OK,

WHO, in their RIGHT mind --

names a nice clothing store "steinmart"????

We have one in our area - and we've never even THOUGHT of going in -- in sounded like a grocery store.

Now I'm curious.

d.
(a miracle in motion) (lol)

The Stein family????????? I don't know either.

Uh...a Jewish family? I don't know.

Mrs. Madness, I was wondering what shopping is like in Russia. Is it the same as the U.S or different and if so, how?

Oh girls, oh girls, after giving away nine 55 gallon trash bags of clothing to a local charity, I have to give up on buying clothes for a while.

Disclaimer* I did find a wonderful pair of Italian shoes. Had to have them. My husband just shakes his head. "Dianne, we're cleaning out junk. What are you doing?" These shoes were calling my name. Hey, I did give away four pairs of shoes. That's a start, right?

I've rented a storage unit for my clothes in MN, close to our new place. I'll have the wardrobe boxes marked by season, etc. That way, I can exchange the clothing because my new closet is about the size of a postage stamp.

I am basically a catalog shopper but I discovered Steinmart and love, love that place. Yes they have upper class items but when they have a sale the prices and deals arr to die for. You can find things there that are found no where else. Check it out Danita, everything there but groceries...I can spend an entire day there and I hate to shop basically.

Dianne,
Have you thought of consignment shope to get your or some of you money back on your clothes and shoes . I have done that in the past . Just some thoughts on the matter . I have shopped at the consignment shops and there is what they call a clearing house for nice furniture . I purchased an Ethan Allen desk and a bookcase with it for about 800.00 not bad and looks like new and I love it in my office.

I thought about it but it required me to drive and drop them off. I was in the hurry up and get it done mode. Actually, I'd rather have a disadvantaged woman benefit.

Dianne,
You have a very good point there . I do also give to goodwill. I also donate to the local hospital here they have a nearly new sale and that is a tax write off for us. I have bought a lot of books in fact new books at the nearly new sale at the hospital.

I'm with Mrs. Madness on clothes. I love things that accentuate rather than hide.

I've bought some very nice good quality clothes at Steinmart. Things I would never have afforded at their original stores. I went to a snazzy Christmas party at a concert hall here in Moscow and wore a sapphire blue stretch velvet dress I bought at Steinmart a few years back. It's a lovely dress but....

American styles look squareish and conservative here.There is definately an American style that is different from other western countries. American clothes tend to be plainer, squarer, less body conscious. Most of the clothes I've bought in Russia are much much cuter than the standard clothes available in America; stretchy fabrics, clingy, with a more feminine tailoring. Less *utilitarian* than American clothes. Women here dress to look like women, wear clothes that flatter women's shapes, be they large or small, young or old.

One of the worst problems I'm having is shoes. In America I wear a 9 1/2, a hard size to find just about anywhere. That translates into a European 41 or 42 which is bigger beyond the range of women's shoes here (I'm only 5'4"!). When I bought my glitzy stiletto Roosky hooker boots I must have gone to, seriously, 30 or 40 shoe stores. Russian women's shoes stop at size 40. And these Russian girls, half of them are 6 feet tall. Where ever did they get such tiny little feet?? I have big honking American feet. And I cannot get shoes here. It has been a real problem.

I'd love those boots Mrs. Madness! I prefer stretchy, clingy styles too.

I don't think a woman needs to spend a fortune on clothes or cosmetics to look good.

My definition of "looking good" is this: when you look in the mirror at yourself, you are satisfied with the image there. That's all that counts.