shopping with alexander

So here’s the plan.  I’m meeting Alexander in Bloomingdale’s shoe department as he needs new shoes.  Last June I spent $150 on a pair of sneakers; here they are today:

Alexander’s first question upon meeting me is, “How long will this take?”  I roll my eyes and say, “Listen, I’m doing this for you.  I have no idea how long this will take.”  Another woman (obviously a mom) overhears the conversation and smiles at me knowingly.

The shoes Alexander wants (the same ones as last year) are not available in his size.

We then go to the shirt department, which is basically an entire floor.  Alexander is working in an office this summer and he is short on dress shirts.  Today is the last day of Bloomingdale’s big June sale.  There are complicated, multi-tiered discounts everywhere that involve formulas even Jamie Dimon wouldn’t understand.  It’s hard to know how much anything costs except that it costs less than the tag says.  

I end up buying Alexander some gorgeous Billy Reid dress shirts that start at $185 but end up more than half off.  Same with four Vineyard Vine ties, and a couple of gorgeous linen casual tops also by Billy Reid.

Alexander’s patience (little that there is of it) disappears entirely after trying on two shirts.  He says we have to leave as he is meeting some friends for dinner.  I later learn he’s not.  He just thinks it's a good enough excuse to get us to leave the store.  


 Alexander loves wearing nice clothes, but his idea of shopping for them goes something like this:  “Why don’t you just buy them, bring them home, and whatever I don’t like, or doesn’t fit, you can return.”  I have to admit, his plan would definitely be a more pleasant way to shop.