Purses With Purposes

Sunday, April 07,, 2024

Weeks ago, while working in the Men’s Department, my customer was a college-age man who was about to travel to Europe. He bought a suit and accouterments, sportswear, and luggage for that trip and then asked if the store carried men’s shoulder bags. Learning it doesn’t, he said he’d shop for one elsewhere.

I used to live in Southern California, where many men carried good leather shoulder bags and looked very cool. Now, in Central Oregon’s predominantly country-like Western culture, men carry leather shoulder bags, but only types made for holding tools. Essentially, around here, there’s no romance, at least not yet, regarding men and shoulder bags.

In the history of fashion, men have led the way and women have adopted their clothing accouterments. As to shoulder bags, men have carried them for centuries. Of course, styles evolve, and today’s leather shoulder bags are a modern take on tradition. Many men consider the bags a masculine accessory.

Yesterday, I thought about that and remembered my young customer, while looking at a display of women’s bags. I need a shoulder bag, myself, one with a strap or two that won’t slip off my shoulder. My tendency to slump might cause strap slipping, and working out at a gym could help that; I consider it. Meanwhile, I want a strapped catch-all that moves with me and stays on my shoulder.

I usually resist carrying that traditional feminine accessory. I’m happiest having in my pocket what’s needed and just going. But it’s different since I’m working part-time and want to have certain items handy, like portable snacks, lightweight outerwear, my wallet, cellphone, reading material, and maybe (just maybe) gym clothes.

Dear Friends: Carrying a bag or not depends on one’s needs and preferences. Diana

Tipping The Scales

Sunday, March 17, 2024

Happy St. Paddy’s Day!

Yesterday, I was assigned to the fancy dress area in the large department store where I work part-time. We stayed busy helping folks and checking out dressy items for those with big plans on this day. Typically, we in retail assist many who wait until the “last minute” before rushing out to find special-event clothing. Yesterday, many of our customers tried on lots of clothing. We were hurrying back and forth, doing lots of rehanging.

One customer surprised me by pointing to a dress and saying, “Isn’t that a snake print?” I turned and looked at the dress’s mottled pattern, which I liked but confused me. We moved closer and examined the fabric. She was correct, and the pattern was “snake.” The woman suddenly pointed to my blouse and said, “You’re wearing a snake pattern!” I looked down, shocked to see my blouse closely matching the snake dress.

This blouse! For a long time, I had wondered about its mottled pattern, which I liked and didn’t. As usual, I was reminded that discoveries mostly come from living and learning. Now understanding the fabric, I suddenly felt a genuine affection for my snake blouse and pride in wearing it. At that moment, too, my customer, loving that snake dress decided to take it home.

Later, while checking out another customer’s selections of very expensive clothing, I asked if she was preparing for an occasion. She said she’s soon going to Indonesia to attend a conference on wildlife biology; she is a career biologist and studies amphibians. I told her about seeing a partially albino Robin and wondering why it steadily followed a normal-colored and unusually fat Robin. My customer’s take made more sense than my assumption yesterday that the albino was a fledging.

She pointed out that, in fact, it’s now the spring mating season. Maybe that’s why the albino was following the bigger bird. It also suggests that the fat Robin was full of eggs.

Dear Friends: Mundane workdays may offer learning opportunities. Diana

Changes

Sunday, March 10, 2024

Finally, I understand why I’m writing this blog later than the unofficial, typical timeline. You’ll be guessing right: I forgot to change my clocks. Not really, because only two don’t change themselves, and so I think little about time changes. Today, however, I emerged from beneath my comfy comforter wondering why it was so late. I wandered through the house, befuddled by the too-bright early daylight. Finally, cranking up my computer reminded me of DST.

That means I’ll be late for work unless I start moving quickly. I’ll pause to share a bit of fun. On Friday, the department store where I work hosted its annual employee recognition event. I couldn’t attend because I had to stay home with a crew fixing a serious furnace issue.

Throughout last week, the department store’s employees cast private votes identifying employees they considered the best in various categories. Yesterday, I showed up to work and learned I’d been very narrowly beaten for “best dressed” by a long-time employee who’s won year after year. To be fair, she always dresses fashionably and she deserved to win. Everyone, including her, enjoyed that she had serious competition for the first time.

I especially feel this way because working in retail clothing has returned me to fashion. That’s what I hoped for after years of riding horseback and wearing rags. Last summer, I attended an event where I didn’t have the “right clothing.” I was unsure about how to improve my wardrobe, felt out of touch, and didn’t know what looks are in fashion or where to find help.

I decided to search for work in retail clothing, to learn. It happened I chose the right place. The company’s motto, Own Your Style, inspires and invigorates me. I examined women’s clothing racks, decided what I liked, and before long, bought pieces of clothing. In that workplace, I started practicing wearing them.

It’s important to feel comfortable in one’s clothing, and practicing has helped me get used to being in my choices. I’m not trying to be a fashion plate; I simply wish to learn how to mix and match contemporary pieces. The playing has brought encouraging feedback from coworkers and customers, and to my surprise, earned those fun votes.

I’m glad that my coworker won again; I’m also pleased to be voted a nearly as good dresser at work. The upside of this story is that I have appropriate wearables for most occasions. Unfortunately, it also has a downside; after months of working, I’ve brought home little money.

Dear Friends: I’m still recognizable for continuing to wear beloved rags otherwise. Diana

Tying Up

Sunday, March 03,, 2024

Yesterday, my job in a large department store had me working in the Men’s Department. I met a couple examining suit jackets, and the man was trying on some. They were preparing to leave in April on a cruise ship that’s headed to exotic places. He’s not bought new clothes in quite a while, and although not particularly happy or comfortable, dutifully tried on shirts and jackets.

I’m very slightly aware of trends in men’s clothing, but did assisyt the couple by searching for sizes and colors they wanted. They proceeded slowly, we became acquainted, and I enjoyed helping them. At some point, they had selected jackets, shirts, and pants and asked me to select some neckties.

I know too little about neckties and approached several large tables. Each was covered in a seemingly endless bunch of neckties, an astonishing array of colors and patterns. Here’s the thing, I like neckties, but have clear preferences and opinions about them as fashion. I enjoy looking at ties and imagining clothing they’d go well with.

However, working in Men’s has taught me that someone might sound casual, as in, “Find me a tie,” but he actually has opinions and preferences. So staring at ties, I’m pushing aside my preferences as too confident for my customer’s comfort. Finally, I picked out a few ties with subtle patterns that color-wise blended with his clothing selections. In the end, that couple themselves selected his ties.

I needed some training on necktie selling and asked a savvy coworker to help me. We went to the tie tables. He chose several he liked and explained why, saying red is a power color, and certain blues go well on the blue shirts he loves, and to him a very subtle paisley is playful. I realized that he plans carefully for wearables at meetings and casual gatherings (typically, he doesn’t wear neckties).

I pointed to my favorite tie, covered in a “tiny flowers” design, and no surprise, he wasn’t interested in it. Earlier, I had sensed that my customer would avoid a flower pattern. My friend and I stared at the tie; it’s not particlarly feminine but has tiny flowers.

This is Women’s History Month. Back when social changes began evolving, socially awakened men wore neckties sporting complex designs and patterns. Back then, tiny flowers would have fitted into modern wardrobes.

At that moment, I decided to start on a learning journey–by buying that tie and wearing it to work. My friend gave me a lesson on necktie tying. Then, the tie’s price made me gasp; Who knew! Maybe expense is one reason men very carefully and specifically select ties.

I brought the flowered tie. Today, I will practice tying and arranging it on a boy-style shirt.

Dear Friends: Working offers learning and fun challenges, so make things happen. Diana

I’m With Charlie

Saturday, February 10, 2024

I laughed at his mom’s capture of Charlie while she tried on Intimates.

The Store’s customers make it fun to be a part-time worker. Charlie’s person is the sort of pleasant customer who eases my “afterward job” of picking up and putting away. At the bottom line, fun wins everybody over.

Working in Intimates has taught me that “women and bras” are a phenomenon more interesting than I could have imagined. Many women out shopping try on bras, not a few at a time, but dozens at once. Often they leave without purchasing or complain that nothing “works” for them.

Upon entering newly vacated dressing rooms, I often see masses of bras hanging randomly or tried on and dumped on the floor. Yesterday, my inner-self cheered kudos to Charlie’s mom for having picked up and neatly re-hung her try-ons. We working in Intimates must ensure that tried-on bras are correctly rehung (yes, there’s a formula) and then we search to relocate each among a baker’s dozens of bra racks.

So much bra trying-on makes me wonder if it’s a fetish among some women. Of course, there are good reasons, like post-surgery or weight changes, for trying on lots of bras. What strikes me as odd is the high number of customers who try on lots of bras all at once, surely outnumbering women who have genuine needs.

Reasons matter little as to why so many shoppers select bunches of bras, try them on, and then hang them loosely or toss them onto the floor. What’s real is the complex business of selling bras. Customers in Intimates clearly articulate their intense and common dislike for having to shop for and wear bras. Anyway, I knew this; we all know this.

Dear Friends: Psychological babble from an observer in Intimates. Diana