It is strange the things about your environment you take for granted. For example, in the U.S. I have stores I like to shop at, and know which ones I like for which reasons. Some are good for inexpensive things, others for quality, others for trendy. There are some stores I almost never go in because they are too expensive, or just not my style. Occasionally I will find I have misjudged a store and will recategorize it in my mind. Or a new store might open up and I will go in to investigate.
Here, all the stores are new to me. It would be nice if I could find parallels to my favorite places back home. There is a Payless equivalent, called Priceless (one of the upshots of buying cheap shoes is that you are almost guaranteed that they are not leather). I have found nothing like Target which is one of my favorite U.S. stores. And although I don't shop at the Gap often, I could have used one today since it is the only store I have found that makes jeans in my size (I have short legs).
John's loan money came today and so I set out to find a pair of skinny leg jeans. I wanted skinny jeans because the only waterproof shoes I have are my boots and they fit more easily over skinny jeans. I used to have a pair, but the library ruined them.
Having recently scoured the mall for 1940s clothing, I had learned that H&M has trendy clothing that isn't too expensive. I was pretty happy with their jeans, although they were all a bit long. But finding a decent store was only half the battle. The sizes over here are all different.
I started off with two pairs of jeans in the two smallest sizes I saw on the rack. To compound my private embarrassment, the skinny legs of the jeans were so close fitting I couldn't get the first pair over my calves. I tried on a total of 4 jeans before I found an appropriate size and style (because there are different kinds of skinny jeans).
The H&M jeans were less expensive than my Gap jeans and they are more or less what I was hunting for. I'd say, it was worth it for dry feet. And now I've conquered another aspect of living in England: shopping for jeans.
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5 comments:
I love H&M. Great deals and new stock daily. My nieces head straight to H&M when they are New York City. It does take a while to figure out the European sizing.
Long lines form outside the NYC 5th Ave store each morning before opening! Especially the Europeans who visit the store en masse.
My question to Mike is "Does he send Den to Sears for her overalls?"
We are really enjoying your blog.
H&M is one of Sarah's favorite stores. My favorite jeans are also from there :)
ah yes, you've discovered my favourite store--formerly only shopable outside of Atlanta--but now we have our own stores. yay!
Just so you know, there is a GAP in Norwich. London Street, just down the way from Jarrolds!
"Anonymous," I must have walked by it dozens of times. Don't know how I missed it. Anyway, I had fun going to stores that were new to me!
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