I recently read in Pamela Paul’s book, 100 Things We Lost to The Internet, that window shopping was going by the way of the dodos.

Yesterday to get out of the house a bit, as I was getting a bit stir crazy (hubby can sit in front of the television from morning until midnight but I can’t), I headed out to Chadstone. It is said to be the largest shopping centre (mall) in the southern hemisphere and unfortunately, it’s near our house.

Anyway, that aside, Chadstone has its benefits when I wanted a change of scenery and the weather was crap. It’s a way of staving off boredom but invariably i come home even more bored.

I decided to go and do some window shopping before it became extinct.

I ended up having a great time by myself. I got dressed up for the occasion. A bootcut jean, a white cotton tee-shirt and my tweed vest. Some comfortable loafers that I could slip in and out of in dressing rooms. I was deliberately dressed in a way that I could try on clothes if the desire overtook me.

And it did.

When I go to a shopping centre, I need some Dutch courage. This means I have to have a cup of coffee and people watch. I found a quiet cafe first then decided which “wing” to tackle. The best thing was that the centre was relatively empty. Hardly anyone about being a Friday morning.

Maybe Pamela Paul was right? I mused about that while looking at everyone around me at the cafe with their heads down in their phones. There were more people in the cafe than wandering by the shops.

After paying for my coffee, I decided to just do one round. That is, follow the path around the cafe in one large circle. That made for about 20% of the size of the centre. Whatever shop that took my interest, I’d stop at and look at its display.

So I walked.

I noticed a lot of shops selling sportswear and runners (sneakers). Just how many sneakers can someone have?!

I looked around the passer bys and saw their footwear of choice. Runners. Every one of them. I looked down at mine. Leather loafers. I answered my own question. I was obviously in the minority.

Maybe these stores provide a community service?

I stopped outside the Tesla store. They had removed the windows. I looked at the two cars they had on display. The sales guy looked up from his clipboard and our eyes met. Then for a split second afterwards, he looked down and continued writing. I knew that look. It was the look of “she’s definitely not a Tesla fan”. If I could have spoken to him I would have said that my quizzical visage was not due to the car but why he was using a clipboard. I hadn’t seen one in years and it just looked “odd” with him standing near a Tesla with one in his hands. It could have been an iPad but get, this is my story so I’ll tell it my way.

I walked on.

To be honest, nothing was piquing my curiosity until I came to Country Road. I don’t mind this store because it sells classic pieces but the explosion of pinks and bling on everything made my eyes sore.

I wondered why there’s this obsession to put brand names in HUGE letters on everything. Along bag straps, on accessories, on everything.

A walking billboard for the brands you’re wearing.

That’s what consumers have been reduced to. (Just wait until AI gets into the shopping experience as it’ll get a lot worse. That’s when you may have your AI generated image in your own body measurements showing how clothes will fit on you).

A sales rep asked me if I needed help and I asked if there were any accessories that didn’t have the brand name slathered all over it. She just continued sorting out clothes on the hanger.

I walked on to another store which appealed to me greatly. The window display was full of tweeds, blue cotton shirts, camel coats, understated accessories. I had never gone into this store before even though it’s a well known brand in Melbourne.

As I perused the racks, I had no intention of buying anything but I liked how everything was put together. I decided to try on all their blazers which is an item of clothing I don’t have.

I tried on four of them while the store’s personal stylist saw me and then helped me out. All my clothes have been customised for my body (thanks to a mum who’s an excellent seamstress) so whenever I try clothes from a store, I’m never entirely happy with how they hang on me. Besides, if I buy a piece, I have to contend with my mother who laments why I spent hundreds of dollars on something that she could have made using recycled material or for less the price. So I hardly if ever, buy clothes.

Nevertheless it was fun to try them out. The stylist looked at me and then cajoled me to wear a camel coat.

“But camel is not my colouring,” I said.

“I can see from the light here that it gives your face light!” She responded.

Mmm. Someone had once said never trust the light in the shops either. The coat was over $500 too. I had no item of clothing that was camel coloured in my wardrobe.

“I have no camel coloured items in my wardrobe,” I said.

“Go on try it!” She pushed me into dressing room and I put it on.

To be fair, the long overcoat was nice but the colour made me look yellow. I quickly thought of excuses to counteract the suggestions she was making.

I came out and handed it to her.

“It looks so lovely. It is beautifully made. Please put it in so I can see it on you”. She did. This was HER coat. She looked fabulous in it. I complimented her on her style and we laughed.

In the end, I was polite and mentioned that I’d like to invest (that was the word) in an item that made me light up as much as that coat made her. I thanked her for allowing me to try on something different that I wouldn’t have chosen for myself and I walked out of the store empty handed.

In some way, I felt a bit bad that I had spent all this time trying on a whole heap of their clothing. They’re obviously trying to make a sale but at the same time, I really have no reason to get dressed like that anymore.

In the past, when I used to work in corporate offices, I would have a great selection of clothes that would be worn but now, getting dressed up is usually a pair of jeans and a shirt. That’s it. Some people don’t even do that. Clothing is a lot casual with many opting for sweatshirts and pants as everyday wear. Jeans are also becoming passé.

No wonder there were so many stores selling sneakers.

After a couple of hours, I decided to return home empty handed.

Andrew looked up from the tv and asked me what I did.

Meh, nothing much I said and plonked down on the couch next to him.