Fashion: infinity, Marmot: 1

Well, perhaps it's not that bad, but usually when I go shopping for clothes, I feel like fashion wins. Especially when I go alone. Often I am looking for a specific thing that seems simple, but no one has it. Which makes me feel like an eejit. And if I do find things to try on, I don't have any confidence in my decisions. I find something I like, but then I think, "Will I ever wear this? Can I pull it off? Do I really like the color green?" and I am filled with despair and fear, and I leave without buying anything. Or worse, I buy something and later have to take it back. Or don't take it back and it moulders in my closet for 1.5 years and then goes to the Goodwill. What frustrates me is I have such a hard time predicting as I'm shopping which clothes will become that 20% you wear 80% of the time. If I could somehow see the future and see how much I'd actually wear the piece of clothing, I could see whether it was a good value at the asking price. OR if I had a time machine and could go back in time and buy 2 more of my very favorite pieces of clothing.

So I got a little fold-out postcard from Lucy (www.lucy.com) with $25 a $100 purchase. Now their stuff is expensive. They have like $48 cotton T-shirts, for example (this in particular gives me the urge to emit a high-pitched screech while my eyes bug out of my head.) But it's all comfortable sporty stuff, which apart from jeans is all I really ever feel like wearing. There was a cute quilted vest that caught my eye in the postcard so I thought if I am a big enough sucker to buy this *$78* vest I will surely find something moderately priced on their sale rack to bump the price up over $100 and then I'll save some money. I even calculated before leaving for the mall that if the something on the sale rack was between $22 and $25, I would get the price of the vest down to $60.

First I went to QFC and got a 4-pack of Triple-Chocolate Dove ice cream bars, thinking that having (melting) frozen food with me would encourage me to be speedy with my shopping at Lucy. For the record, if you have my capacity for distraction and indecisiveness in retail establishments, this is not a good method.

So I got the quilted vest to try on in two colors. It was very cute. Then I went through the sale racks and found oodles of things to try on that I sort of liked. They were all between $20 and $30 dollars and none were must-haves so there was quite a herd of them to send to the dressing room. And then I took a pass through the other corner of the store before I headed to the dressing room, fingering materials as I went. And something felt familiar... it was THOSE PANTS.

I got a pair of pants at Lucy a year ago. I got them regular price so it was really exorbitant for me--more than I spend on a pair of jeans. But the fit was nice, and the material was just so yummy and soft so I bought them. This pair of pants quickly became my Favorite Pants (Non-Jean)TM. Since they are stretchy knit pants, they are of course much comfier than jeans. The material is amazing. It's very very soft inside and out, so I ALWAYS want to put them on, especially after a hot yoga class and a shower (apres-pant.) And if I get bored, I can pet my legs. (oh so soft!) They have a roll-top waist (which I love--hugs so snug without creating a belly pooch.) The cut is fitted in the waist and hips but roomy in the legs, so it's not so tight in the legs as to make you feel conspicuously outlined or like you shouldn't be wearing them if you aren't exercising. The material isn't too thick, so it doesn't get bunchy UP THERE, but thick enough so panty line is indetectable with most types of underwear.

So I splurged and bought two pairs. They were regular price, but as much as I wear these pants, it's MERE PENNIES, I tell you. ;) I'd send you the link from the Lucy website, but apparently I'm not the only freak in love with these pants--they must be sold out because they're not on their website anymore. They're called "Harmony Pant" if you want to go in the store.