Hi, Everyone!
There are some things you don't want to lose: your money, your reputation, your hope, your job, your SO (well, in the case of the last two, maybe sometimes). But there are some things it might be good to lose, and it seems to me that one of them is your inhibitions.
A couple of days ago I went to Dublin--not specifically for shopping. I went for another purpose that required me to be in drab, but of course since I was there I had to do some shopping. There were things I needed.
I was hardly off the train when I was passing by a shop and saw one of the things I was looking for: a nice pair of boots that would be very comfortable for all the walking that I do. So I went in the shop where there was no one but the sales guy. I pointed out the boots I wanted, and since they were a size that might fit me, I sat down and tried them on. They were too small, so he brought me the next size up. I tried them on, and they were good. So I paid him, he put them in a bag for me, he said thanks, I said thanks, and that was it.
Next shop I went into I found a lovely skirt, even though I wasn't really looking for one. But I had to have this one. One problem: I couldn't be sure it would fit. If a skirt has an elastic waistband, I can tell by looking at it if it will fit, so there's no need to try it on. But this one didn't. I thought it would fit, but I wasn't going to buy it without trying it on. So I just went to the changing room and tried it on with nothing but a curtain separating me and the world. It fit perfectly so I took it.
(And it was only €8. Who would argue with that? Turned out the management would. They were having a liquidation sale--70% off everything. So I got it for €2.40. So who would argue with that?)
Next shop: I found some slacks I thought might do me. As much as I hate trousers, it's that time of year when you have to have at least one or two. I found a couple that I thought might do me. That is, I was looking at them the way I've always looked at male jeans: I buy them to fit at the waist. If they're too long--which they always are--I find a seamstress to cut them off and hem them for me. The ones I was looking at looked like they might fit me in the waist, which was all I was hoping for.
So I asked the elderly saleslady where the changing room was. She pointed it out to me, and I went in and tried them on. Wonder of wonders! They not only fit in the waist, but the length was also perfect. First time in my life I've ever bought trousers that actually fit everywhere. I shook my head and said to myself, "I really should be a woman."
Note that in none of these shops did anybody question what I was doing. I was making it quite obvious that I'm "one of those", but nobody cared.
It's great when you lose your inhibitions. You make things a lot easier on yourself. I think this may be the last shopping trip I have in drab. I've lost so many inhibitions already, I might as well lose the rest of them.
Best wishes, Annabelle