How I know that Abercrombie doesn't want my business...

My customer profile: thirty-something who reserves a significant portion of disposable income for unneeded fashion and refuses to dress her age (a girl's got to have some fun).

Dislikes: anything seriously "preppy", mom jeans, the color teal, sensible shoes, shoulder pads, button- down collars, ironing

Likes: anything 80s inspired but not officially retro, signature pieces to match with classics (like a silver belt, Chuck Taylors, my new yellow bag), lots of thin layers

I know, you can't tell any of this by looking at the picture on my blog...seriously, don't look directly at it. I was having a bad hair month and dressed in what I "should" wear, not what I wanted to wear. I'm over that now. I'm about to change it anyway.

So here is my point: I can't imagine who, aside from fabulously wealthy people, would spend more money on clothes than someone like me (at least as far as mainstream retailers go). I started taking the tags off of clothes when I first bought them so I don't have to go through the introspection involved with discovering a still-tagged item that I don't remember purchasing. Clothing retailers should be bending over backward for my customer profile, don't you think? You know, the kind of person that needs to drop bags off at the car to continue shopping?

So why, why, why do some retailers like Abercrombie play horrible music that makes our ears bleed? Evidently, that is part of the young shopping experience and while I think the whippersnappers can do without it, I can't tolerate it. I'm perfectly happy to live out my Peter Pan fashion persona by spending lots of money in their store. Just...can't...do...it. Ears are ringing just thinking about it.

Juxtapose that with The Gap, which just re-opened their store here in Bellevue Square. Really cute and fun clothes (enough for me to still feel like I am fooling the clock without making a total mockery of myself) that appeal to multiple age groups. My friend Suzanne and I had an extra special treat thanks to our new Gap buddy Derek B. who invited us to their re-opening event (my wallet is panting). Anyway, if you haven't checked out the Gap recently, you should (especially if you live here). I used to find their clothes too preppy, but now it seems they have added a little rock and that suits me well. Less "buttoned up", more "waiting to be discovered". And the lighting didn't make it perfectly obvious that I needed to maybe check out some eye cream on my way out of the mall.

Now, if someone tells me that Abercrombie intentionally plays that music to keep people like me out, I am going to be upset. Keep in mind that I could have a teenage kid so there would be a perfectly legitimate reason for  me to be in there, if you don't consider dressing age inappropriately a reasonable hobby.