My Own Personal Shopper
I needed two business-y outfits (like nice enough to wear to an event but not over the line into wearable-for-a-daytime-wedding), so I grabbed ChickieNob, promising that it would take maybe an hour. Tops.
I don’t go shopping. I don’t enjoy shopping. I don’t enjoy clothes unless they are a t-shirt, jeans, and my boots. I especially don’t like dresses or skirts. I dislike every part of the shopping experience, from picking out things to trying it on to deciding whether to purchase.
ChickieNob knows this and tried to make the outing efficient and fun. She gathered up stuff for me to try on and then gave helpful commentary like, “Do you want to look as if you’re wearing a hospital gown? No? Then I probably would take off that top.” She even took some photos of me while I was trying on outfits so she could test their “selfie-ability” (how they show up in selfie form) just in case I ever feel moved to take a selfie. The girl is prepared.
At one point, I told her that I would release her to read a book and attempt to continue on my own because I felt awful about how I was using up her afternoon. But she stuck with me because she told me (1) she doesn’t trust me to make good decisions, (2) she pities me and knows that I need more help than the average person to hold it together while shopping for an outfit, and (3) she is a good person.
She didn’t even laugh at me when I got a shirt on and then couldn’t get it off.
I love that girl.
I walked out with an awesome dress and matching cardigan plus a pair of dress pants and two tops. And it only took us a little over four hours. Like I said, four hours. Tops.
Now I don’t need to go shopping for another five to eight years. I like to wear the same thing every single time I have to dress up. It makes things easy.
I owe that girl the Buffy the Vampire Slayer “Once More With Feeling” soundtrack for her extreme patience.
11 comments
I love this story. My daughter is 6 and does this for me as well. I am not a good shopper but, at 6, dress up is so much fun – so she tries on things as well, all far too large since we are in grown up women’s clothing stores. She always picks the highest heels and the fanciest accessories. It makes having to shop for clothing into a pretty fantastic outing – not that I want to repeat it regularly of course. I’m trying Stitch Fix at the urging of a good friend and my husband, hoping maybe if someone else picks out a great outfit for me it will be a little pick me up to my style. I’m doing it but am 90% sure I’ll just return it all. Because that’s my positive clothing and shopping attitude, ha!
I love this story. I am incapable of buying clothes for myself unless I have my youngest sister with me (she has a great eye, is totally honest, and has a sense of my style that I wouldn’t be able to articulate). Every now and then I pick something that really looks good, but I can’t trust that it does unless she’s there to agree with me.
Perhaps the Chickienob enjoys shopping and didn’t mind 4 hours spent helping you. ? My child is okay at picking out clothes or helping me decide, but gets bored any time we are not looking at things for her. So I don’t usually take her shopping when I am buying things for myself.
Sounds like a business idea waiting to happen. I loathe shopping, especially with malls. But a personal shopper would be awesome as it’s a support system with critical feedback.
Now how is she with makeup?
This is the best story ever. I love your kid. She is pretty darn fabulous. Like, imagine how amazing of an adult she is going to be since she is already so awesome now?!?! I wish I could be as cool as her, seriously. Is that weird?
I also hate shopping, dresses, skirts. Ugh to all of it. I will actually turn down invites because the idea of spending an evening dressed up just sounds so damn painful. I have the same few “dress up” pieces in my closet that I have had for many years. I do t do heels or any kind of footwear that’s uncomfortable in the slightest.
This story brought tears to my eyes. I have a friend, Sarah, who is my Chickie Nob for shopping. She helps me to find things that are flattering and takes pity on me for having no trendiness inherent in my bones. How wonderful to have your own personal shopper who is helpful and pithy and makes it so you are done for a good long while. Buffy soundtrack for sure! Well-earned.
I’ve been working with a personal stylist. She has helped me purge my closet and shop to fill in holes. It has been life changing and is so easy to get dressed now. I only recently realized how much I hated shopping for clothes because I went shopping all the time. It hit me that I shopped a lot because I was rarely buying things I loved. I too prefer to wear jeans and a t-shirt and basically the same thing everyday. Alas, my new job requires business casual or business wear and it’s been an adjustment. Love that Chickie Nob is able/willing to shop with you.
It would have been fun to be a fly on those dressing room walls…
(I mean, if I were the sort who wanted to be a fly. Which I’m not.)
You might want to go to the Gap or Banana Republic, try on the basics, figure out your favourites, then order online from now own. I love shopping, but alas, luckily lack the funds to make it my full time pursuit. Your daughter is a gem!
I like shopping (most of the time), & I have a pretty good idea of what colours & styles look good on me (and which ones don’t), but it never hurts to have a second opinion from someone you trust. We should all be so lucky to have a ChickieNob in our lives!