Shopping anyone?

Today I rediscovered the joy of shopping.  After months of ordering the few things I needed over the Internet, I spent the morning in a real dressing room trying on clothes -- lots of them -- and being pampered by saleswomen who brought me things and cared whether I liked them or not.

Maybe it was the occasion of New Year’s Eve and two parties to go to on New Year’s Day and nothing with much pizazz in my aging wardrobe that inspired me to go shopping.  But whatever, I enlisted the help of my two best shopping partners and we headed off to Bethesda this morning to shop at Wear It Well, a tiny boutique on Bethesda Avenue. 

I realized that over the years, the things people have commented on most often, the things that I didn’t recycle after a couple of seasons, had all come from this little shop.  I hoped to find at least one new top or at least something I liked there today.

I knew we were off to a good start when my friend LR spotted a parking place opening up right in front of the store.  We fed the meter and got started.

I tried on several things that might have been nice for just the right occasion, but those kind of occasions are so infrequent in my life that I put them aside.

This was one of the few days when at least half of the things I tried on looked good on me and, even better, they fit together with each other.

So I ended up with a dressy black top, a more casual print top with a very cool belt, a long sweat-shirty material jacket, a belted faux fur vest, and two pairs of stretchy pants in black and gray. 

I love the way they wrap everything up in tissue paper sealed with a logo sticker.

I didn’t so much love writing the check, but it was the least I could do for myself after not shopping for well over a year.

I’m glad my shopping gene has come back to life because a new piece of clothing is often such a big ego boost!