with no hips is no fun! I have always had a small waist but big hips, so finding something curvy is like finding a needle in a haystack! And I just loved your whole "looking your age - not 80 or 18" comment. I struggle with the same thing. There seems to be this gap in the whole fashion thing - old vs young. Especially in the Christian community. I remember when I was younger, thinking if I went to church I had to invest in a complete wardrobe makeover consisting of mostly apple sweaters and long denim dresses! Honestly, that's one of the things I love about our church - there are so many women (including you!!) who set a phenomenal example of how to be up-to-date and fashionable without looking like you have nothing but gunny sacks to choose from! Congrats on your new jeans!!