18 September 2010

A Learning Experience

I am one of those people who, for the most part, doesn't mind shopping.  I even enjoy window shopping as a past-time, since I can walk a few blocks from my house, and see all kinds of interesting things and do some people-watching to boot.  Granted, I have to be in the mood to really enjoy it, but I'm not a person who absolutely refuses to set foot in a store. 

I do, however, get frustrated when I cannot find *exactly* what I want, at a price I want.  And I really really really hate trying things on, even though I have not ever been a person who can go into a store, pull a certain size off the rack and just buy it, knowing it will fit and look nice.  As a result, clothes shopping is often an epic fail for me, and yes, I know it's my own fault, but that's not the point (at least to me).

Well, over the past few months, I have lost a considerable amount of weight.  Enough so that the clothes I have are truly baggy on me, and make me resemble someone who couldn't even find the right size at the thrift store.  So I decided I would go shopping, and try to find:  1 pair of pants, 1-2 shirts, and I would not just try them on, but even consider things not on sale (a shocking development for my brain to actually consider).  The Tim (who is quite a shopper himself, I must say) offered to go along with me to one of the larger malls around here, so he could look for a few things as well.  I then narrowed down the stores I would go to where I have had luck in the past, and I was ready to go.

The stars must have been aligned or something, because I was actually successful!  Nothing elaborate, but a pair of nice black corduroy pants, a sorta dressy shirt and a casual shirt, AND get this - a dress that was on sale!  I had a plan, I stuck to it, and I tried things on.  And I had enough money saved for this little expedition, even enough to have some left.

This may not be a big deal to many of you, but I am so proud of myself, I just wanted to share.  I don't know that I'll ever have this much success all at once again, but today my plan for what I wanted to do seemed to make all the difference.

I'll come clean on one thing though.  I still hate to try things on ...

12 comments:

ImplausibleYarn said...

Its nice when these things work out. I get frustrated when I shop over things like fit and how much they cost for poor quality.

Susan aka paintermom said...

Congrats on your success!

I, too, hate to try things on as it can be demoralizing. If you don't know how a brand runs, a 14 may fit like a 10 or an 18!

I do find, however, that some days the shopping karma just seems to flow.

Anonymous said...

I'm with you on the trying things on hoo-ha. I hold the garment up to me, and, if it looks close enough, I buy it.

Congratulations on the surprise dress!!

SissySees said...

Hooray! My day yesterday wasn't bad, but I never did find the navy shoes I wanted, and I went to just about every shoe store in podunk...

gail said...

sometimes the most seemingly insignificant things in life can really make your day!!

Marie said...

I agree with Susan: some days the shopping karma just seems to flow. I also hate to try things on, so over the years I have identified several online stores that carry things that I know fit me, and I very seldom go into a store to buy clothes. One year (years ago) I had the shopping karma all over me and everything I bought seemed to go with everything else I already had. I haven't been that lucky since.

Brigitte said...

Yay you! I find that whenever I actually have money to shop with, I can't find a single thing. Not that it would matter. Really, I should have never thrown away my 80's clothes after high school. I could just wear them now. Oh wait. They wouldn't fit.

I hate trying things on too.

Carrie#K said...

Whoo hoo! Score on several counts!

Dianne said...

Hooray for a good shopping experience!

Lorette said...

Good for you! I hate shopping for clothes enough that I generally buy online from just one or two places. Never mind that I mostly look like the Lands End poster child.

Carol said...

Good for you! I think it's the mirrors. You would think that in a store they'd have really flattering mirrors so more stuff looks good, but that glaring bright light makes me cringe....

Kathleen Dames said...

Congratulations on shopping success! I know what you mean about finding exactly what you want (at a price you're willing to pay) - I have such decided ideas about things. That's probably part of why I love knitting so much - I can make it exactly the way I want :)

And, somehow, I'm not surprised that The Tim has a bit of dandy-ness to him.