Shopping with boys

I took our son (age 10) to the mall to buy summer clothes. I wouldn’t call this shopping in the traditional sense that I, as a female, can relate to. We ripped through the store and grabbed items off the rack at lightning speed. The “try-on” stage would have been skipped entirely except for my rule that I won’t spend my money on any clothes I don’t see tried on, to make sure that they fit within reason. 

So we raced through the store to the dressing room. No one was in sight besides me -- a sign of recession? Son asked me to validate that his door was locked. I reiterated that no one was nearby; he locked the door anyway. Various thrashing sounds could be heard, then suddenly a pair of madras shorts came flying over the dressing room door accompanied by the words “too small.” Then another came flying – “too small.” Then the bathing suit came flying -- “just right.”

Out my son emerged with a new shirt on, saying “let’s go, I want to wear this home.” A clever ploy not to have to change back into his old shirt. End-to-end elapsed mall time clocked in at 11 minutes. At least boys outgrow clothes so there is an imperative to shop. With adult men, clothes aren’t replaced unless they are on fire or the men are metrosexuals. Yes, I like antiques, but I don’t expect one’s closet to qualify for an appraisal from Antiques Roadshow.

It’s no secret that most males don’t love shopping. I’ve labeled my husband Greg’s look of mall anguish as “shopping face,” a countenance that is one despair level down from Munch’s The Scream (see picture above). Girlfriends, do you know what I mean by shopping face? Which is why fathers will be disproportionately showered with golf shirts and other outfits for Father’s Day. It’s a win-win-win. We get to see them in new clothes, we don’t have to suffer through a day at the mall with them, and they avoid the same fate.

To be fair, I will follow up at some point with an entry about shopping with girls. Better yet, Greg can write that one. 

---Allison

Comments

[Maxine]

It's not true that men don't like shopping. They just don't like shopping for CLOTHES. Drop one in Home Depot and you won't see him for hours (I like Home Depot too, actually).

[Lisa]

Reminds me of our shopping experience...holding up clothes to my son's back while he was playing foosball with his brother at the thrift store. "Like this?" "Yes mom." As long as he didn't have to try it on, he liked it.

[Libby56]

How well I know shopping face. I will say this seems to be somewhat ameliorated by the time they are teens, if your wallet is at the ready, and if you walk ten feet ahead of them so no one suspects you are together, since by this time, they actually care about their clothes.

[Libby56]

...and shopping face in the teen years also gets better if you buy lunch at the food court, cappaccinos or smoothies at the fancy coffee place, and Burger King on the way home.

[RFH]

I do NOT like to go shopping at the mall. Too many cars, too many people, too damned slow.

That's why I like companies like Lands End, L.L. Bean, and Jos.A.Banks. Once you establish your sizes with them, you just pick up the phone or go online and order.

Fast, simple, and no trying on for sizes.

BTW, men do have it much easier with sizes, as they are relatively consistent and real numbers. I have 5 sisters and I really see how the clothing designers and manufacturers rip them off on inconsistent sizing schemes.