Shopping tip for those that are nervous shoppers!

[Sindy]

If you haven't read any of my posts before, let me start off by saying that I am an extremly nervous shopper. Well, I just got back from the mall that is almost an hour drive for me, it was my second time there. The first time I left withhout buying a thing, to scared. The urge to get a couple of new outfits did not leave, so I decieded to try again. I walked in went straight to a store that I had scouted out as having some things that I had wanted from my last time there. Now, here is the trick I used on myself to ease my shopping:

I pulled out my cell phone, and pretended to be talking to "my girlfriend." No one there has to know I don't have one. I created an illusion of a conversation, saying things like, "Ok, I'm here, what is it you want me to get?, what size?, I think I found what you were looking for." Things like that. While I did feel a bit awkward talking to no one, people in the store did not know, all they knew was: Here is a guy that is treating his girlfriend good. I put the phone away and browsed around, picked up a total of 2 tops, a mini skirt and a pair of ruched pants that I have been wanting for a while. When I got to the register, I pulled out the trusty phone again, and even had the casheir repeat the amount loudly to the non person I was speaking to. With that I simply said "Did you hear that?, yeah I love you too, bye." The cashier seemed to get a good laugh out of that. No clue whatsoever that the items I bought were really for me.

So if you're a nervous shopper like me, you might want to try that out, it eased my nerves, it might ease yours also. As a side note, place your phone on silent mode, you don't want it to ring while your pretending to already be on it.

Do I feel a bit guilty about my ruse? Yes I do. Did I get what I wanted? Yes! Maybe after a few more times, I might not need my phone as a crutch.

These 2 cents brought to you by me,

[Deborah757]

HaHaHa Thats pretty funny. Just the picture of you talking to no one on a cellphone is hilarious.

Seriously though, NOBODY cares what you are buying. All the store wants is your money. And even if you run across someone who does care, if you don't know them it really doesn't matter. A strangers opinion of you is totally irrelevant.

That said, I totally understand your nervousness and I would be lying if I said I was not a bit nervous while shopping also.

I started shopping before there was an internet alternative. So, it was either get over it and shop, or do without. So, I got over it and shopped and have never had a bad experience. On a rare occasion somebody looks at me askance, but I don't care.

[Stephanie Brooks]

Great tactic Sindy! Oh and I got a chuckle out of having the phone in silent mode. ^_^

[katheverson]

That's a pretty good idea actually I have been needing to buy some more makeup, so I thought about taking a "list" to the Clinique counter and asking the salesperson to help me find what I need, all the while pretending that I'm picking it up for my wife...

Yeah, I'm a chicken...

[LA Woman]

That's a pretty good way to not raise suspicions, Sindy. It would have really sucked if the phone had rang while you were talking to nobody, though

LA Woman

[emmicd]

Shopping can be a bit nerve wracking but if you've done it a while you get used to it and you start to enjoy it. For me I enjoy shopping in the mall at big stores like Macy's, JC Penny, Kohl's, Target, Wal Mart. I alway wind up in the Womens/Juniors department. I enjoy buying pretty dresses and girls casual clothes. The one thing I usually have a difficult time buying is lingerie. I feel I stick out when I shop in the lingerie department.

I however have no trouble buying womens swimwear so maybe buying lingerie will become a little easier to buy.

I can order by phone though with Victoria's Secret and say I'm buying for both my wife and myself!

The VS rep, a woman says "That's really great!"

Makes me feel better!

Emmi

[GirlyBridget]

that's brilliant.

One thing I've done, is to go in and buy something totally absurd. The uglisest shirt or whatever that you can find. Make a joke out of it. Like no one would ever really wear this. Then go back the next day and act all seious and say stuff like "she didn't like it, I guess I should get something better. Then pick out whatever you like, or even ask for suggestions. You've got a fool proff alibi now. As long as the same people aren't working, it never fails.

[Adrianne]

I just go in and shop, i try dresses,skirts and jeans on all the time, i don't care i just take any notice of people.

[Wendy me]

good for you what ever works.........shop on.....

[suzym4u]

hahaha...I've also used the cell phone method of distraction when I first started shopping. It is a great idea Sindy, and it worked well.

[Adrianne]

I know for some of you it is hard to shop for clothes or makeup, do what ever works best for yourself, i know what it feels like as i was nervous once. Everyone got there own way of doing things.

Adrianne.

[Jesse69]

I shop at the time for womens clothes and I don't get nervous. I don't use any ruses too. But I never shopped for makeup with makeup ladies at a dept store - I would get uneasy with that. When you're fat and buy large sized clothes it's obvious they're for you so you'd be nervous. But if you're slim like me I can buy size 2 to 8 clothes that fit regular women so I'm not nervous at all. But sometimes people still guess I'm shopping for me.

Well, today I bought a size 6 Liz Clairborne pleated skirt suit - bought it mostly for the beautiful polyester skirt that will go with my other outfits. I always wanted a pleated skirt suit. The jacket that came with the suit - I don't like cuz it's double breasted - but the skirt was to kill for! Anyway, I had to pay for this suit at a thrift store in front of a bunch of people. Now, if I was nervous - they'd guess it was for me. But when I talked to the cashier I gave a confident unguilty response and so I guess people didn't suspect me. You have to have confidence when you buy womens clothes, and just pretend inside that you're buying it for a girlfriend. Besides, if I did have a girlfriend she would be mostly a size 4 to 8 anyway. So I buy clothes that can fit me and "her."

[susandrea]

I'm sure you already know this, but.....

If you want to shop for makeup in a dept. store go straight to the M.A.C. counter. They are very CD friendly. The two I go to have young men that work there that are in the M.A.C. "uniform" but are wearing makeup themselves.

M.A.C. has a huge drag queen following (my sister's sister-in-law works for M.A.C. and specializes in makeup designed especially for drag queens) so I doubt a CD would phase them!

Also, they sold a lipstick and lipgloss called "Sexie" to celebrate Eddie Izzard's last tour and it sold like hotcakes (and sold out very quickly). And I remember a huge pic of Elton John as a part of their "Viva Glam" promotion to raise money for AIDS research.

If you live in a small town you can always buy it over the net. Their makeup is among the very best, I think.

http://www.maccosmetics.com/templates/door/finder.tmpl

Also, their "Viva Glam" t-shirts are gorgeous---I'm getting one right now!

http://www.maccosmetics.com/template...shirts&x=0&y=0