The Coldwater Creek Experience

On our way back from a friend's wedding in Oconomowoc, we stopped at Mayfair, a very nice mall in Milwaukee. We rarely visit malls anymore - I, for one, don't seem to have the patience for shopping, unless it's for books or supplies on Etsy, or the occasional visit to Assemblage Studio in De Pere. And for me, one of the WORST excursions is the dreaded chore of clothes shopping.

I know I'm not alone here, but I also know that there are women who LOVE to do this.

Really? Maybe it's because I'm not exactly at my fighting weight, but I can't think of anything I'd rather not do is waste my Saturday afternoon trying on ill-fitting garments. So I think Brian was perplexed when I asked him if he'd mind if we took a quick stroll through Coldwater Creek.

Now, Coldwater Creek is a lovely store, and this isn't the first time I'd ever visited or purchased something there. And I did find a lovely short orange jacket that would be perfect for fall! It fit just right, so I figured that I'd better not tempt fate and get the H outta there while the gettin' was good. As I made my way through the checkout line, though, I realized something, something that shouldn't surprise me but did anyway -

I'm one of those ladies that shops at Coldwater Creek.

I have now joined the ranks of the "too-old-for-The Limited-but-too-young-for-Christopher Banks" group. Now mind you, my sister Jen, who is only 13 months younger than me (she'll be 40 in 2 months!), can get away with much "younger" clothes than I ever could. She's also in extremely good shape and works hard maintaining her health, something I could definitely take a lesson in. She works at a really cool clothing store in Madison where size "L" is for women who weigh 120 lbs. I prefer shopping at stores where the "L" means "just under circus tent size". This size psychology is ridiculous, I realize, but you have to admit - if you're used to wearing a 14 and you can fit into some store's size 12, you're going to mention it to someone, aren't you?

"Hey Mel, what size do you wear?"

"Oh, well, it depends, but mainly a 12."

See how that works? And Coldwater Creek knows it. I tried on that jacket yesterday in a 16, because that's just the size I thought I'd need. And when I swam in it, it was a mini triumph. So the 14, which is my normal pant size, felt like it was made just for me. And the price was right, so I bought it.

Now, if someone could only make the petite sizes for people taller than 5'1"......