The Mall Makes me Tingle

Day 102
The Mall Makes Me Tingle

This should be called, "The Reasons Behind the Madness, Part 1 of 3" but the mall really does make me tingle.When I walk into the mall, or any store for that matter, a giddy anticipation flows through me. What will I discover today? What skirt, top or shoes are going to change the way I live? How fabulous can I really look?

It's taken more than 100 days but I think I have narrowed down the Reasons Behind the Shopping Madness to three categories. Doesn't sound like much, but these three categories of madness have bogged down my closets, budget and life.

As I have examined every single piece of clothing in my wardrobe, I ask myself, "why?" Often, the answer is simple. I love clothes. I love color, adore fabric, revel in design. The way a dress can transform the way you see the world, and the way the world see you. Sounds dramatic, I know. I must just accept the fact, I love clothes. Plain and simple. Admittedly, many times the tingle I feel entering a mall leads to resignation when the day is done.

There are times, though, that I'll be shopping, notice a dress and think, "wouldn't this be beautiful if the colors were brighter?" That leads to, "surely someone has thought the same thing, I'll keep looking." And that leads to, "I've spent the entire day looking for that dress in the right color, doesn't anyone get it?" Finally, I buy something similar but not quite right. So often I have settled for "almost it" because no one has "it". The year I knew silver running shoes were the only solution to all my problems, no one made silver. I spent days, even weeks searching for silver running shoes. I still have the "almost it" pair but they were never quite right. Then, after I gave up, the market was flooded with silver running shoes. So I ask, am I some sort of fashion seer? Can I see the future of retail? Do I, in fact, have the crystal ball for all that looks right? Maybe. Probably. Yes. But I have more than 200 more days to think about it.