So this last weekend, we went up to Denver for my audition for America's Got Talent. I felt great about it! We'll see what happens with it. But we got done way sooner than we expected. So we decided to play around Denver for the afternoon. We went to lunch at P.F. Chang's so I could endulge in the best eggrolls I've ever had. We didn't really know what else to do, because Denver is fairly expensive. The zoo was packed, so that was a no go.
Everytime we drive into or out of Denver, we pass by Park Meadows Mall. Justin always tells me it is this real swanky mall. Very fancy, upscale places. And by the looks of it outside, it is! Well, it should've been anyway, but we'll get to that in a minute. So I told Justin that it'd be fun to go check it out. We didn't have to spend anything, I just wanted us to feel fancy. :-)
So we go. And upon looking at the outside of the building, I have to admit, I was a little intimidated. Maybe a mall isn't always just a mall. We went in to the Nordstrom entrance. I had never been in a Nordstrom before. I have to admit, it was pretty nice. Nothing super fancy. Slightly more upscale than, say, Macy's. There was a guy there playing the piano (which, incidently, he was playing "Open Arms" by Journey, which was my audition song), and some very cushy chairs (which Justin said were for the guys. He said it, not me.) Oh, and the women's fitting room was called the "Women's Lounge". Maybe I wasn't fancy enough to be in this mall after all. We stepped outside into the main mall, and that's where the fancy pretty well ended.
With the exception of the pathways being carpetted, all the stores were pretty much the same as what I'd see in a Colorado Springs mall. There was an Abercrombie and Fitch, Victoria's Secret, Hot Topic (that was a little unexpected), and several other "staple" stores. I did see a Coach store, as well as a M-A-C store...which is just makeup. Higher label makeup. So that was a bit new for me.
We headed towards our entrance in Nordstrom, and I looked closer at the clothes. While cute, they weren't all that different than what I could find at Wal-mart, Kohl's, or ROSS. In fact, I'm pretty sure I'd seen some of those labels at ROSS. So out of curiosity, I picked up a price tag on a fairly basic blouse. $140!!!!!!!!! For a frickin' shirt!!!! My curiosity had piqued. I picked up a pair of boots....$225!!!!! And I had literally seen the same style of boots at Wal-mart. These ones were just higher up on the leg. I couldn't believe what I was seeing!
Are these clothes and shoes really made so much better than those found at Walmart? I mean, I have stuff in my closet and drawers that are from the "cheap" places and I've had them for years! It was at that point that I knew I wasn't fancy enough for this place. Nor was I snooty enough either. I mean it. The people in there actually looked at me like they didn't know me, and what the hell was I doing in their store.
I even went to Victoria's Secret to actually get properly fitted for a bra. I'm not a small girl. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm quite top heavy. The lady measured me and actually gave me a look of "What the hell are you doing here?" while saying (in perfect customer service tone) "Unfortunately, we don't carry those sizes. You could try Nordstrom." I'd hate to see what they charge for a basic plus size bra.
My point in this rant/review of my Park Meadows Mall experience: I'll stick to my cheap stores. While I want to scream nearly everytime I'm in Walmart, I still feel fairly welcome there. I feel normal. I don't feel like I should have a special brand of clothes on just to be in there.
And the truth? A mall, is a mall, is a mall. They really are all the same.
Thank you for following along in my babbles.
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