Since I work out of my home, and set my own schedule, that leaves my days pretty much open. I like to call the period of the day (late morning) when I workout the "hooker and housewife" hour, because basically who else has the free time to work out and take exercise classes at that time? Yet, I'm always surprised by the amount of people wearing business casual on their way into or out of the locker room.
Shopping is another example. This morning, curiosity got the better of me and I decided to go to the Barney's Warehouse Sale. I'm far from a clotheshorse, but ever since I saw a relatively decent shirt at Macy's that was marked down from $45 to $1, I figure it never hurts to just see what's available. Now experience and observation has taught me that in general men's departments are relatively sparse during the day. It tends to be mostly retirees, house husbands, college students, and freelancers like myself.
Apparently, not at this joint.
Wall to wall of people in suits doing trades and business deals over the phone while going through the racks and bins like they were looking for the Golden Ticket. It was insane. I don't know how they got the time off, because all the white-collar workers I know tell me that they only get time to themselves from 11-1 if they're lucky and don't have a backlog of work.
I realise that I'm approaching this from a level of relative ignorance (given my own situation), but I couldn't help but wonder why these people weren't at work. On the news every night, I hear about jobs being scarce for everyone save the upper classes. Now, I'm the first person to say that your job shouldn't be the focus of your life, and perhaps the fact that people were flocking to a sale as opposed to the regular store is a sign that people want to get a lot more for their money, but there seemed to be a strong sense of desperation in the air at the warehouse. It was like the patrons wanted to buy the clothes that made them look wealthy and devil-may-care, when the reality was exactly the opposite.
The line for the cash registers was one of the longest I've seen outside of theme parks. Nearby, a very prominent sign read "No fistfights." I think this was meant only partially in jest. As I was heading towards the register I heard a man complain to one of the assistants about "the bottleneck." I wanted to point out to him that if he's getting irritated by that, then he really should look into why his life is scheduled to such a frentic state.
They're just clothes, and contrary to famous saying, they do not make the man.
4 comments:
Like you, I work from home and am always SHOCKED when I find lines places during the day. It's not so surprising now that I'm in Woo because it is more suburban (cringe) but even when I was in Boston. I know you and I aren't the only writers in the world but honestly, Where Do These People Come From????
I went to the Barney's Warehouse sale in Santa Monica thinking I might get a bargain as well. WRONG. Granted, a designer suit marked down from $1000 to $500 and $350 jeans that are so generously marked down to $150 are good deals in theory, but on my secretary's salary? With my debtload? Sorry.
Still, it was a funny sight...this sale in an airplane hanger with cheesy industry types getting all their power-suits at half-price and skinny wanna-be-starlets changing clothes in the aisles.
I like to shop, never buy unless it's on sale... but I have no patience in lines.
I was holding a shirt, slax and a jersey in line the other day. There were three people in front of me, I became irritated and left.
Get me a valium!
BTW... did you finally make your purchase?
Oh yes, although in the frenzy I forgot that jeans are really tight and you need to get a size larger.
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