Now on occasion, I’ve had a good
time looking over a friend’s shoulder as she’s shopped online. Once during a
snowstorm, a friend and I had fun clicking through the Lord & Taylor’s site
from our respective homes.
But what I’m really talking about is
the real- live in-the-store form of shopping. Over the years, I’ve shopped with
lots of friends as well as with nearly all my female relatives. There’s just
something about the experience that often brings us closer together. Maybe it’s
the shared sense of purpose, the way we help each other answer one of life’s
most pressing question: Does it make me look fat?
Yes, there is definitely judgment
involved. And trust. You can count on
any saleslady to say, “You look lovely.”
A friend will say, “Take it off.
You can do it better.” Because,
let’s face it, there are some angles you just can’t see.
There’s also the sense of
accomplishment when you land the perfect purchase. Just yesterday, I went shopping with a
friend, who needed a dress for her son’s wedding. I didn’t buy anything. I didn’t even try a single thing on. But
still I came home feeling that it had been time well spent because she found if
not the perfect dress, a definite contender.
Finally, there’s the opportunity for
caring. Since my friend was on a mission, I helped with the zipping and
unzipping, and put the dresses back on the hangers. And when nothing seemed to
work, I made one last sweep through the dress department to make sure we hadn’t
overlooked. On other occasions, she’s
schlepped for me – as have other friends. It works both ways.
In a neighboring cubicle, last night
a college-age girl was shopping with her mom. And it dawned on me, that I was
playing mom. Maybe, that’s the real attraction:
we get to mother each other.
My husband, who has always shopped
alone for ties and suits and shirts, says it’s a women thing. He doesn’t know
what he’s missing.
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