Accomplishing Escapism

 I'm in California visiting with my lovely friend Gina, and we spent today shopping.  Only apparently California malls don't actually contain real stores - they have all been replaced with designer stores that charge more for a dress than I make in a month.

How is it that we, as a people (because God knows I do this too), have decided that it's not only acceptable but desirable to spend ludicrous amounts of money on clothing, simply because of the name on the label?  It's appalling that, on waltzing into, say, the Armani Exchange, one can find a shirt on sale for $200, and call it a great deal.  $200 for a shirt is not a great deal.  It is highway robbery, only worse because we submit to it with our eyes open our wallets at the ready.  And I don't want to hear about how designer clothes are so much more with the quality than, oh, a shirt I'd get at Old Navy.  A ribbed tank top is a ribbed tank top, whether you're paying $7 for it at Old Navy or $50 for it at Abercrombie & Fitch.

I don't know why this bugs me so much.  I'm tired of looking at beautiful things I can't afford just because someone, somewhere is loose enough with their money that they decided $1500 was a fair price for a babydoll dress.  If enough people decided enough was enough, that we would no longer shell out God knows how much money for clothes, maybe the hierarchy of labels would even out.  Or maybe not.  I dunno.

I did score some pretty awesome underwear at the Victoria's Secret sale.  Used my Angel card for the first time, too.  Wasn't a bad day, all in all.