<p>I know many of us here at CC enjoy shopping. Just look at our awesome “Good Buy of the Day” thread!!!</p>
<p>Yesterday, took my 2 left at home + one girlfriend for a day of shopping a couple of hours away at a beautiful outdoor mall- unlike anything we have at home size-wise and store-wise.</p>
<p>There were no shopping “requirements” like “we HAVE to find you school shoes!” Just a day of browsing, lurking for that “good buy” and keeping our own leisurely pace.</p>
<p>At the end of the day, we each had a purchase - not bags and bags, but a good find/nice item for all. However we did note driving home, that while it was a wonderful day and a wonderful atmosphere, the outdoor mall was pretty upscale and we all still have an “urge” for the great buy/outlet mall experience.</p>
<p>So…what constitutes a favorite shopping day for you? I bet some of you will say sitting at your laptop clicking away in the comfort of your favorite easy chair! :)</p>
<p>But if you are given a day - without too many restrictions on what you have to buy - just pure shopping enjoyment - what are the components of a fabulous shopping day.</p>
<p>For me, it’s one of two things:
The day like yesterday - new place, new environment, new stores (to us). Plenty of time and leisure - a place that makes me feel like I am not just shopping, but in a beautiful shopping environment with a relax and enjoy feel to it.
A true outlet mall! Not the one rack round in the back of the store, but an outlet mall with some quality/variety of stores, including a great shoe store, an Eddie Bauer outlet, good furniture outlet (like Pottery Barn), sporting goods store, quick but healthy eateries and good parking!</p>
<ol>
<li> Sales people who don’t hover.</li>
<li> Sales people who are available when I need them. </li>
<li> Sales people who know their merchandise.</li>
<li> Finding clothes I like that actually fit me. They don’t even have to be on sale. I’ll pay full price if they just fit.</li>
</ol>
<p>ETA: This shopping experience has never happened, and I doubt it ever will. :(</p>
<p>My perfect day of shopping is no shopping at all. I would rather drive dull pencils through both eyes than shop. I don’t know why, but I just have never really enjoyed it. It makes me nervous if DH and DD, who both enjoy shopping, even mention the mall.</p>
<p>I actually had an experience when I was in my 20’s that I would love to repeat. My mother had a girlfriend who worked for a very chic boutique many years ago. Not terribly expensive, but very stylish clothes. I had just graduated college and needed a professional work wardrobe.</p>
<p>This woman took my measurements, my color chart, my height…all the info. about me that she needed. Then I was told to come into the store. She had a huge dressing room filled with my size clothing, my colors, and all these outfits already put together, hanging all over the room. Some a bit conservative for work, others more daring, flirty, feminine…I got to try on everything and in the end, my mom bought me several outfits to begin my new life post college.</p>
<p>Chocchip’s post reminded me of a great speed shopping trip I had years ago. I left the kids home with their dad and uncle. I went out with my sister in law and 2 nieces. We had about 45 minutes before the store closed, and the girls and their mom gathered up likely items and threw dresses over the dressing room door for me to try on. It was so easy to find the little black dress and shoes that I needed for a dinner party.</p>
<p>We did the same thing for one of D’s friends-- we had less than 30 minutes to find her a dress to wear to a wedding shower. She was overwhelmed but found 2 great dresses in the pile of stuff that we gave her to try on.</p>
<p>Fauxmaven, for sure! We invited S’s GF to go with us, because we knew if he came with D and I alone, he’d be bored after the first store!!! GF provided some pleasant distraction for him!</p>
<p>Pure, shopping, and enjoyment are three words I would never, ever put together. I would rather pull my eyes out with fish hooks.</p>
<p>Having said that, I would really like to look a <em>tad</em> bit more fashionable than I do. I’m with DougBetsy. I want clothes that fit. Too bad I never find them. I’m not overweight–just short with no waist. I have never had a comfortable pair of pants in my life.</p>
<p>So…keeping all of that in mind, I think I would really like the results if I had someone like chocchipcookie had, that had all the pre-assembled outfits that fit all ready for me. That would be great. Probably not going to happen…</p>
<p>My ideal shopping day would be…
A shopping center where every store had at least a few racks of great rock bottom deals.
At least one shoe store with great deal shoes.
Roomy dressing rooms with a bench to sit on.<br>
No pretentious stores/clerks that make me feel unworthy of entering their kingdom.
Food other than burgers and fries…gotta keep the shopping stamina up.
Unlimited time…hate to be in a rush when I’m reveling in a shopping bonanza.</p>
<p>I can have a good shopping day almost anywhere. I have had some of my best shopping days ever at thrift stores.</p>
<p>I’m with pmk, SplashMom, and sryrstress. I hate shopping in stores and never do it (thank you, internet!) unless my kids drag me. They, and my mom, are marathon shoppers; it somehow skipped a generation for me. I admire you folks who can keep going and going - you have better feet than I do.</p>
<p>Recently discovered that the MOB dress I had selected for d’s fall wedding is no longer available. A friend recommended ordering a pile of dresses from Nordstrom, trying them on at home, and returning the ones that didn’t fit/looked awful/just wouldn’t do. I only needed to order three - one was just right. It was my perfect shopping day! :)</p>
<p>I’m not overly fond of shopping. I’m OK going if I REALLY need something for me or a loved one, but it is something I would much prefer NOT to do. Most recently, I went shopping for dresses with the MOB. I found two dresses I LOVE, fit perfectly & both were on sale at a very reasonable price (one 1/3 off & the other 2/3 off; had gift card for one as well).</p>
<p>For kids or other loved ones, I only do it if they have some good idea of what they are looking for. Fortunately, we mostly agree about fit & style, so have never had an awful time, tho they are significantly harder to find clothes that fit well.</p>
<p>I get pretty tired, so like to have a nice leisurely meal at some point during the shopping trip so we don’t fade & get grumpy. Sometimes I don’t like shopping with my mom, since she’s obsessed with price, while I’m more interested in fit, whether it will be a good addition, and quality.</p>
<p>Have never used a personal shopper, but perhaps in another life?</p>
<p>I can shop for anyone in the world but myself. I just brought 20 sweaters, shoes and tee shirts home for my D to choose from. All cheap and clearance. I will return most but it was fun. ALSO, this is to keep her from taking my stuff which is soooo hard to find.
But I could shop for books every day of my life.
I get so tired of 5 salesclerks “greeting” me. It is just so distracting. I just want to think my own thoughts and am old enough to ask if I need help. But, of course, I then end up in the dressing room and they never check again…grrr.</p>
<p>^^Those annoying clerks drive me nuts too. The latest assault was this week when I dropped in the Bath and Body Works store at the mall to spend a gift card I had been given.
I had barely crossed he threshold into the store when I was immediately met by a young clerk who wanted to know “What brings you in today?” Errr…hand lotion.
I headed for the safety of the back of the store but was quickly intercepted by young clerk number two who asked “What are we looking for today?” Ugh…no we, just me and I wish you would leave me alone! I was asked at least twice more if I could be helped with anything. I was ready to leave the store w/ nothing because they were so annoying. At that point I spotted a 75% off shelf, scooped up three bottles of lotion and trotted straight to the register. After the transaction was made, the young cashier asked for my phone number and email address :eek:
I just smiled and said “no thank you”. I doubt I’ll ever darken the doors of that store again. Definitely not an ideal shopping day.</p>
<p>1) Going alone to my favorite store and finding anything that fits well and is on sale.</p>
<p>2) Going to my favorite quilt shop, slowly perusing the fabrics, and finding three wonderful selections for purchase. I design the quilts in my head as I pull out each bolt of fabric for further inspection. Just imagining myself adding those beautiful fabrics to my stash is euphoric!</p>
<p>OH Packmom–that is just what i mean. I have taken to counting how many greetings get within the first 7 seconds I enter. Then I think about complaining to the manager. The only thing that keeps me from being rude to the clerks is the thought that they must just hate this too. I have hearing loss and know that sometimes I just do not even hear them. They must think I am so rude.</p>
<p>A perfect day of shopping includes my college grad daughter who lives 3000 miles away and includes lot of sale clothes for both of us and 3 advil for me :). Just when we’re ready to pass out from exhaustion, at around 3pm, a Starbucks caramel machiato for me, and iced latte for D, and we’re off again for a few more hours. The best part of the day? Not the clothes or the bargains, it’s the conversation!</p>
Just look at our awesome “Good Buy of the Day” thread!!!</p>