Thursday, April 25, 2013

"Tuesday" is Thursday's Title

IMG_3822_web What a lousy day! Overcast, occasional rain with the temperature hovering around 45 degrees, Tuesday was a very raw day especially considering we are one month into spring.

I planned and laid out my outfit for my day en femme ahead of time. I assumed the weather would be warmer, so my outfit featured a sleeveless collared dress that I purchased at Dress Barn.

I figured that my three-quarter-length sweater coat would fight off the inclement weather. So after I dressed I took the coat with me, put it in the passenger seat and drove to my first stop, the Westfield Mall in Meriden.

It was early and the mall had just opened, so I was able to get a parking space in the first slot next to the JCPenney entrance. I decided to forgo the coat for my tour of the mall because I knew from past experience that it would be too warm wearing the coat in the mall. Turned out that the temperature in the mall was just right for going coatless.

Last time I visited this mall was in the fall and things had gone downhill since then. Storefront after storefront were empty with no signs that replacement stores were in the works. It was depressing, but I did not let it ruin my shopping day.

First stop was Payless where I wanted to shop for casual spring/summer-styled shoes. My favorite Payless sales representative was holding down the fort. I have shopped for girl shoes in both boy and girl mode at three different Payless stores where I found her working. However, she seems to have stopped moving from store-to-store and I have run into her at the Meriden store the last few times I shopped there. Needless to say, she knows me as a customer who buys girl shoes in boy and girl mode and she recognized me as soon as I walked in the store.

Payless shoes sizes are all over the map, so I tried on sizes ranging from 10 to 13 in both regular and wide styles. I tried on approximately 15 pairs and narrowed those down to five pairs that fit, and finally to two pairs that I liked, one sized 11 and the other 11 Wide. Both pairs are white peep-toe wedges, one high (4-inch wedge) and the other low (1.5-inch wedge).

Payless was having one of their buy-one-get-a-second-pair-for-half-price sale, so I basically bought two pairs of shoes for the price of one and a half pairs.

Next, I wanted to shop for a pair of white shorts to go with my white wedges. I visited Torrid, Lane Bryant, Sears and Macy's without success. Either I did not like the styles they had for sale or they did not have my size in the style I liked.

Time was running out, so I headed back towards JCPenney where my chariot awaited me for my trip to do outreach in New Haven. By the time I got to JCPenney, I still had a few minutes before I had to hit the road, so I checked out JCPenney offerings.

I found a pair of shorts that were exactly what I wanted, but the way my luck was running, I assumed they would not fit and I almost hung them back on the rack without trying them on. But then I reconsidered, took them to the dressing room and was elated that they fit perfectly and looked great, too!I paid for the shorts, returned to my car and drove to Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven.

The rest of the story will appear here tomorrow.

 

Femulator

Barney-Rubble-Fred-Flintstone---the-flintstones---tv-US---ca-1963

Barney Rubble and Fred Flintstones femulating in television’s The Flintstones, circa 1963.

 

Femulate_Her_web

MyHabit

Wearing Donna Morgan.

3 comments:

  1. Stana
    I think that the orange/white/floral print dress is a winner for you. The colors work and the style is quite flattering. You look great.
    I am glad that you scored well at the mall. It is sad that the economy in the past 3-4 years has really taken its toll. I am always sad when I see empty stores. I think of the impact on the landlord in terms of missing rent and I think of all the jobs that no longer exist for the people who worked at the store.
    Pat

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  2. Most malls I frequent are the same as the one you visited and leave me feeling sad. I feel sorrow for the jobs gone and the idea of new shops not coming. What happened to the money? Or is it the people who have it? It is a rhetorical question I ask because it really doesn't matter what the reason is, it just is!

    I'm very familiar with Pay-Less shoes and their sizes, I actually have to laugh at that one! I'm very happy for you to have gotten the shorts. Can't wait to read about New Haven!

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  3. Wow, I bought the same two styles but in brown to fill out my brown wardrobe. Mine were in 12 :-(. As to the empty retail space, as a real estate professional for 29 years, its not just the recession. It is the changing economic paradigm to internet shopping. If you follow this blog, just read how much is purchased online. This will only increase over time.

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