DRUG STORE COUTURE My Night In My Walgreens Dress

Posted by Lisa C. on May 23, 2012 in CLOTHES, MIAMI FUN, NIGHTLIFE, STYLE | 4 comments

Ok so as a little social experiment I decided to test if men really care about what a woman wears. Are they more attracted to the essence of the woman or the dress she’s in? I sort of already knew my answer. For years and years I’ve always preferred looking great for less. Even with a six-figure Manhattan income I still remember hitting H&M on the corner of 42(nd) and 5(th). Forever21 is a staple. I went to my 20^th year high school reunion in a $24 dress from Forever21.

I find that women, especially ones who are insecure at the core, make the mistake of spending too much money on clothes. Who are they trying to impress? Most likely, they are trying to impress other women. So being that I’m confident and secure with who I am and don’t ever live my life impressing women but instead to impress men, I decided to find a dress at Walgreens yes, Walgreens as in the drug store with it’s new location on 10^th and Alton right downstairs from my apartment. I found a lovely little coral sundress for $19.99 and wore it out on a Friday night to a very chic local hotspot called HAVEN.

While many men do notice a well dressed woman in high end designer labels the vast majority do not. What they do notice is the woman, her essence and how she carries herself. It really doesn’t matter if it’s Chanel or Charlotte Russe. A man looks at the confidence and class shining through.

The dress is stretchy at the top like a 1970’s tube top with adjustable straps. Then the bottom portion is to the knee with embroidery and these little clear sequins clustered throughout. I genuinely like the dress but am considering taking it up about 2 – 3 inches. This is Miami after all and in Miami, women show leg.

Ok so, I walked into HAVEN and within oh, 34 seconds I was approached by two men. They were friendly and polite and struck up conversation. They asked me what I did and I told them I am a blogger which always sparks the questions. What do you blog about? What else do you do? Are you making money off your blog? That then launches into my explaining that I’m a marketing consultant with 17 years experience. This leads these guys to know that a.) I’m not 28 and b.) I’m not a gold digger and c.) I’m from New York.

They asked if I wanted a drink and being that I am a HUGE HUGE fan of HAVEN’s sangria I suggested it and started with a red one. DEEELISH!

I figured I’d use this captive audience as sources for my article and asked them what they think about women who spend a lot of money on their clothes. Here’s how the conversation went:

ME: So I’m working on a blog and a vlog about women and their absurd thinking that they need to spend a ton of money on their clothes. My theory is that men notice the woman and her essence above and beyond the dress.

Jacobo: I agree 100%. I have seen plenty of women in Chanel and know underneath they are trash. I have also seen women in a simple Banana Republic dress and they look amazing. It’s not about the designer labels it’s more about the woman.

ME: ok so Banana Republic is slumming it?

Jacobo: Well I mean it’s more affordable than say, Dior.

ME: True True but what if a woman wears a dress she found at let’s say Walgreen’s?

Jacobo: Walgreen’s like the Drug Store?

ME: laughing YES!!

Jacabo: Do they even sell clothes at Walgreen’s?

ME: laughing harder, YES! They do. You like my dress?

Jacobo: That dress is from Walgreen’s? You see you proved my point. A woman who is confident and beautiful and not fake can go to a drug store and find a dress and wear it to a place like this and meet men no problem.

ME: Yes and I can also get Skittles, Vitamin Water and some Tylenol PM in the same store.

Jacobo:  laughing, see a sense of humor is very sexy. So are good smiles. You have an amazing smile. You must get that about 20 times a day.

ME: Well it depends on my mood. Sometimes I’m just in my own head and some shittard will tell me to smile as if I am put on this earth for his viewing pleasure.

Jacobo: Some men make me embarrassed to be a man.

ME: Well thank you. Yes, I brush and floss.

The guys were very cool. They wanted me to join them for more partying at another location but I had other plans (more like other hopes). I saw my friend Kenny and what seemed to be a girlfriend based on the make out sessions on the dance floor! Go Kenny! She’s a lovely lady. Good for you.

My friend and social media guru, Julian Sula agreed to film some video about my “Drug Store Couture.” He was hanging out with a little lovely whose Dior shoes caught my attention. I might not spend money on shoes because I’d step on gum or scuff them, but I can appreciate great shoes.

I had enough of being out and the manfriend with benefits (the one who led to my abysmal attempt at a dude detox, yeah him) laughed at something I texted him and locked his door with keys inside. So he was locked out of his apartment and I told him he can crash at my place. (Go ahead groan, I know… I’m awful. So much for my new found resolve for my detox.)

So here I am all pretty in my $19.99 coral Walgreen’s dress thinking this manfriend will see me, think I look lovely and will pick me up like Richard Gere does to Debra Winger in Officer and A Gentleman, take me upstairs and make sensual passionate friends with benefits lust to me. Yeah, umm… not so much.

 

There was no sensual kissing on my terrace. There wasn’t any kissing anywhere. There was back peddling and rejection and I was furious. I felt like the good girl and not a Babe In Total Control of Herself (B.I.T.C.H). My Walgreen’s dress was removed by me. I was slamming doors. I was like the little kid at Walgreen’s who wants candy and his mom flat out says NO! The manfriend was sent to sofa exile because his lack of interest in me thanks to his big interest in Johnny Walker. I was pissed. Then I got sad, really sad. Then I got sleepy.

I woke up the next morning.  Manfriend was still on my sofa. I had to make a decision and quick. Am I to start my day with the same, pissy attitude I went to bed with? Or…do I just be happy go lucky me and see where the day takes me. I decided to be happy. Turned out his landlord wasn’t able to let him into his apartment until mid afternoon. We hung out, watched highlights on Sportscenter, chatted about work and life and the retarded people of this city we call home (at least for now). It was typical conversation for us. The dude cracks me up. I made us lunch and then he left. I had the rest of the day to myself and plenty of time to think. I came up with a new mantra.

When it comes to clothes it’s ok to look for deals and look amazing for less but when it comes to men and what I want to give them and get from them IT’s gotta be COUTURE all the way.

As many women, when it comes to certain things I’m incredibly confident with a full understanding and appreciation for who I am and what my standards are. So I can rock a $20 dress and know that I’ll look great, will get guys to look at me, talk to me yadda yadda. BUT… what I need to work on is not getting my cage rattled when the guy I WANT doesn’t want me back. I need to get my ego in check, the same ego that has zero problem rocking a $20 dress among women in $200 dresses.

I have to understand that the same way I can’t turn a Walgreen’s dress into a Dolce Gabbana, I can’t make a guy become something different nor make him feel something different. Despite the fact that he’s attracted, that the sexual chemistry is hotter than Bruce Willis and Cybil Shepherd on Moonlighting, that he likes me, laughs at my wit, thinks I’m smart and wonderful and confides in me. It is what it is. I totally get it. Ladies, I’ll break it down like this. Have you ever seen this amazing dress at a store and then try it on and you’re underwhelmed? It’s not you. The issue is the way the dress looks on you. You saw it on the hanger and had visions of you looking amazing in it. You set up an expectation in your mind. Then you go into the fitting room, try it on and eh, it just doesn’t fit right. You try the a larger size thinking you can have it altered to your frame. NOPE! Doesn’t work. You can’t figure out why this dress just isn’t doing it for you and you may even get sad or frustrated about it. For this man, I am that dress. Great on the hanger but after trying it on, not so much. And sorry but this little dress of a woman needs to be a closet staple. The go-to dress that you ALWAYS feel great in that holds up for years and never goes out of style.

When I shop I look at a garment and ask if it’s worthy of space in my closet or drawers. I need to ask the same of men. They don’t all need to be hung with care wrapped in plastic and hand washed. Some can be folded and placed nicely in a drawer. They serve a purpose if they don’t then I determine I don’t really need this garment and I pass it by.

I know for sure manfriend will be a friend. I’ve turned a corner with him as a person, beyond the physical and I truly do consider him one of the few good, trusted friends I’ve met in Miami. So what if he’s an adultolecent with serious commitment issues who pretty much needs to create a woman like they did on Weird Science. In many ways I am the same. It’s okay. I get it. I decided just as I do with an article of clothing that this person is worthy of some space in my closet of life. My $20 Walgreen’s dress got a hanger and a spot in my closet right next to my other dresses. I’ll totally wear it again.