March 15th, 2019

Soooooo Joy and I went on a different kind of hike yesterday. In fact, we had a specific mission.  Joy needed pants!  So properly outfitted with comfortable walking shoes and clothes that are easy to take on and off, purses firmly tucked under our arms, off we went on our quest.  We were prepared to slay dragons if necessary to achieve our goal.

What's that you say?  The photo above is not a picture of pants?  You are observant AND correct.
It's not pants. And it's not for Joy.  But let me get back to the story.  We will circle back to the dress.

Buying a pair of pants is not an easy thing.  They have to be the right length, the right width and the correct style, just to begin.  There is the colour, the weight, the fabric in general and the washing instructions to contend with.  The price of course is always a factor as well.  And most importantly there is the fit.

To the uninitiated, the fit is the most important element of the search and the hardest to fulfill.  Because the correct "fit" is not just one thing.  It's not just the length of the leg. It's also the length from waistband to crotch.  It's where the waist sits:  above the belly button, right on the belly button, below the belly button and if below...how far below?  It's the waistband itself.  Is it too loose?  Too tight?  Does it roll over? (I hate when it rolls over)  Is it wide, is it narrow?  And then there are the pant legs?  Are they uniformly wide from top to bottom?  Do the narrow at the bottom?  Do they flare out at the bottom?   Where do those doggone pockets sit and are they sparkly?  Is the fabric stretchy? (sigh)

There are so very many things to take into account when purchasing the right pair of pants.  And the above is only part of the reason that women take forever when buying clothes. It often requires multiple visits to many different shops and trying on seemingly endless garments all in an effort to achieve trouser nirvana!  The holy grail is actually not a goblet, but a pair of pants that fit perfectly.  You may have to just trust me on that.

Meanwhile, back at Trouser Quest,  while checking out one of the 3 different stores we visited yesterday, I found this dress.  I wasn't actually looking for a dress.  Or pants. Or anything else. This was about Joy's pants, remember?  But since we were downtown on the avenue anyway, I remembered seeing a dress last week that caught my eye on a mannequin in front of the store.  Since we were right there, it hurt nothing to take a little look inside and see if the dress was still there, right?  I mean it's not as if I had made a commitment to buy it after all.  It was just a little peekie.

The dress was no longer on the mannequin so we prowled the racks.  Nope not there.  Dang.  I assumed that they had sold it to someone more decisive than I and was ready to move on.  But Joy asked about the dress.  "Yes" the manager told us, they still had it, but in the back room, ready to get rid of it because it was the last one and they considered it..."dirty" from being on the outside mannequin.  Well goodness me.....first of all, again I didn't say that I was planning on buying it, or anything else. I just wanted to look at it more closely.  And secondly, I don't know about you, but I always WASH clothes before I wear them. So if it was a little dusty from being outside, I have no problem with that.

She retrieved the dress for me.  Joy encouraged me to try it on. Oh So Comfy!  I like clothes that don't really touch me.  Our mother was like that too.  Don't get me wrong. I am not saying that I want to wear baggy clothes, just not tight clothes.  Clothes that maybe are a wee bit roomy, something that merely suggests a shape, something that skims rather than clings. 

This dress was even better than that. Other than on my shoulders, it barely touches me at all. I love that in a dress.  And because it's sleeveless, if it's chilly out I could wear something long-sleeved under it. Or a sweater or jacket over it.  It can be worn with sandals, or flats or heels  or boots!  I see it being multi-seasonal.  It's black after all, even though there is a pattern.  A long black jacket would tone it down, a short white jacket would make it fun. A belt would cinch it in, but so would a white blouse tied in front.  Yes, I decided that I really liked this dress.

Because it was the last one, it was on sale.  $29 bucks.  Not bad.  Then because it was "dirty" she gave me another discount.  Sweet!  I did not intend to buy this dress.  But I did.  And I do not regret it for one second.  Sort of like a Happy Accident :)

By the way Joy found great pants too.  Really truly amazingly perfect pants, in fact! And that was, after all, the original goal.  So it was a terrifically successful Shopping Quest!  AND there was no dragon slaying was required.  Yay!