Pencil Skirts and Condescension

I hate shopping at American Apparel. Certainly, they stock excellent basics, and some of their non-basics are even mildly covetable. But walking through that store is torture, torture! I mean, God, I had no idea there were enough hipsters in the city of Richmond to fully staff even one of these shops, but I guess you'd be surprised. The place just exudes purposeful condescension, which is something very difficult for me to stomach, especially from a very hairy cashier who is smugly wearing shiny black short-shorts. I suppose he was being ironic, as hipsters are wont to do. I was not impressed. Also, when did everything turn shiny? Is that really necessary? Aside from the ubiquitous golden leggings which I will never mention again, there were bikinis and leotards and other things that I feel don't need to be shimmery. Oh, and on the checkout counter, there was a box of those dreadful eighties aerobics headbands (in metallics, natch) that are meant to be worn around the forehead of the type of girl who decided stringy bangs were a great idea and Kirsten Dunst is a real inspiration. Niether of which statements are true, by the way, but American Apparel begs to differ. Sigh. Well, at least I am satisfied with the jersey pencil skirt that I finally went out and bought in gray. It really is lovely. It's just, gracious, I hate actually entering the store. I think I may have to perform all future transactions on line. Those shop clerks just make me want to roll my eyes and say oy vey. And I am not even Jewish.

Maddy

p.s.- In case you need them, here are some visual aides.

Good:

Bad:


Got it?