Ann Taylor Loft, Where Normal Rules of Time and Space Do Not Apply

Dear Diary,

Shopping for clothes is a traumatic experience for me. This is because:

- I am somewhat agoraphobic
- I generally dislike being physically close to strangers
- Especially unattractive and/or rude ones
- I hate parking lots and fluorescent lights
- I have an extremely short attention span
- I don't like spending money unless there is a vacation involved and/or extravagant toys for my dogs

Add to that the fact that I have a very healthy relationship with my own body image and I'd rather DIE than have to wear a size 6 and... you get the idea. I hate shopping, even for shoes.

But today I was forced to because we are going out to fancy-ish dinner for New Year's Eve and I have nothing to wear, as usual. Well I have plenty to wear, but most of it is in a bag at the bottom of my closet marked "dry cleaning". Meant to get on that.

Anyway, enter Ann Taylor Loft. I like to go there because it is not in a mall, but rather in a small, tasteful shopping center that my agoraphobic self can handle. The clientele are mostly attractive, smartly-dressed women, another bonus. Also they have lots of nautical-inspired clothes, of which I am partial. And now for the clincher. At Ann Taylor Loft, I am apparently a size zero. That's right. Zee Row. So if you're tired of the mall and feeling a little fat, I recommend taking a trip down the rabbit hole and heading down to the Loft. One nautical stripe shirt, a black skirt and 2 enamel bangles later, I've forgotten all about how the Gap keeps trying to nudge me up to a size 6. Shopping crisis averted.

Ahoy!
Love, Fluffy