I learned from Shirley that today was Global Running Day. The holiday was new to me, but according to the Global Running Day website, it is "a day for people around the world to celebrate the joys of running." To participate, all you had to do is take part in some type of running activity. Shirley changed up the requirements by substituting a nice brisk walk. Reading her post, I realized that based on her standards I had celebrated too.
Today I had some jobs that took me to the Central West End, a beautiful old neighborhood that has a nice mix of restaurants, retail, and stately mansions dating back to the early 1900s. After I parked my car (at the parking garage of a historic hotel) I walked down the street, people watching and admiring the elegant clothes featured in the boutique windows I passed. The weather was beautiful--in the high 70s, with a sunny sky and low humidity.
In one of the stores I stopped to try on the most beautiful shirt I had ever seen. It was pale striped rayon crepe with a high-low hem which hit me at just the right place in the front and the back. The front had a half placket with delicate-looking buttons. The back was gathered at the bottom of the yoke and draped just right. The long sleeves were just right for rolling up or leaving down. The only downside was the cost...the shirt was definitely selling for a designer boutique price. More than I've ever spent for an item of everyday clothing.
Of course the sales associate told me the shirt looked fantastic on me, and went out of her way to highlight all the ways I could wear it. It could be dressy! It could be casual! It would look great with a tank under it when the weather got cool! She threw so many suggestions at me that they started to make sense, and I decided to throw my budget to the wind and buy the shirt. The sales associate followed me to the cash register, where she rung up my purchase, wrapped it in tissue paper secured with a fancy sticker, and placed it in a tote bag. On my way out the door she said she was confident I would love the shirt.
As soon as I left the store I started regretting my purchase. I spent twenty minutes walking up and down the tree-lined streets pondering what I should do. On the one hand, the shirt was very versatile. But did I really want to be seen wearing the same thing at every event? For the money I had spent I could buy three or four nice non-designer shirts. Eventually I took the shirt out of the bag to see it again, then lifted up the bottom hem to look at the care label (something I had neglected to do in the store) and learned that this shirt was Dry Clean Only.
That sealed my decision. I backtracked to the store, and told the sales associate I didn't want to be 'that woman' but I would be returning the purchase I had just made. She was nice enough to say she understood, but I still felt bad. The only positive on my end was the almost 7,500 steps I got.
Five years ago today: Funnies
It being rayon, I would have checked the care tag first. Shame.
ReplyDeleteYes, shame on me.
DeleteYou were very gutsy to return it. I never return anything. The top sounds wonderful and the dry cleaning wouldn't have stopped me. The price, though, I gather would have stopped me. I've gotten pretty cheap in retirement.
ReplyDeleteIf I had gotten home first I would not have driven back for the return. I'm on a mission to remove as much dry cleanable stuff from my closet as possible.
DeleteGood job on the 7,500 steps. Sounds like this almost became Global Expensive Shopping Day.
ReplyDeleteHA!
Deletewell, 7500 steps is great! LOL
ReplyDeleteYes, it was a great down payment on my daily goal of 10,000.
DeleteYou had fun trying the top on anyway! I try not to run anymore, my knees don't feel up to it.
ReplyDeleteYes, the trying on part was fun. I know what you mean about creaky knees-and in my case creaky hips and lower back, too.
DeleteAwww. Yeah an indicator of Dry Clean Only would be wrapping in the tissue paper and putting the fancy sticker on. Still sorry you didn't keep it but I would have done the same thing. At least you hadn't taken it home and popped the tags. But just an fyi you can make the same versatile shirt look really different with jewelry ;-) I miss global running day - oh shucks.
ReplyDeleteYes, the fancier the store the better the chance the clothes need special attention. But in my world it seems like things have been getting more casual; that's why I neglected to check the tag. Since the store was 20 miles from my house I doubt I would have gone back to make a return.
DeleteAaaahhhh ... that 'Dry Clean Only' label! It puts me off, too. I was told once that most of the time you can ignore it, and most of the time (if I accidentally buy something with That Label) I do ... but certainly not if it's an expensive purchase!
ReplyDeleteOh well. It was yours for a little while, huh?
I've experimented with hand washing Goodwill purchases that said they had to be dry cleaned (with pretty good results), but you're right; I wasn't going to take a chance with something I had paid real money for.
Delete