Earlier in the week, I had been planning to svelte at the gym, but Rashmi called with an urgent request for help. Her reunion was Saturday and she needed an outfit. Fortunately shopping DOES count as cardio. We trekked to the Basement since I pooh-poohed the paltry recent offerings at H&M. But at the Basement Rashmi enlightened me to a feature on the H&M website-- a virtual dressing room! My "ohs" and "ahs" piqued the interest of a fellow shopper who timidly turned around and inquired what we were talking about. It sounded that fabulous. (I should note here that of all places in Boston, the Basement is the one where you can be most friendly and candid with your fellow shopper. The intimacy in the no privacy and poorly lit dressing room is testament to that. If you haven't brought along a friend or a sister, you are completely within your rights to obtain the opinion of woman next to you. You're both in your skivvies-- who's going to lie?).
Fast forward to balmy Saturday. I decided to try the virtual dressing room out. I chose my body type, hair color and length (even nose shape!) and then entered the specific measurements of my personal self. As Rashmi promised, a decent likeness was turned out!
I then proceeded to try on jeans (including skinny jeans, which I would never ever try on in real life), swimsuits, blouses and dresses. The program then told me the actual size I would want from the store. The upside to this? No eye-averting cellulite and perpetually flattering "virtual" lighting. The downside? No sister with whom to commisserate on mis-sized dresses nor fellow shopper to rally around a $50 jacket purchase. Until the virtual dressing room can recreate this sisterhood, the actual Basement will continue to be a very real destination...at least after the kitchen gets cleaned.
2 comments:
I can't remember how to spell it but are you talking about Filene's "Basement" ? I visited it in 2003 and bought a Jerry Garcia tie which I am still rather proud of even though nobody has said to me, "Hey nice tie!". You sound vaguely like a shopaholic for which you can get counselling these days. I charge twenty five bucks an hour. All you have to do do is lie on my couch and close your eyes. Leave the rest to me.
Yes- Filene's Basement. I'm sorry you felt compelled to purchase a Jerry Garcia tie. Finally, I'll politely decline your offer of "service"-- as it turns out, shopping IS my therapy!
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