Of shopping

Since I am watching my wallet these days, it feels a little funny for me to talk about the shopping I've been doing lately. However, as is often the case, there are reasons.

I started at my last job about a year and a half ago. The dress code was on the casual end of business casual, and it didn't take me long to realize that, while everyone didn't wear jeans, every day someone would be wearing jeans. I love jeans: they're comfortable and durable and require little from me as a garment. I wore jeans most of the time I was there.

And, in the 18 months I was there, Pan died; my dad died; Harold died. And I ate, and ate, and ate, buying larger jeans as necessary. And though I'm working on that, and making progress, by the time I started this job, I still did not fit into much of my existing business casual wardrobe (most tops are okay, but otherwise, no). So without wanting to throw a lot of money down, I needed to get a few things.

A factor in the search is that it's coming on to summer, I'm walking around mid-day most days, and with public transit being the sardine can it often is at rush hour, I sweat. I don't perspire, or glow: I drip. So I went looking for cotton, roughly knee-length skirts or dresses, which have been challenging to find in my size to say the least.

I started at Old Navy, and did find one, the purple one on the right. (I got the somewhat similar blue one at Target last night.) It gets the job done, I like it if not adore it, it was on clearance. Of course, that meant that they didn't have any other colors in my size, but it's a start.


Next stop, Salvation Army. I actually found two items that almost fit me, and I daringly paid a total of $7 for them, to wear once I shrink a little. Motivation!

Note: I did not buy this dress. I did, however ponder that a company felt the need to create it in the first place, and then wonder that someone ever bought it.


This skirt is a Talbot's item, simple and Spring-appropriate:


And this, actually a skort, is from LL Bean.


Both well made, which is nice, and showing no signs of wear. Presumably they were owner-fatigue donations. I've been there myself. Or perhaps size issues, one way or another. Makes no nevermind now.

Until they fit me, though, I'm not actually all that much better off than I was, so I went out again. I found this skirt at the Talbot's outlet for $17 (originally $69):


It has a nice flair. And this dress from the Appleseed's outlet next door, for $18 (was $58):


I was worried that it doesn't have much shape, but it actually looks nice on, I think. So many of the dresses in the larger sizes have less shape and appeal than flour sacks. It can be very discouraging. Appleseed's was new to me, and I found it an interesting mix of things that I liked, and things that made me think of stereotypical kindergarten teachers, or women belonging to religious cults. What is with all the ankle-length dresses and skirts out there?

For now, with these two and the Target one, I think I can face dressing nicely, and the attending commuting challenges, until I lose a bit more weight. So that's a comfort.

If not, perhaps, the kind of comfort promised by these socks:


If you were wondering, my feet did not feel particularly pampered. Perhaps I am over-sensitive. Or too literal.

And what's up with this? "Let's make one shirt to appeal to Bruins fans and Celtics fans!" WTF? No wonder it was marked down. (I did not buy it, no. No.)


This isn't quite in the shopping theme, but I bought some Greek yogurt at the store recently, having heard several people talking about how wonderful it was. After I ate this one today, I noticed the back of the package. I assume, tentatively, that it's a typo.


Since I can't image they meant to call their product zero percent authentic, can you?