Morning at the Mall

Thank you for all the birthday greetings. You helped ease the transition from 62 to 63!

My birthday was Saturday and I spent it with my family, but Friday was a birthday gift to myself: a day out en femme: a morning shopping and an afternoon tea.

Originally, I planned to dress to blend in at the mall wearing leggings and a tunic top, but I reconsidered and dressed up for the tea. I wore my new polka dot dress from Avon, black tights, black bag, and pearl jewelry. I also wore two pairs of shoes: black flats at the mall and black heels at the tea.

The temperature was supposed to be near 40°F, so I wore my black sweater coat, which would be adequate outdoors, but too warm in the mall. My goal at the mall was to shop for a lightweight coat.

I saw a houndstooth coat on the Torrid website that I wanted to check out, so when I arrived at the Meriden Westfield Mall at 10 AM, Torrid was the first store I visited.

At 10 AM, the mall is not busy. Workers are scurrying to their stores to begin the day and senior citizens are shopping or walking for exercise. As I was making my way through the mall to Torrid, a young woman walking faster than I, caught up with me and passed me by. As she passed, she turned back and said, “I love your jacket!”

“Thank-you,” I replied. “Good way to start the day,” I thought.

Entering Torrid, a saleswoman welcomed me and asked if I needed any assistance. When I told her about the houndstooth coat, she gave me a blank look and said that they did not have any houndstooth coats. She showed me a handful of jackets they had for sale, but they did not interest me, so I thanked her and departed.

There was a new store next door called Fashion to Figure that I noticed before I entered Torrid. The clothes on display in their storefront looked attractive and plus-sized, so after leaving Torrid, I entered Fashion to Figure. Turns out Fashion to Figure is in direct competition with Torrid focusing exclusively on clothing and related accessories for women and teenagers sized 12 to 26.

Two saleswomen greeted me as I entered the store and asked if I needed any help. I told them I was looking for a coat and one saleswoman showed me a rack of blue trench coats. I liked the color and style, tried on two sizes, found one that fit and loved how the coat looked on me.

The houndstooth coat on the Torrid website was on sale for $108, so I held my breath when I looked for the price tag of the Fashion to Figure trench coat. I was astonished when I saw that the coat only cost $32.50! Wow! I told the saleswoman that I would take it and would like to wear it out of the store.

Before she would let me go, she insisted that I try on a body shaper that they sold: a Squeem Miracle Vest. I had never heard of that brand before. It turned out to be unlike any body shaper I had ever worn. Read the description for the low-down about the shaper.

It was amazing!It gave me a new figure that was curvier than ever before and I was sold. I don't know why I didn't wear it out of the store like the trench coat, but for some reason, it did not occur to me to do so.

As I was getting ready to pay, I mentioned that it was my birthday and the saleswoman said I qualified for 25% discount during the month of my birthday if I joined their e-mail list. So I joined their list and as I opened my bag to fetch my wallet to pay for the coat and shaper, I noticed a beautiful black and coral peplum mesh dress on display that I had to try on.

I took two sizes to the dressing room and the first one I tried on fit like a glove and looked great. So I added another item to my shopping bag, paid for my purchases, and moved on. By the way, I loved the selection and prices at Fashion to Figure and plan to shop there often.

I had a 25% birthday discount coupon for Payless shoes and there was a store right across the way from Fashion to Figure, so that was my next stop.

I was so happy with the wedges that I bought last spring at Payless that I was looking for another pair. I perused the women's size 11-12-13 racks and found a half-dozen wedges to try on.

Only one pair fit: a mid-heel black pair, which was perfect because I was looking for something dressier than the casual wedges I already own. I paid for my purchase and wore them out of the store.

I walked around the mall, looking here and there, but I did not find anything else to buy. No one paid me much mind except for saleswomen who smiled and greeted me in various stores and a pair of 30- or 40-something guys, who were walking the mall for exercise. The two guys made no attempt to hide the fact that they were checking me out. I appreciated what they were doing, but feigned ignorance about what they were doing.

Next stop, the tea room.

 

 

 

Femulator.

 

 

 

Wearing Madeliene.