Temptation? What Temptation?

Greetings from blog #19. Slightly longer gap between this and the last post, due to my travels and attention being elsewhere. Namely on running a workshop for 9 fabulous people in Melbourne, and catching up with friends in Sydney and Melbourne. This included an evening of improvisation that my pal Cindy in Sydney invited me to.... brings to mind that saying made famous by Woody Allen - the most fun with clothes on. Comes close.

So, here's what happened. In Sydney, I had no trouble avoiding shopping temptation, basically because I didn't go into any stores. Easy, right? Melbourne - slightly different story. I stayed with my friend Helen, who is a sensational image advisor and we went to one of those large, multi-story, divorce-inducing shopping centres that Australian suburbs boast so proudly. She had a small shopping errand to run (buy two new cami's from Witchery), and I decided to tag along. This was the first time I had been inside a women's clothing store, like properly and for real dude, since the challenge began in mid December. I even got to spend about 10 minutes inside the store, which is about 10 minutes longer than I've spent in a clothing store in about two months. You see....

Try it on. Don't mind me. Helen needed a few minutes to check out the cami section in the store, then to try them on. Yes, dear reader, she is a shopper of that particular ilk that prefers to try items of clothing on rather than purchase them untried-on (because she hates trying things on) and taking them home in the hope that they will fit. Not that I know anyone like that or do it myself. Well, ok, I do, but only for specific irritating things, like cami's. What I do instead is particularly ingenious and I'm sure the clothing stores don't mind one bit -- I just pull them tight across the bust region and if it visually looks like it might fit me, I purchase it. This is not a foolproof system, I should add as a warning for those considering dispensing with the whole Trying On process. Anyway, getting back to Witchery -- what all this checking out and trying on activity translated into was that I was left to my own devices for the aforementioned 10 minutes.

How did I go? Ok, that's the (what dollar amount is suitable for this question - $15?) -- That's the $15 dollar question (how does that sound?). Answer: really well! I did indeed wander around, rather than sit rigidly on the rather grubby couch staring rigidly ahead of me, not daring to look left nor right in case an item should capture my attention and demand, yes, demand, my attention. No, no, I wandered here, sallied there, picked up this, pulled out that, silently admired those earrings (and the yoga leggings - quite yum). Thing is -- and this is perhaps a confession of sorts -- shops like Witchery, which do great basics, don't really tempt me and haven't for years. That's because my own wardrobe is well stocked in the basics, and "we do the basics really well" stores, like Witchery, rarely offer anything that's innovative in cut, design or print (and that's not a criticism, because what they do offer is terrific). What really truly ruly deeply madly tempts me in stores these days are those that sell items that speak to my personality -- that are fun and funky and a bit innovative in some way. Quality animal print (in almost any item of clothing, from toes to ears and everything in between) almost always grabs my attention. And shakes me until my brain boils (ok, a mixed metaphor there, but you get the idea).

Temptation - ha! That's why my little trip into Witchery wasn't much of a test. Ok, it was a small test of sorts but it wasn't a bone-jarring, gut-twisting, heart-breaking test that I was in huge danger of failing. Now, if it had been a Macy's store during sale time -- then I'd be in trouble. But since I wasn't, all is well. Right?