I don't shop much

... but tonight I did. Out of desperation (I think it's been a year since I went clothes shopping ... if only clothes were books ...)

Clothing retail is bizarre. Some of the clothes are so cheaply made that they're already starting to fall apart in the store. Colours, patterns, and silhouettes come in trends such that if they don't suit you this season, fuggetaboutit. For instance, apparently empire waists are still the thing. Me, I look pregnant when I wear shirts with empire waists, and I have a pretty flat stomach, friends.

Tonight I noticed that the 80s are "in" again. Jewel tones, little lacy bits to tease around one's cleavage (assuming one has any), CAP SLEEVES. Poufy cap sleeves. I had a hard time with all this 80s stuff, as I continually wondered whether wearing such clothes might be an invitation to be mocked or even beaten up.

You know something about people who run clothing stores? They never order enough of the right sizes. Usually, when I see something attractive and reasonable on display, the only sizes available are extra small, large, and extra large. However, mediums can be found if the cut of the item is extra roomy and not very flattering that way. Why don't these people just order more of the average-sized items? I think they could sell a lot more product that way; maybe it's just me, but I can't think that they're all that smart.

Along a similar vein, these stores try to resell crap. Tonight, in a lingerie store, I heard a sales clerk tell a customer, "The nice bras get sold right away." That reinforced what I could already see for myself, which was despite several hundred feet of displayed product, there wasn't much worth buying.

And since we're on the subject of bras, why is it so hard to find one that does what it's supposed to do without inserts or other bizarre contraptions? Tonight half the bras in the store were called "Extreme Lift". Does that not sound painful?

Thank goodness for T-shirts and jeans, that's all I can say ... :)