November 4, 2011
Keeping track of digits.
This picture — over at Sartorialist — of a young woman reading a book in an outdoor café reminds me of something that happened yesterday. See? She's casually slouching in a big fuzzy coat. I assume that's fake fur. So... I was traipsing about on State Street yesterday, looking for something red to wear. (I'm going to the football game tomorrow. I've never gone to a football game!) And I wandered into a shop I like, where I often try things on and, in fact, I often buy things. Many times, over the years, I've dropped $300, $400, even $700 at a time on skirts/tops/jackets/whatever. I check out what's new, and there's a nice fuzzy coat, the sort of thing that seems as though it might be fun to wear slouching about in a café. It might amuse the students and my colleagues if I walked the law school hallways in that. I glance at the price tag. $395. It fits. It looks cute. It could be "me." La la la. Kind of retro hippie. I'm getting a Janis Joplin vibe. I overhear a salesperson say the words "four thousand dollars." Holy fuck. There's another digit on that price tag! I pretend I didn't just realize the coat cost 10x what I thought as I maneuver myself to the point where I can return that pelt to the hanger. Would I ever pay $4,000 for a coat? Maybe. I did buy an Armani suit that one time. But yesterday wasn't one of those times. Yesterday was the day I bought a red scarf — in "cashmink" — which is not something that entailed the participation of any goats or weasels.
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109 comments:
"... Many times, over the years, I've dropped $300, $400, even $700 at a time on skirts/tops/jackets/whatever...."
90% of my wardrobe is from Kohls. I simply can't justify spending that kind of money on one or two items.
The 1% has its stores.
I had that experience at Barney's in New York. A very nice sweater was $2500, and that made me realize that I did not belong there.
"which is not something that entailed the participation of any goats or weasels."
Nor perhaps did it entail the participation of EMTs to resuscitate Meade.
"Nor perhaps did it entail the participation of EMTs to resuscitate Meade."
I whispered in Meade's ear: "There's one more digit in the price tag than I thought."
It was funny.
Can't really relate, buy hey, go for it if you want (I do like the scarf, at the link, btw).
My husband works PT at REI and loves the (what they call) pro deals (super, super discounts) he gets straight from the manufacturers. I swear he has a jacket for every 5 degree weather change.
Seriously, if you were a woman who stands up in front of groups of persons and delivers presentations over an hour long about 200 times a year and engaged in various other activities, how many items of clothing would you buy a year and at approximately what price level would you shop?
Love, love, love Sart.
All the fabulous! comments.
Everyone's so dreamy, so beautiful. Must have!
That depends, AA. If you're audience is primarily of the granola diehippiedie type, you're just as likely to succeed with macrome hoodies.
"My husband works PT at REI..."
We shop at REI. I've bought shoes, biking clothes, and ski stuff there in the past year. It's great.
I hate fur coats, fake or real. They are too fluffy.
I do like the sherpa stuff, though.
The fashion industry has to be one of type bigger scams existing. I'll sometime flip through GQ and they'll have some model wearing jeans and a white crew tshirt and the jeans cost $250 and the tee is $45.
Levis $37 and an Old Navy tee $7 and I don't look like a metrosexual tool.
If you're going to the game, you need a Nick Toon jersey, don't you?
You need to watch your expenses. When you retire, chances are it ain't gonna be worth what it looks like now.
Ann Althouse said...
"Nor perhaps did it entail the participation of EMTs to resuscitate Meade."
I whispered in Meade's ear: "There's one more digit in the price tag than I thought."
At which point, one of Meade's digits retracted.
Seriously, if you were a woman who stands up in front of groups of persons and delivers presentations over an hour long about 200 times a year and engaged in various other activities, how many items of clothing would you buy a year and at approximately what price level would you shop?
I had a prof (Computer Sci) who delivered her lectures in blue jeans and flannel shirts from the Dollar Store.
But, yeah, in her Legal Nurse Consultant days, The Blonde spent a few bucks on wardrobe for the same reason, but we always looked at the digits.
If you're audience is primarily of the granola diehippiedie type, you're just as likely to succeed with macrome hoodies.
Seriously. I don't remember anything my professor's wore, except that it pretty much ran the gamut from casual to suits. Wear things you like and feel comfortable in, regardless of price point (if you can afford it). I do believe in quality over quantity, though. But not all quality costs 4k.
One of the commenters in that Armani link was right, yes? You need to post a pic of the suit, or have you?
PS When we first met, I wanted to get The Blonde a special birthday gift and I picked out a sapphire pendant and asked how much.
The salesgirl said, "Oh, you have excellent taste. That's $4000".
I answered, "Could you show me something with a little less taste?".
We shop at REI. I've bought shoes, biking clothes, and ski stuff there in the past year. It's great.
They do indeed have a great selection, if somewhat more expensive. I bought my first family tent there last year and it's been exceptional. Nobody else carried the particular brand I wanted. When I told my father, who's never spent more than $50 on a tent, I'm betting, he was incredulous until he saw it set up.
"Seriously, if you were a woman who stands up in front of groups of persons and delivers presentations over an hour long about 200 times a year and engaged in various other activities,"
I'm a school teacher, so that describes me pretty well. And the answer is: Kohl's is just fine. Particularly "on sale".
It's just a football game. You don't need to dress like you going to see Moliere.
Ralph Lauren and Talbots carry a full line of petite sizes, and those are hard to find.
My wife brags her head off showing me her latest cash Register tape listing the original price and then her discount she saved on sale, with coupons, etc..
I don't have the heart to point out that spending $1,000 on 15 outfits instead of on 3 outfits is also spending $1,000.
And the answer is: Kohl's is just fine. Particularly "on sale".
They really getcha with that Kohl's Cash marketing. I think I bought just about everything for my wife's Christmas last year at Kohl's. I spent a few hundred and got tons of well-received gifts.
What do you call a gal in a $700 outfit at the bar? Golddigger.
Maybe not fair, but it's like that double-breasted - in this case actual.
Ann Althouse --
"Seriously, if you were a woman who stands up in front of groups of persons and delivers presentations over an hour long about 200 times a year and engaged in various other activities, how many items of clothing would you buy a year and at approximately what price level would you shop?"
Well... First thing I'd buy is a pair of orange rubber shoes. I hear it's fashion bling in law school.
In the early 1970s, when my grandma was in her 50s, she bought some leather pants(!) that were $40. She thought it was a great deal and had them tailored and sent to her home.
The bill was $400 plus tailoring. Grandpa was furious, and told her she had to wear them very very often. After awhile, she detested the pants.
My mom loved to tell that story, because grandma was such a quiet and and demure little lady, and leather pants were just not her.
Most high end clothing is in made in China and the quality is pretty similar to the lower end stuff also made in China.
I've seen childrens clothing in a local children's clothing boutique with little girls dresses for running over $200 or more, made with the same quality I've seen at Kohls or Target.
I'm also going to the game tomorrow, first time watching in person since 1982.
I had a German teacher in high school who had three outfits, and we made fun of her for that....but only because she was also a bad teacher....mein Deutsch ist nicht gut.
I buy summer clothes in the fall and winter clothes in the spring. I like paying $8 for $50 shirts.
Seriously, if you were a woman who stands up in front of groups of persons and delivers presentations over an hour long about 200 times a year and engaged in various other activities, how many items of clothing would you buy a year and at approximately what price level would you shop?
When I was working, (stock broker and financial advisor), and had to meet with business clients, attend professional seminars, presented the seminars and met with large groups of people, I would spend several hundred dollars on an 'outfit'. But mostly I would try to find the expensive items on sale. SCORE!!!
I owned 4 to 6 dress suits (skit and jacket), about the same in pants outfits where I could mix and match the jackets/sweaters/blouses with pants. Several nice dresses that could be work or evening.
Once you own a basic wardrobe there isn't much need to shop every year except to add an accessory or replace something worn out.
I hate shopping for clothing and did it only as a necessity. Like getting your teeth cleaned.
Good shoes are where you really need to spend the money, since you might be on your feet a lot and in front of people, they CAN see your feet.
Oh and of course ....jewelry!!
Since retiring, I cleaned out my closet and put most of the items in a consignment clothing shop.
Kept a lot of my casual nicer clothing that I used to wear to meet with those clients who would think that I was being snooty if dressed to the nines.
Good clothes are worth the investment if you are in front of people and your impression on them can make or break the business deal. They will last and more importantly are likely to fit well.
My only game of this season tomorrow too! See you there Althouse and MadMan. Let's hope we can salvage a win against Purdue.
Also a lot of clothing isn't designed for the 'athletic build' either. I have to have my dress shirts taken in all the time.
Is there a game tomorrow that isn't LSU/Alabama? (or Arkansas :)
Kohl's is just fine.
I know people love Kohls but for some reason I never find things I like there. I do love Target, but they've actually gotten to be almost the same prices as better stuff on sale. (and I do notice a difference in quality, depending on what I"m buying. Some things last forever, others tear up in the wash)
The inability to afford something induces some shame; it cuts at one's self-image. This affects some more than others, certainly.
But envy is destructive, aiming to deny for others what I cannot have, a sin made to feel righteous by the seemingly moral leavening of "income equality".
BTW, check that woman's feet in the photo: camera perspective? Or maybe with that fur and those feet a weresasquatch?
Great pic at the sartorialst. Most of the people protesting about how bad they perceive things to be don't comprehend that leisure (even as simple as reading a book during the day) for the masses is a relatively recent concept.
So Ann, did you buy an "Eat Sh** F### You" t-shirt to go with your scarf?
I'll be walking around the stadium before the game with a couple of my dogs. They LOVE the attention they get from the students, and the beagle enjoys snarfling around for dropped food.
Same thing appened to me in a very ritzy place in New Orleans. I was buying my then girlfriend a face cream. I thought I was paying $25. Oh noooooo. It was $250. I reversed the credit card charge immediately despite the unhappy disapproving stares from the staff of said store. Now I don't mind dropping $250 (or more) on a girl. Done it a whole bunch of times. But certainly not for face cream. To quote Althouse, "Holy fuck!".
Remember: no obscene cheers.
I'll be looking for you. I'd look for MadisonMan too, but I have no idea what he looks like.
" X said...
It's just a football game. You don't need to dress like you going to see Moliere."
Winner!
And professor, you don't where "red" at Badger games, you wear Badger gear that's red.
I don't have the heart to say that spending $1,000 on 15 outfits instead of on 3 outfits is also spending $1,000.
Plus, when a woman has 15 outfits hanging in her closet it doesn't mean that's it for clothes buying for the next 2 or 3 years, as would be the case with most men; all it means is the closet will get really stuffed within the next six months or a new closet will be found to fill.
Don't wear what Belima wears. He has no sense of style.
Okay, I just read DBQ's comment so it isn't true of all women, just all women minus DBQ. ;^)
You know, I think you look great in all the pictures I've ever seen of you. You've got a definite style. And it isn't Kohl's. Kohl's is fine but is has a look, too.
I like nice clothes and I think it is worthwhile to have them. My Eileen Fisher turtlenecks look ten times better than my Target ones, fit better and last longer.
And that goes double for shoes.
Spend what you want! It's not some indication of moral superiority that you forgo nicer things. (And I'll try to buy more Amazon stuff through your site, so hopefully you can get that awesome red fur coat.)
Professor: No matter what our brains tell us, no matter what our government holds out to us as a promising future, the hard fact is that you are going to be dead for a very long time. You need that coat. You deserve that coat. You have earned that coat. If you think you will one day be rewarded for having deprived yourself of that splendid garment you are kidding yourself. You will not be rewarded.
Buy the coat.
Ann,
I want a picture. Maybe it was worth 4k$ on you. Work on it.
m
Okay, I just read DBQ's comment so it isn't true of all women, just all women minus DBQ. ;^)
LOL
You will appreciate this then. When I went shopping for work shoes/pumps to go with the suits, I had one style that I knew would fit and be comfortable to stand in and wouldn't be gaudy or distracting.
I would buy order them ahead and buy a pair in the colors that I would need. (Black, navy, red, brown, and taupe).
My shoe shopping expeditions (except for boots and sexy fuck me shoes) took about 15 minutes once a year. Done!
And that goes double for shoes.
Absolutely. I do not buy cheap shoes because they fall apart and give me blisters.
"at what price level would you shop." Obviously, depends on income and the nature of the presentations.
It would be an interesting experiment for you to set a price cap at a substantially lower level than you have in the past, and see what you can get, and whether you can stick to it. Of course, you would need to blog it.
My wife goes to Kohl's and frequently gets nice things one digit below what you discuss.
DBQ gives us an idea for a new blog... "Show us your Sexy Fuck Me Shoes!"
check the babe in the coat in the picture ... one earbud?
Man, people who plug in one earbud in their IPhone are such total poseurs.
I think Michael is the devil ("The devil made me buy that dress!").
My wife is as tight as Dick's hat band. She is well but inexpensively dressed. Inexpensive if you count the few clothes that she wears of those that she buys. This is the downfall of the cheap view. Many purchases end up being wasted entirely.
My view is that quality is generally worth the high price. I have shoes that I wear regularly that I have owned and worn since the 1970s and 1980s. They are traditional shoes (women don't have this advantage)that are as "stylish" as they were then. They have been reshod a few times but they have served me well. I paid a fortune for them but they have amortized at a rate that would make them a bargain. Cheap shoes would be long gone and forgotten. No cheap shoes.
The correct response to the price would have been "Get the fuck outta here."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwsPp523Q9Q
I buy summer clothes in the fall and winter clothes in the spring.
Summer clothes? Winter clothes? What is this? Clothes are clothes.
I live in Los Angeles.
wv: halism - discrimination against people with bad breath
Absolutely. I do not buy cheap shoes because they fall apart and give me blisters.
With the exception of sneakers, I refuse to buy shoes or boots that can't be resoled. One pair of Dan Post boots (not that expensive) I've owned for 26 years. I've had them resoled 5 times for about $35 average. They've cost me about $12 a year to own, and they feel as good as an old pair of slippers.
"At which point, one of Meade's digits retracted."
Would that the little weasel goat could.
"Seriously. I don't remember anything my professor's wore, except that it pretty much ran the gamut from casual to suits. Wear things you like and feel comfortable in, regardless of price point (if you can afford it). I do believe in quality over quantity, though. But not all quality costs 4k."
I only buy things I really like. I have plenty of clothes and only add to the closet because something amuses me. I don't go out of my way to buy expensive things, but occasionally I'll buy something like a $300 sweater or a $600 leather jacket. I will pay $200+ for shoes.
Good shoes do tend to be worth the extra cost, I keep my comfortable shoes for years, worth every penny, especially walking shoes. I bought a pair of Uggs last winter and a pair of Haflinger felt slippers, neither made in China and very well made.
"And professor, you don't where "red" at Badger games, you wear Badger gear that's red."
By "you," you mean me. I do what I like. What amuses me.
But the truth is I did check out the Badger gear in 4 different stores on State Street before I decided to see if the Cashmink scarves at Jazz Man included a red one.
I tried on a few Badger things. Everything was poorly cut -- short boxy tops and jackets. Nothing amused me. I tried. The quality was pretty low too. It was decently cheap. They need an upscale Badgerwear shop in this town, because I just can't wear that stuff they have in the stores. I'm not saying that stuff is terrible, just that I can't feel good in it.
They do indeed have a great selection, if somewhat more expensive.
Hence, the reason for the job and the employee discount.
Depends on reveal things as a man:
1. How long do I want it to last. My "marry 'em and bury 'em suits were $400 and they are conservatively styled and have lasted almost ten years. I'll spend more for non trendy shoes.
2. What is professionally expected. In the mid west pastor's now almost never wear suits or sport coats with ties during the week. AA clergy would be the exception.
3. I am tall and very few stores carry tall sizes. Kohl's and Penney's do.
4. I travel to third world countries to do mission work. It is a regular reminder to me of what I don't need to be content.
5. I hate conspicuous consumption.
I don't judge others for what they have. As a friend reminded me many years ago, his expense well appointed car cost less as a percentage of income for him than my then Dodge K car cost me as a percentage of income.
And a few times over the years in my present church I have received comment about the lack of variety in my pulpit attire.
too bad.
" If you think you will one day be rewarded for having deprived yourself of that splendid garment you are kidding yourself."
I was debating whether to buy it when I thought it was $395. I think that answers the question.
Hence, the reason for the job and the employee discount.
I wait for the member-only "garage sales" they have about twice or three times a year. On this next one, I'm out for a new bike.
I only buy underwear when it's on sale, of which two thirds is also outerwear.
The other third is covered by Cabelas
trail shorts. Very durable.
And, in winter, white sweat pants.
Sounds like you'd do better to drop the $400 on a new pair of specs.
" If you think you will one day be rewarded for having deprived yourself of that splendid garment you are kidding yourself."
Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount:
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21
That Jesus was such a kidder!
@caplight
That Jesus was such a kidder!
You've taken that passage completely out of context. I'm getting sick and tired of people acting like biblical scholars and using scripture like wet rags, to be used when convenient and put up to dry when not. If you read the verse right before the one you cite, you would have noticed the part where Jesus is using air quotes.
And professor, you don't where "red" at Badger games, you wear Badger gear that's red
I'm just wearing red. If the UW wants to use my body as a billboard, they can pay for the privilege.
Bad link.
this should work
Uh oh Scott, that remark is going to get you a one way ticket to hell.
rhhardin said...
I only buy underwear when it's on sale, of which two thirds is also outerwear.
The other third is covered by Cabelas
trail shorts. Very durable.
Couldn't agree more. I have 4 pair and they're great.
And I look good in them.
The Blonde says so.
MadisonMan said...
And professor, you don't where "red" at Badger games, you wear Badger gear that's red
I'm just wearing red. If the UW wants to use my body as a billboard, they can pay for the privilege.
The place that laid me (and about 4000 other people) off always used to give rewards, team commendations, etc., in polo shirts with the company logo. Never a polo shirt guy, I only wore them because Herself liked them better than T-shirts in some venues.
Now, I agree with MadMan.
The suckass sycophants at satorialist strike again. These people have their heads so far up his ass that if he coughed, they would spit it up for him.
Uh oh Scott, that remark is going to get you a one way ticket to hell.
God has an enormously well-developed sense of humor. Note the platypus and J's integrity.
If you saw that coat in perfect condition hanging on a rack in a Goodwill store, you'd find few would pay even $39.50 for it.
Whether a thing is seen as a bargain or overpriced has much more to do with your expectation about what the price should be than any intrinsic value in the thing itself.
Scott M
My bad. I forgot that the Aramaic "air quotes" don't show up in the Greek text. Thanks for reminding me.
If the fuzzy coat happens to be a fur coat, I'd have second thoughts, even if it's a fake. In a college town, wearing even a fake fur may be the only action riskier than driving around with a Bush-Cheney campaign sticker!
Alright, fine. Forget Nick Toon.
How about a nice Chris Borland?
They have ladies' cuts in jerseys now. Much more flattering.
I bet it was made in China with cheap labor making $1/hour cause otherwise it'd be $8,000.
My bad. I forgot that the Aramaic "air quotes" don't show up in the Greek text. Thanks for reminding me.
No problem. It's tricky because you have to read Aramaic diagonally to pick up the sarcasm.
If the fuzzy coat happens to be a fur coat, I'd have second thoughts, even if it's a fake. In a college town, wearing even a fake fur may be the only action riskier than driving around with a Bush-Cheney campaign sticker!
But if it's already red, throwing blood on it won't necessarily ruin it.
I have friends that buy all their clothes from second-hand stores and they always look stunning. They can make $100 worth of clothes look like $1,000.
But I also see a lot of people who make $1,000 worth of clothes look like $50.
Looking great is a skill, and the only people who throw down $4,000 on a coat are people who don't have the skill to look good but still want to anyway. It's plastic surgery to compensate for the gifts God didn't give you.
I'm sure one could find a vintage coat for $30 that causes as much buzz on campus as that $4,000 coat.
5. I hate conspicuous consumption.
I don't judge others for what they have.
Aren't these two statements mutually exclusive?
##
A couple rules off the top of my head:
1. Spend a lot on a handbag, a pair of shoes, or outerwear (in classic styles) and you won't regret it. They'll last forever.
2. Spend a lot on a suit, or don't buy one at all.
3. Don't go shopping for jeans unless you're ready to try on minimum 20 pair.
I could lend you the one item of Badger gear that I bought for the one Badger game I attended.
"2. Spend a lot on a suit, or don't buy one at all."
A few years ago I got an Armani at a consignment store. Just stumbled across it - wasn't even looking hard.
heh.
Prada shoes also - in my size, barely worn.
Nothing beats a good deal.
In terms of budget - I put aside 75$ a month for clothing. Many months I won't buy anything, but save up the $$$.
Your first football game?? What's up with that!!
I see Wisconsin is playing Purdue, and the Badgers are favored by 27 points. Hmmm.....You'll have more fun at the tailgate party than the game.
If you're still looking for Badger wear, I understand that badgers' fur reflects purple highlights in the afternoon sun. So you might consider finding a purple jersey. And it should probably have a big number 4 on the back, for Wisconsin's 4 seasons (almost winter, winter, still winter, and construction).
No need to thank me, happy to help!
"I see Wisconsin is playing Purdue, and the Badgers are favored by 27 points. Hmmm.....You'll have more fun at the tailgate party than the game."
Meade grew up in West Lafayette.
When you have Meade as an accessory you can wear pretty much anything.
Knox quoted me:
"5. I hate conspicuous consumption.
I don't judge others for what they have."
Then said: "Aren't these two statements mutually exclusive?"
As written perhaps but what I was trying to say is I dislike the pressure to wear my purchases on my sleeve (pun intended) and do not participate in the practice. I was referring to myself not others.
However, when I see what it does to families I get pretty riled up at the culture of consumption.
However, when I see what it does to families I get pretty riled up at the culture of consumption.
What does it do? It strikes me that this is one of those, "it only has as much power over you as you let it" sort of things.
Several years ago, I was in NYC with my husband and son for Thanksgiving. They were unprepared for the cold. They bought scarves from a vendor with a tag reading "100% Cashmerefeal."
The only thing I remember any of my professors wearing is the day the Psych 103 prof had apparently had a coffee accident earlier in the day and his white shirt had a huge coffee stain on the front.
My wife, a department chair with a more modest salary, buys from Boden. Good quality at around a hundred dollars for a dress and made in England-- check it out.
Scott M
You are right of course but an astounding number of people live very unexamined lives. Therefore they are over scheduled, over in debt, under connected in significant relationships.
I certainly know that I've had trouble keeping track of digits. I lost five of them years ago and haven't seen them since.
None of the clothing brands I like are suitable for pregnancy and/or hanging out with a four year old and a two year old.
So I wear t-shirts or polo shirts and jeans. Everyday. Every. Day.
My wife loves Boden. She gets up really early in the morning (5:00 am on a Saturday) to wait in line when they have giant Boden sales at a convention center around here. Last time, she was 50th in line, despite arriving 4 hours before the sale started.
Although we can afford fairly expensive clothes, she hates spending money unless there is a steep sale going on. I don't worry about the cost as much and have fairly expensive taste, so I think I end up spending more (depite buying far fewer items). I am, however, very proud that I recently picked up an Armani tuxedo at Neiman Marcus's Last Call for 75% off).
I also support buying quality shoes and taking care of them. I have several pair that are going on 15-20+ years, and still look and feel great.
"It's tricky because you have to read Aramaic diagonally to pick up the sarcasm."
ha! Love it. Favorite comment of the week.
I was in a second-hand party costume store with my daughter trying to buy her something for an angel costume, when I noticed a pair of western boots (Justin's). They fit like a glove. $5. I wore them for maybe 7 years, with one resole.
Also, if there's an REI near you and you are not attending their Returned Stuff sales, you are an idiot.
This is how you "keep track of digits" on my planet.
Biff said...
If the fuzzy coat happens to be a fur coat, I'd have second thoughts, even if it's a fake. In a college town, wearing even a fake fur may be the only action riskier than driving around with a Bush-Cheney campaign sticker!
LOL!!! Beware the vegan-petatariat for committing violence upon even a faux fur wearer is justification for their animalia-justice. I wonder if Wisconsin mink farmers fear for their lives.
6pm.com
The truth is that you will be satisfied w/ almost any clothing that has an Armani label. I think they sell their name to some folks who make sunglasses, cologne, and some sort of cheap-Armani line of clothing. But, the real Armani (tags say "Armani Collezioni" or "Giorgio Armani Le Collezioni") is always a great deal. News flash: non-crap costs money.
The same cannot be said for a lot of stuff offered by many so-called high end brands. E.g. most Prada = garbage, imho.
Anywho, long story short: buy the best (incl a $4M coat) and you'll never be disappointed.
"My husband works PT at REI and loves the (what they call) pro deals (super, super discounts) he gets straight from the manufacturers. I swear he has a jacket for every 5 degree weather change."
I know a so-called high-power exec who left her job to work at REI (on the sales floor). She (only half jokingly) says that doing so was a form of therapy. Of course, she ended up back in the rat-race, maybe she couldn't do w/o a venue where she could sport $4M coats.
But, the point is that she said ordering some of these "pro deals" was a very slow process. She said that some of the vendors put her "pro deal" requests at the very bottom of their order fulfillment list. OTOH, she did say that she picked up things like returned kayaks for a third of the retail cost. Hard to complain about that.
P.S.
I miss the original REI store. It's peculiar odor and building connecting ramp had a lot more character than the current "flagship."
LOL, great, dead funny, entertaining post. Women & their wardrobes, one long story there, no doubt
Try saying, "Holy Fuck, there's another zero!!" out loud next time instead of subtly maneuvering away from the item. Then laugh.
Seriously, the store deserves honest feedback and I predict you will feel an unexpected release from social inhibition. It's this kind of stuff that keeps the game going, you know.
I like that girls' coat look. Doesn't remind me of Janis Joplin, though, but more John Lennon in "Let It Be". (You have to scroll down.)
Oh I see. Tags disappear. Well... try tinyurl.com/3q5bok6 and scroll down.
If it's an anti-spam policy, my apologies.
To each his or her own. At least it gets the money back into the economy quickly. You spend $4000 on something and the profit is probably $3800 to the shop, distributor and manufacturer.
I built a multi-million dollar business with as many as 34 employees and never wore anything fancier than blue jeans and a t-shirt. I probably could have had more business if I gussied up a little but I learned early on that the sort of people who are impressed by how you dress make very poor customers. At the very least they are irrational because they are tying completely unrelated things together. No one wants a bunch of irrational customers to babysit. You never know what else will seem obvious to them that you would not have guessed in a million years. I guess it would be different if I were selling luxury items instead of technical services.
Maybe it is because I am an engineer by training and disposition but clothes are just an afterthought. My budget for them is literally zero. People give them to you and you wear whatever they give you. What is the big deal?
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