Eat Drink Run Woman

I’ve never been much of a girly-girl, and as I’ve gotten older I’m less so. Sure, I like to look cute, but I just can’t be bothered with all the rigmarole. Rarely do I wear makeup, and I often go months without getting my hair trimmed. After all, when I cook I just slick my hair back into a ponytail and place a chef’s skullcap on top (I don’t think my clients would appreciate my hair in their food).

Mind you, when I do eventually get my hair cut and colored, I absolutely love it and wonder why I didn’t do so sooner. But inevitably several more months go by before I make another appointment (although given all the compliments I’ve received on my recent haircut, I think I’ll be visiting my hair stylist much more frequently).

Then there’s clothes shopping. UGH! I just can’t be bothered. However, my weight loss over the past two years has made shopping a necessary evil (yes, it’s a nice problem to have). I’m pretty much set for my winter clothes, but now that spring is here it’s time for a few more. Plus we have our France trip coming up, so my wardrobe needs to be classed up a bit. I just don’t think jeans and my Curious George, Spongebob Squarepants or Blinky the Eyelash Mite t-shirts are going to cut it in Paris. But I just detest the whole clothes-shopping experience.

As a tall woman, trying to find clothes that fit well has been a life-long hassle. During my teen years, if it weren’t for men’s Levis I’d be walking around in high-waters. (The men’s Levis came in different inseams, whereas the women’s jeans just came in a standard inseam). On the rare occasion I found women’s jeans or slacks that were long enough, I didn’t care how much I paid; they were MINE! These days it’s a bit easier finding longer pants, but I still often have to shop online to find them.

The other thing I hate about shopping is the sales clerks. Sure, they try to be helpful — “Is there anything I can help you find?” — but the problem is I rarely know WHAT I’m looking for. I’ll know it when I see it. I doubt if I were to say, “Yes, I’m looking for shoes/pants/tops/shorts/what-have-you that are cute, fit me well, don’t cost too much, are in a color I like, or in a color I don’t normally buy but once I try it on I see how flattering it is, are well made and aren’t too trendy. What do you have?” they’d know how to answer. So I just say, “No thanks, I’m just browsing.”

I also hate the whole clothes-trying-on ordeal. Inevitably I have to try on all sorts of sizes, so I end up sweaty with staticky hair. Plus, nothing makes me feel fatter or dumpier than the mirrors and lighting in a dressing room. And what’s up with those rooms with half doors? I’m tall, people! I don’t want to be showing the entire world my jumblies when I’m trying on tops. That’s probably why I end up with a lot of clothes from Costco. I just throw the item into my cart (sometimes in a couple of different sizes), try it on at home in front of MY mirror under MY lighting. If it doesn’t fit I just take it back and spend the money on a bag of peanut butter-filled pretzels. Easy peasy.

So, where I’m I going with this rant?

I had a short cook date yesterday (I was done by 2 p.m.) and since it was too hot to go running at that hour I decided to do some shopping. First up was Target (yes, I realize that’s not the best store for classier clothing, but I wanted to check out their fitness wear). I spied a really cute salmon-colored dress, along with a couple of fun summer tops. I also grabbed a Champion running skort. While I love Target, most of their clothes just don’t fit me well. All were discarded save for the skort (although I did score on a new hard-bottomed canvas tote for my cooking utensils).

I then headed across the street to The Mall. I don’t know what it is about malls, but they just seem to sap all of my energy. Fortunately there weren’t many people at 2 p.m. on a Monday (I can barely survive five minutes during the Christmas season), but I still wanted to get in and out rather quickly. I’d like to get another pair of dressier walking shoes for Paris (I just bought an adorable pair of black Keen Mary Janes at REI) so my first stop was Macy’s. While they had some very cute shoes, they were too casual. Next up was Nordstrom where I found some brown Merrells. I really thought I scored since it was the last pair of 9 1/2s they had, but unfortunately they were just a tad too big. I then headed up the escalator to check out other clothes, but only got a few feet into the second level when I got overwhelmed.

I often have luck at The Gap, so that was my next stop. This time, I did score. They actually had a pair of brown slacks in long (rarely do I find the longs in the retail stores; I typically have to go online). Even better — they were a size 10! Of course, I know I’m just kidding myself. I used to wear a size 10 when I was 20 pounds lighter, so I think there is some truth about U.S. clothing companies getting more generous with their sizing.

By now I lost all patience for finding dressier tops and shoes, but thought I’d swing through Macy’s once again to see if they had any good sales on fitness wear. Success! I scored the top you see in the photo for $19 (originally $38) and a long-sleeved Nike running top for just $15 (originally $40). Why is it I have much more luck with fitness clothing?

When my neighbor saw me in this get-up she dubbed me Sporty Spice (although given I just ran 8 miles, I think “Sweaty Spice” is more accurate).

“I’ll tell ya what I want, what I really-really want.”