Things That Bang

My best friend's getting married in a couple of months and the lady hates shopping. And that is the only thing we don't have in common. I love to shop.
There is something pleasant about trying on tons of clothes with a female friend inside the changing room telling you whether it looks good or not. Or trying on your tenth pair of shoe in the sixth shoe store.

For my best friend, however, shopping is an anathema. And currently trousseau shopping for her is pure torture and while she bemoans her plight over long distance calls; I, on the other hand, talk about shops and contacts where she could get snazzy clothes and good discounts. She wants me to shop for her and it doesn't seem a bad idea since I like to 'help' people shop.

Since I am very choosy about clothes many a times I land up browsing but not buying for myself but make others buy tons. This is a trait my elder sister and I have in common. We make people try on clothes, heap praises and virtually do the job of the sales people of the stores.

Retail therapy, obviously doesn't last for long. For there is always something better to be looked at and desired. Its a never ending cycle. But thankfully there isn't always stuff around which is worth hankering over. And thats when my girlfriends and I merely hang out at stores.

We hold clothes while they are still hanging on the hangers, stare at the price tag with a absent minded glance and talk about things completely unrelated to shopping.

Retail stores act as stress busters as well. A haven away from being whatever we are in our daily lives. Where we can just be women looking for stuff to make us look pretty. It can be the 'me time' for many.

But my best friend swears retail shopping its worse than suffering in Gitmo. She sees malls as places made of nightmares with zombie sales people, never ending Kenny G music and greasy jail house food courts. Worse still she is allergic to malls- literally. She breaks into hives in clothes stores- little bumps and rashes dot her pink skin and she scratches and mutters dozens of curses on my grinning head.

Getting back to my best friend's on going shopping she was quite pleased that I like to shop for guys as well. I do. I absolutely love men's clothes especially formals; even the ugliest man can look snazzy if dressed right but my best friend would rather chew her nails than step into a men's store and help her fiancé get all 'dolled' up.

Even my husband likes to shop for his own clothes but I kind of sneak in clothes into his wardrobe with a patronizing I can dress you better attitude.

Unfortunately for my friend we live hundreds of miles apart and I'm not rich enough to go back home (Delhi) just to help her shop. And maybe its right that she buys her own stuff and dolls up her man and fills up her car with shopping bags instead of me go Tyra Banks on her credit card.

Not that I am much of a fashion diva. Far from it. Its an innate female nesting trait where I want to bring in an extra twig or worm for the betterment of my family and friends through mall hunting.

Don't even get me started on the levels where they sell cosmetics. The smell of face chemicals is heaven on earth for me. I don't think I could ever shop till I drop. Maybe I should go live in China where they supposedly have 24/7 open stores and just for the kicks drag my best friend along with me.