A Slip of the Lip....

Recently, I bought a cute dress online at a little store I've discovered called the little red dress boutique.  I've found that shopping online for clothing can be difficult for two reasons: a) things don't always fit as cute as they look like they will, and a cute fit is half the value and b) sometimes, no matter how accurately the store tries to portray its clothing, things don't always look exactly as one would expect.

Anyhow.  I took a risk and bought the green dress.  I've had positive experiences with this store and its quality/customer service in the past, and the price was pretty good.  I was only slightly worried about the issues I mentioned above.

Well, I received said dress.  It looked great when I pulled it out of the box.  However, I immediately noticed a problem....  It is virtually see-through.  In the dress/store's defense, it was advertised as 'unlined'.  However, I didn't realize it would be this riske.

I was then faced at a crossroads.  What do I do?  Do I return it?  I feel returns can be difficult with online orders (unless you're dealing with zappos) - although I don't know red dress's return policy offhand, I know often times you lose something (shipping, return shipping, etc.).  That and I HATE making returns.  I am not sure why.  But I really really do.  I may have simply reached capacity on returns during my childhood (thanks Mom).

I started digging in my underwear drawer, looking for the perfect nude pair.  I stumbled upon something I hadn't seen in a very long time and didn't know I still had.  Ladies and gentlemen, drumroll please....

A slip.

Yes, a slip.  Do they still make slips?  I know this slip was (eeeek) at least 10 years old, dating back to my college sorority days when I had to buy a white dress for initiation.  Have slips gone out like pantyhose?  I might be inclined to believe so.

Anyhow - I tried it on underneath the dress. Viola!  Perfect.  The dress looked great, the slip was completely unnoticeable, I just felt like I was harboring a dirty secret (better or worse than spanx?  don't answer that).

Is it still acceptable to wear a slip?  Is it acceptable for anyone under the age of 65 to wear a slip?  How do my other girls out there handle it when a dress is sheer?

Shopping in the Juniors' Section

I just had a 'huh?' moment.

I was anticipating the Nordstrom anniversary sale (can you blame me), when I came to a crazy realization.  I shop in the juniors' section.

Not that there's anything wrong with this, necessarily, but I'm 29 years old.  When will I, you know, shop in the women's section?  I should think that, in theory, I'm there.... When is one too old for the juniors' section?

Do any of my dear readers also shop in the juniors' section?  Is this slang for something dirty that I don't know about?  Do you fellow twenty-something women shop in the juniors' section?  Should I graduate and move on? 

Old Orchard Shopping Mall

I feel inclined to write this post because Old Orchard shopping mall is seriously one of my favorite places.  It's neat, it's clean, it has great stores.  Despite the fact that some of the clientele is a little 'uppity', if you will, it's generally a very nice place.  It's a source of both many a childhood memories and much credit card damage.

However, recently, a problem arose.  Well, first, there was the tiny blip where they quasi-renamed it 'Westfield Shopping Center'.  I know my mother personally sent a letter of complaint (she couldn't have been the only one).  In the end, they called it 'Old Orchard-Westfield Shopping Center', or something like that, but it's still known to the general public as 'Old Orchard'.

Anyhow - the problem I speak of today.  The food court.  They redid it.  And not for the better.  Well, they think they did.  They USED to have that wonderful 'Pizzaaaah' joint, where one could get a heaping large slice of pizza (1 1/2 inches thick!) and a bottomless pop (along with a lot of other food court staples - mcdonalds, subway, etc.).  Now they have a new area in the food court called "Wilde & Greene" or something ridiculous like that.  It looks nice and fresh and healthy and all that.  I'm sure it's nicer.  I'm sure it's fresher.  I'm sure it's healthier.  I'm not having it.  It's kind of like the dining section in whole foods or mariano's, but on steroids.  They've got that giant roasted rotating meat on a stick, or a build-your-own-pasta area.  It sounds good, in theory, but it's just not.  It's not mid-shopping trip dining.  At least not in my world.

Dear Old Orchard - please go back to your Old Ways.  I miss them.  I loved them.  I realize this probably cost you and arm and a leg to create.  But I really wish we could just pretend this didn't happen.

Love,

One of your Long-Time Fans

Lululemon

So, as my good friends know, lululemon has quite a grip on me. This past Friday, I attended their factory warehouse sale. It was...well, judge for yourself.

I used to love Great America as a child. This brought back memories...

Thank goodness I have the blogger for iPhone app and was able to get some serious work done whilst waiting.

the beginning stages

I felt like a horse in a corral.

in-line entertainment

the final line before getting in

water bottle I won from lululemon-related trivia

the final haul

I have to say, I was a little disappointed by the sale.  As a lulu-enthusiast, I have seen quite a few of these items before.  It was all 'we made too much' - on a large scale stage.  Not that there was anything wrong with that, but I was secretly hoping for it to be like the Coach Factory Store (or other factory stores) where it's never-before seen merchandise that didn't hit the main line.  I don't necessarily think this was inaccurate marketing on their part or anything like that, I just had higher hopes.  I was able to escape with spending under $100, which really says a lot (knowing me).  

I look forward to their new Spring line.

A Memo to Victoria's Secret

...it's getting to be too much.

I've gone in a couple different Chicagoland locations recently to shop.  On different days at different levels of crowdedness, I've had virtually the same experience.

The employees have been, pardon me, up my a** like an uncomfortable thong.  I could not take two steps without having been approached to see if I need help.  I must have been approached at least 8 times!  I could not look through unmentionables in peace.  I needed help - I needed employee repellent.

Ok - first off, let me say something:  I get it that it is not the employees' doing.  Either they are a) highly commissioned or b) (as I believe with VS) heavily pressured by the management to approach every guest in sight and reprimanded if they are caught not doing it.   For this reason, I tried to give a polite 'no, thanks', but after a while, it became hard to stop myself from snapping 'get away from me!!!'

Now, also, I get it that a lot of stores have the mentality of 'it's better to have the employees proactively helping the guests' because of suggestive selling, the guests sometimes being timid about asking, etc.  I get that.  But Victoria's Secret has crossed the line and become 'too much'.  I am not sure, exactly, where that line is drawn, but spending 2 minutes in Vicky's makes one realize she is in a place that is over it.  The worst thing is that most things purchased at VS are better purchased in store than online.  Sigh.

So, therefore - my point.  In case there are any Victoria's Secret top executives perusing the blog world looking for feedback/slander about their stores - ease up on getting in your customer's faces, yo.  Thanks for listening.  

Christmas Shopping

So yesterday, one of my best friends was in town.  We painted the town red.   I never know what to do with tourists, except take them to all the places I regularly frequent.

Anyhow.  Saturday, we took on downtown Chicago.  I ended up shopping at a bunch of places I don't normally go.  The result, I must say, was a positive one.  Not what one would expect to hear, but I got a good 75% of my Christmas shopping done.   Needless to say, the gifts cannot be posted here.   Almost everyone on the receiving end of a Jaime Christmas gift is, of course, a reader.  :)

Non-Conformist

So, I don't own Uggs. I have nothing against them. I don't purposely not own them because I'm intentionally trying to go against the mainstream, because that's stupid. I just don't own them.

I own THESE BAD BOYS instead. Gabriella Rocha, courtesy of Zappos.com. (I deserve a kickback for this.)

And I LOVE LOVE LOVE them.