Stores can be intimidating. Especially fancy stores.
The Rules
• I would force myself to go into as many upscale/snobby stores as possible.
• I would try things on.
• I would try not to FREAK OUT.
• If I found something I really liked and could afford, I would buy it.
First stop: Club Monaco.
The decor was wheat-themed which sort of put me at ease.
But things got a little intense when I realized the wheat was GROWING THROUGH THE WALL.
I ran to the dressing room to get away from the wall of wheat. This is how normal people take selfies, right?
Next I tried on a skirt that looked, to me, like something a cool boss robot would wear in the future in space.
Next stop: Barneys.
Walking in was mildly terrifying but the sight of these dog purses eased some of the tension.
They had a lot of interesting stuff like rainbow fur balls.
This metal tank top that cost more than three times my rent.
And this thing that looks like the dead body of Gossamer from Looney Tunes.
My big issue was with the mannequins. The male mannequins had heads. Meanwhile...
All the female mannequins had spikes instead of heads????
Next stop: AllSaints
This store seems to encourage a leather-jacket based wardrobe/lifestyle.
I've always been too scared to try on a leather jacket because I don't own any motorcycles.
I liked this dress but the dressing room gave off a scary abandoned hospital vibe.
Last stop: Rag & Bone.
Somehow I found the courage to try on this dress.
Surviving the fancy store challenge
Going into a bunch of fancy stores at once was like poking my anxiety with a stick. I felt on edge, like I had spent the day nervously watching someone walk on a tightrope. But all the employees at all the stores were nice. No one treated me like pre-makeover Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman.
As with most things I fear — cottage cheese, ghosts, all social interactions — there’s no great reason to be afraid. Forcing myself to shop at rich-people stores was a good reminder that you can push back against fear and discomfort. If I can go into a Rag & Bone and not throw up while falling into a display of wool fedoras, then maybe, just maybe, I can do anything.