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Clothes shopping

June 26th, 2006 at 04:15 pm

LRJohnson's post about not liking to shop, a post at another blog about clothes, and the sale yesterday at Catherines, all got me pondering this.

Very rarely, when I'm feeling kind of burned out, I do like to do some window shopping where there is lots of color and pattern around. Plant nurseries, fabric stores, Pier One, Linens & Things, even Target's housewares. It revives me somehow. I also like bookstore trips where I do nothing but write down titles to look for at the library. And sometimes I'll try on new styles of clothes just to see if they suit me. (Usually not, and I stay in my rut!)

But other than that, I'm not much of a recreational shopper. I dislike malls. I really don't like going to yard sales and thrift shops where you have to sift through 999 random items to find something you might be able to use.

I've bought a couple of things recently, the MP3 player and a shredder, where I found a good deal on Fatwallet, went to a store for that specific item, and was done. That's my kind of shopping!

As far as clothes, I wish I could get my shopping down to a science, as this fellow has done (read toward the end):

Text is askunclebill.typepad.com/my_weblog/2006/05/the_clothes_mak.html and Link is
askunclebill.typepad.com/my_weblog/2006/05/the_clothes_mak.h...
He buys suits twice a year when a certain store has a sale, he buys certain standard shirts over and over, when Lands End has a sale, etc.

I think it's easier for men. Women's styles change more over the years, and you can't count on getting favorite styles again. I don't know how many "favorite" bras I've found, that have been discontinued before it's time to buy them again. Same with jeans and slacks and blouses. Stores you counted on go out of business, or the buyer at a certain store changes and they no longer carry what you've always gotten there.

That's why I was so excited about the Catherines sale. In recent years, I can always find something there and at Dress Barn. (Yesterday's sale netted a 2-piece dress and 4 prs of nice underwear for less than $25.) In fact, there was more usable stuff there than I had money to spend. I also went to Boscov's, where the women's department is larger than a whole Catherines store--and found absolutely nothing. I'm about done with Boscov's except for shoes.

I'm on vacation this week, and I was going to make myself check out two Goodwill stores, a plus-size consignment store, and maybe an outlet mall I've never been to. I know some people get great deals at these kinds of places, so I wanted to give them a chance, again.

But if I'm honest with myself, I just don't want to spend my time that way, looking for a needle in a haystack. I'd rather just concentrate on C and DB, where there's a better chance of actually finding something.

3 Responses to “Clothes shopping”

  1. Bill Says:
    1151337364

    Thanks for the reference. Good luck shopping.

    Bill

  2. elgin526 Says:
    1151348150

    I know what you mean about not finding things you want by the time you're ready to buy! I'm a size 10, which I swear must be the most popular size in the US because I never, and I mean never, find decent stuff in my size on the clearance rack. It is also a struggle to find my size just when stuff is on sale (a normal sale, not clearance).

    A few times there has been an item I really love that I pay full price for, just because I know that if I wait for a sale, they won't have it. I've gone back a few times just to see if my hunch is right, and it always has been, all they'll have left are size 4 and size 14!

    Just recently my favorite socks have started to wear out. I go back to Target to find more. Nope, they don't carry that style anymore, and neither does anyone else. I've checked Kohl's, Sears, and Eddie Bauer, zip, zilch and nada. I'm about to break down and check Wal-Mart and see if they have them, and I hate Wal-Mart with a passion I usually reserve for much more important things in life!

    Anyway, you are not alone! Smile

  3. lrjohnson Says:
    1151374359

    StressLess, be true to your name and go for it. We all pick where we save money. Some frugal activities are easy for us, or pleasant, and we do those. There a bunch or frugal things a lot of frugal people don't do. If you've saved in the areas you like to save in, use that money and buy yourself wonderful clothes at Catherines.

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