What's the BIG Difference?
“Do you think I should pick up this dress material?” I ask pointing at the simple but elegant chikankaari material displayed on the mannequin.
“Yes, I think you should. It looks nice”, replies my shopping companion.
“Yeah, everything looks nice on a mannequin.”
As we step into the shop, the young shopkeeper eagerly asks, “Ma’m, would like to see more patterns and more colors?” for which I reply, “Why not?” while my friend goes, “No, don’t offer woman a choice.” I choose to ignore his remark while plunging into the onerous task of finding The One occasionally pausing to consult my friend “You think I should go for this one or that one?”
He adjusts his spectacles to clearly indicate he cannot see the difference between the two. As I begin to pull a long face, he doles out his fave quote, “Only a woman can tell the difference between white, off-white, and ivory”. I completely disagree for I still cannot tell the difference between magenta and maroon, saffron and orange, ebony and ivory . . . I am digressing, so back to my story.
He repeats, “Yaar, what’s the difference? How does it matter what you buy?” I quickly offer an explanation to my friend, who has a high IQ in academics but a pitiable IQ in fashion and other worldly matters, concluding that it DOES matter and that I wouldn’t be shelling out money on something that my friends would not consider new or pretty. Immediately he snaps, “Are you buying for yourself or to impress others?” Try as I might I failed to make the schmuck understand that these are the unwritten and unbreachable laws of etiquette followed by women worldwide.
Having chosen The One after considerable deliberation, we are only eager to head towards the dressmakers. My friend is more than happy to have found a stool to perch his derriere while the shop assistant hands me a laminated card. Holding the card, I turn to him and ask, “Now tell me which neck design will suit this dress?” and he goes, “No NOT AGAIN. What’s the BIG difference?”
Morals of the story:
- Shopping isn’t fun; it is serious business and a lot of hard work. Only we make it look like fun :-)
- Whoever said being a woman is easy must escort a woman on one of her shopping expeditions to learn about the hardships involved in making difficult choices.
- Shopping is the only way we can take our sweet revenge on the male species by using his credit card, by making him chauffeur us, and worse still having him accompany us :-) Small wonder that shrinks recommend shopping as a therapy when we are dumped or depressed.
Labels: ChikTalk