Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Clothes Shopping

I know, I probably turned many of you off right there, with the title. Clothes shopping! [Shudder.]

Well, recently I endeavoured to accomplish the above activity. Here's the catch - not for my children. For myself. I know! Crazy talk! But, see, I have only one skirt for Shabbat. I wear it every week, all Shabbat. I bought it around Sukkot time because I realized that post-Nadav, the choices were:
a. not breathe or
b. buy a new skirt

So, being such a big fan of oxygen, I bought a new skirt, but this beloved skirt has gone through a lot and now is all pilly and falling apart.

I thus set out on a quest to find a new skirt. A simple, straight, black/dark grey skirt. However, finding a new skirt that both fits AND looks nice - what can I say, I aim high - is quickly becoming a Herculean task. Only Hercules HAD skirts that fit him. Figures.

My go-to shop, Lord Kitsch, had nothing, though I doggedly check back every few days in case they suddenly receive a shipment of clothes with my name on them. ("I'm sorry, ma'am, I can't sell this to you. See here, it's clearly marked, 'Gila.'")

The other stores I went to had one of 2 problems:

1. They are, as my good friend David Silverstein would say, "dipped in chummus," meaning super-duper Israeli. You know the kind I'm talking about. Those big, swooshy skirts with layers and gathers and different fabrics and patterns that a Real Israeli can totally pull off and look gorgeous, but most of us imports try to wear it and it looks like we patched together an outfit using old wallpaper samples.

The other problem is the fabric. All these skirts are made of this clingy soft fabric. Now, I don't know about you people, but I am bumpy! And over the years, especially after the growing of and giving birth to 3 children (who, incidentally, have no problems finding clothing), I have only gotten bumpier. So this clingy soft fabric, it, well, clings. Am I the only person in Israel who does not want something clinging to all the bumps??????

2. Shop #2 is frummy. One needs to travel all the way to Kiryat Sefer to find these stores, but since one also needs plastic Shabbos sponges, one was heading there anyway. So I head into the store. Everything is all one color - black. Mixed in with a little grey. Perfect, I thought. Surely my skirt is hiding here. But these skirts all come with stuff. Belts, buttons, pleats, belts and pleats, buttons and belts, belted pleated buttons, you get the idea. These skirts are clearly meant to be paired with a button down shirt, tucked in.

And I am NOT a tucking-in kind of girl. Only in my Bais Yaakov days, where an untucked shirt led to a fine, did I tuck. Because if there's one thing I hate more than tucking, it's getting in trouble.

But lo these many years, I do not tuck. And if you do not tuck, you can't have belt buckles and buttons poking through your shirt. It just adds to the bumps. Remember those?

I'm considering fashioning an outfit out of the 6 packages of Shabbos sponges I bought. Thoughts?

17 comments:

SaraK said...

I want a photo of the sponge skirt, sounds like a great new trend.

Order stuff online, ship to Momz, have her bring it when she comes to visit?
I do well at Kohl's and Macy's.
Good luck!

OneTiredEma said...

And this is why I have not bought a new skirt since we got here....ta da!

I also can't figure it out, but I have similar...issues with the Israeli styles. But at the same time my American clothes are so wrong, wrong, wrong for this climate. It is a huge melafafon chamutz.

Eliana said...

If you don't like getting in trouble I would suggest against the sponge skirt :) LOL about the multi-fabric skirts. I have always wanted to look good in those. Chicos used to make a black traveller skirt which would be perfect for what you're looking for (I think)...maybe your mom could find one for you and bring it. I pretty much wear the same thing every Shabbos but find I have a closet full of clothes. That's a whole other phenomenon.
EM

Eliana said...

Not sure why my comment has my husband's name attached. Hmmm I'm new to bloggersville. How did that happen?
EM

Commenter Abbi said...

I love Israeli styles, so it doesn't bother me ( and i'm SUPER bumpy; I actually find the layering helps hide the bumps). Did you go into Hila under Rami Levi? I've always been pretty successful there.

Also, Crazy Line in the mall has fairly simple straightfoward clothes.

There's a reason so many women keep where their Rami Lee maternity skirts way, way, way after birth... :)

Gila Rose said...

True, the sponge skirt might be a little porous...not sure the Leibtag/Klein/Rose seder is really ready for something like that.

YES! I was in Hila and her sister stores right next door. Found nothing. Maybe I should be like you and just buy the multi-fabric/pattern stuff. And one of those complicated head wrappy things, to top it off.

Commenter Abbi said...

Sometimes, you just have to give in and embrace the wallpaper. Did you ask for help in Hila or just go through the clothes by yourself? I have found more success getting help. All the clothes and patterns can feel overwhelming, and then the lady picks through things and actually finds things that look normal on you.

My absolute favorite store in Israel is Cotton. There one in Malcha and in Ranaana. I've been going there since I got engaged and needed something for the party my inlaws made. The clothes are always comfy and flattering. But again, you need to get help, otherwise it just looks like you'll never find anything.

The head wrap is a must. I'm down with those new Amish-style ones now, with the ties at the end. And those African ones where you end up with a turban. How do they do that?

In short, I sympathize with you. :( I'm just looking for comfortable every day skirts, forget about chag. I love those A-line denim jobs with the funky trim, but they only seem to make them up to a size 10 and I'm way past that now.

Isreview said...

I always enjoy your humor! Fun post to read!
Picturing the sponge skirt....LOL thanks for the laugh:)
Good luck finding the skirt "that has your name on it".
---
Daniela
http://isreview1.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

Thank you to the commenters who suggested a MOMZ special delivery.

And you should all know that MOMZ would NEVER go on jcpenney.com and buy things that Gila might like and bring them to her even thought she INSISTED that she not do that.

Oh, no, MOMZ would NEVER.

Anonymous said...

Also Lands End might have some nice things but I'd never buy them and bring them with me because Gila said not to.

So I wouldn't.
What's the emoticon for an evil laugh?

Kathleen said...

The sponga skirt sounds a little difficult to make...and wear but would deserve a photo and blog post!

Lanie said...

Well in case the sponge skirt does not work out here in the US, Lego dresses are ALL the rage. As a mother of boys I'm sure you have extra.

http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/now_at_nine/fergie-wears-lego-dress-to-nickelodeon%27s-kids%E2%80%99-choice-awards,-is-it-appropriate

(warning, not terribly tznius in case anyone is sensitive to that. I'm obviously not)

Gila Rose said...

Abbi, maybe it's all about the attitude. If you think you can pull it off, you can! Like the little engine!

Momz, glad you listened to me and didn't buy clothes you will surely be returning....

Gila Rose said...

Lanie, clearly Fergie and I have similar shopping issues....do you think she has bumps also?

Baila said...

They say you can tell the year a woman made Aliya by the clothes she's wearing....

Commenter Abbi said...

Just wanted to report that I had a successful chag shopping experience in Cotton at Malcha (had a brit in J-m this am, so i just toodled on, pretending I didn't have to work). Despite being 8 months pregnant, I managed to find something vaguely flattering for seder night. You can too! You can do it! And the saleslady there is awesome. Which helps. Good luck.

Gila Rose said...

Thanks abbi! Probably won't make it before Pesach at this point, but I will definitely make a trip out there at some point.
And b'shaa tova!