Minor Complaint

Okay, I know this is completely unimportant, but I just can't resist whining every once in a while.

Why, oh way, must "they" do such horrible things with women's fashion? I'm not talking about the ridiculous things they get up to on the runways; we all know those are stupid and un-wearable. What I'm talking about is regular everyday stuff that you (many of you anyway) and I are supposed to buy and wear on a daily basis. Everywhere you go you find things that are silly, inconvenient, poorly made, and downright embarrassing.

Several times now, I've gone out looking for reasonably priced sweaters in natural fibers. In the men’s department you can find any number of nice, simple, inexpensive (often $20-$30) wool and cotton options. Unfortunately, these are cut for men (boxes) and the sizes tend to run large (go figure). Therefore, a person is left with the schlock they call "separates" in the ladies department.

First of all are the fibers. Oh the horror of a purple knit item made from something called "tricot." Every single ridge of a person's fingerprint catches on this nasty stuff and creates (at least for me) that awful nails-on-chalkboard sensation. Don't get me wrong, I don't object to human-made fibers in principle, I love my fleece after all, but I just can't stand some of the textures.

Next, is the annoying tendency to create sweaters that wrap, tie, ruche, hook, belt, gather, or (god forbid) lace. It turns out that sweaters stay on just fine without ANY of these extra details. Not once, in my entire sweater wearing career, has a sweater gone flying off willy-nilly! I am willing to accept a decent cardigan or two, but that is about it.

Last, and perhaps most horrifying, is what passes as sweater decoration. As it turns out, I am a grown-up, and I do not need or want any type of characters on my clothing. This includes all Disney images, Hello Kitty, and every other cutsie-poo animal motif. Same goes for flags, most flowers, butterflies, hearts, and clever sayings as well. Leave off the weird collars, fuzzy do-dads, odd buttons, huge buttons, appliqués, and all the other horrible stuff. What is so hard about making plain, simple sweaters in nice shapes and pretty colors?

Yes, yes, I know I could find what I am looking for a J. Crew, L.L. Beane, or Eddie Bauer, but that is the yuppie solution. On top of everything else, I do not wish to spend $80-$120 on a single item. Also, I like to be able to try things on before I buy, so the internet is not really an option. The search continues...