Wardrobe Wonders

Well, the big shopping day was yesterday.  What a day!  We had just walked into the first store when another girl came in and greeted us.  The consultant introduced me to her "assistant".  She said that she knew we were going to need help, so she asked the other girl to tag along.  Great.  My wardrobe was so pathetic that I required not one, but two, professionals.

It was great shopping with someone who knows what they're doing.  She immediately got to work - pulling this and that, telling me what styles to stay away from, what colors work for me, calling the salespeople by name.  Time to start trying on.  We began with a huge stack of tops and probably six to eight pairs of pants.  I wasn't expecting a second person in the dressing room with me, but she said that we had work to do and weren't going to waste time coming in and out of a dressing room.  OK, here we go.  I would barely have time to look in the mirror before she'd say no to something.  I heard her say 'no' many times.  I also heard her throw out 'potato sack' in that first dressing room.  Wow, this is going to be fun.  After the last pair of pants had been tried on and none had worked, I asked her if she had a good tailor who could just make me some pants.  She laughed and said that was too expensive.

On to the next stores (we went into twelve stores that I can remember - there might have been more).....nope, don't like that, you look like Queen Victoria, what are these designers thinking when they came up with this?, that might be cute, awful, ha! it's like you're a railroad conductor or something, yeah, that's good, we still don't have pants, this is a good shirt, I feel like I'm wearing Lady Gaga's meat dress, very cute top, this store is disappointing, we still can't find pants, and on and on it goes. About four hours later, a sales lady asked if she could help us.  The consultant's response - can you sew?  We need someone to make us some pants.  ha!  I had told her it was going to be difficult.  She told me that she understands now why I get frustrated and give up so quickly when it comes to shopping.

It took so much time finding basics, that we didn't even get around to purses/accessories.  I came home with plenty of tops but only three pairs of dressier pants that are just ok.  They will all have to be altered.  But overall, it was a great (and much needed) experience.  My closet looks a little better than it did Monday afternoon, that's for sure.  There is still work to be done, though.  I'm just thankful I can make it through the next month or two without being completely embarrassed every time I step out the door.  When the weather gets warmer and I'm in need of spring/summer clothes, we'll have to do it all again.  That should give me time to break out the self-tanner before having to try on clothes with shorter hemlines!