Still, make sure you make it in to the dressing room: once there, surrounded by half-dressed men or women (depending on the room you choose), you will be enveloped by a sense of brother- or-sister-hood.
The naked strangers around you will act as long-time friends, and you will respond the same way, telling people who you wouldn't give the time of day to on the T, "That looks great on you. Do you work out?" People who would feel shame appearing naked in front of others under any other circumstance are united by a common room is the great equalizer. Rich and poor, fat and thin are all naked together, and comfortable in their nudity. It's like Romper Room...only naked.
As you emerge from the dressing room, the good half of your personality having overcome the bad, you pay for your purchases with a sense of pride. You smart shopper, you. As the bag says, "I just got a bargain."
Loving a bargain is universal. It is the equivalent of a good kill after a long hunt. You feel intelligent, attractive, savvy. Shouting a bargain from the rooftops, however, is an uniquely American tendency. Especially in New England, our culture admires thrift as well as appearances.
In my junior year in high school I participated on a two-week exchange program with a French family. Towards the end of my stay, When I had won my new-found family's trust and had become "one of them," they took me on a secret journey. After blindfoldingme and driving through many back alleys, theybrought me to a discount store, a French Filene'sBasement, if you can stretch your imagination. Itwas called Tatou and its bags were a trademarkpink-and-white gingham check pattern. I rememberbecause as we approached the store the streetswere littered with these begs. People would buysomething, leave the store, throw out their bagand put the merchandise into a backpack or anotherplastic bag. They weren't pound of their bargains.They were almost ashamed. I still shudder to thinkof it. They didn't want anyone to know they hadjust gotten a bargain!
It's difficult to understand, but culturalbarriers do exist. Perhaps if all leaders ofnations would get naked and try on clothestogether, maybe we could each some level ofunderstanding. But I digress.
The image of the forsaken Tatou bags is hard toreconcile with the black and white Filene'sBasement bags with "I just got a bargain!"scrawled across them. These begs provoke so muchenvy, so much admiration.
Last night, I dreamt of my ideal garment. Itwould be a black dress with the "I just got abargain!" logo written across it several times. Itwould be tight; a cotton-lycra blend, probably. Itwould not be subtle. After all, if you've got itat Filene's Basement, really flaunt it