This may come as a shock to many--men & women. One of the hundreds of stereotypes of women in the 20th century is that we love to shop. Shopping, shopping, and MORE SHOPPING!!! This is apparently what satisfies women, what makes them happy.
To many, it’s an outlet--a way to relieve stress. To others, it’s all about the bargain. How much can we possibly buy at one store for the lowest price? For others, it is about the hunt. We are the predators, the clothing our prey. Once we find the absolute perfect shoes to go with that dress or the most stunning earrings to accentuate an outfit--it fills us with pure and utter joy!!!
There is nothing wrong with any of those things. It’s just that I can’t relate--at all.
For me, going into a mall is sort of equivalent to being plopped down in the middle of a maze with no map to guide me out. Before even entering the mall, I know that leaving will be more difficult than it should be. I can never remember where I park, and that can be very frustrating--especially when it’s raining out. It is an overwhelming environment. Store after store, vendor after vendor. Signs with misleading sales trying to draw you in and rip you off.
The worst is when you walk into a store that is a total disaster. Those stores that look like a tornado ripped right through it, wrecking the order of the store entirely. Forever 21 comes to mind when I think of someone just throwing up clothes all over the place. To properly cover that store and everything in it, one would need at least a solid 3 hours. Who has that kind of time or patience?! I surely don’t.
Shopping is overrated. It takes forever and I mean FOREVER to find things I actually like and want to spend money on. Something can look absolutely perfect on a hanger and not so much on your body--and it’s always a risky move to buy something without trying it on first.
Which leads me to my biggest pet peeve--dressing rooms. I despise trying clothes on. It takes so long and it’s monotonous. Put it on, take it off, and repeat. Plus if it is winter, forget it. You end up taking longer just to undress/redress all of those warm layers than you do actually trying on articles of clothing.
I am pro-online shopping for this exact reason--although I have commitment issues when it comes to checking out with my bag full of 129463846 things. It eliminates going to the mall entirely. You are also able to actually think-- really think about your purchases before so hastily swiping your credit card. The pressure of being at the store and sales associates hovering over you is entirely non-existent. Online shopping is tolerable and definitely a more pleasurable experience.
So, to all of the girls who hate shopping, I’m right there with you--I understand. I would much rather spend my time doing literally anything else. What’s fun about throwing away money on things I (more than likely) do not need? Until the day I can afford a personal shopper to do my dirty work for me, my relationship with real life shopping is on quite thin ice.
