Among Friends

[Enufstuff]

@Kachina624   When you mentioned making a coat out of a wool blanket, it triggered a really bad memory. When I was about 9 or 10 my father bought the UGLIEST coat for me. I could have cried, when he made me wear it.

   If you are familiar with Hudson Bay blankets, you will know what I mean. It was a cream color wool car coat or 3/4 length.

It had three big horizontal bands of color, red, yellow and green.

It didn't have buttons, it had these metal hook kind of clasps. I

felt like I was wearing a horse blanket. That wasn't bad enough.

   To make it worse, I had to wear it with a red wool hat. It was

like a beret(which would have been cute). But, it had a small visor, like a man's cap. Oh, how I hated that hat. The hat had an, um, sort of "accident". My Cocker Spaniel chewed it up.

C'est domage!( What a pity!) That was the end of that god awful, ugly thing.  He also bought me red tights, when they first came out. No one else was wearing them and the school kids teased me and called me "red legs".

  Things got better. At Christmas time, when I was 10, my aunt took me to New York City for a weekend. In the 50's people dressed up to fly. So, we went shopping and I got a pretty, princess seam wool coat. I always liked girly things and I still do. (Too much stuff)

   I will add, at the airport, was Senator John F. Kennedy. I didn't know who he was. My aunt said, "Go ask him for his

autograph." I was too shy. I had no idea that he might someday be president.

[Kachina624]

@Enufstuff    Quite a trip down memory lane.  I know those Hudson Bay textiles, okay as a blanket but very unflattering for clothing with those wide horizontal stripes.

I remember when we "dressed" for airplane trips.  Boy, have times changed!

[Twins Mom]

Strolled through our Macys about a month ago, going down memory lane since its now closed, along with Dillards and Sears.  Its truly sad since so many important items were purchased at that mall.  Not to mention our visits with Santa.   My needs are less in retirement but gifting is not easy without the mall.  I miss having a mall to stroll through.

[AngelPuppy1]

We have nothing much here at all.  Penneys left years ago.  Macys went out a couple years ago, as did the Bon-Ton.  We lost Ross (which was fun for odds and ends) a year or so ago.  Macy's and Bon-Ton were my go-to stores.  I am lost without them!  The only half decent store we have now is Kohl's.  I like it, but it's hit or miss and can't compare with the other two.  

If I want to go to a "real" mall, I have to travel almost an hour and most of these stores are not stores that I like or would shop at.  

[SoCal Bred]

In my neighborhood there are (2) malls within a 10 min drive to each, one mall closed Macy's, JC Penney's and in both malls closed Sear's sometime ago.  I have not set foot in a mall in a long time, no desire to now.  There is a Kohl's store about 15 min away.  Most of the major dept stores are gone in my area, would rather do online shopping just for the convenience.

[CANDLEQUEEN]

We lost Boston Store, Penneys, and Sears in our local Mall...Now we only have Kohl's Dept Store! It is such a shame. We never had a Macy's or Nordstrom either....

I would have to go about 45 minutes away to the nearest bigger mall for Nordstrom's and Macy's....

[shoptilyadropagain]

My local mall (next town over) is practically bare and all the anchor stores have left so the best shopping we have is Kohl's but I haven't been fond of their clothing selection in the last few years.  I have to drive an hour just to get a Macy's, Penny's or a Von Maur and I wasn't too impressed with all three the last time I was in them.  I prefer to shop in person but, unfortunately, I've been forced to shop mostly online.

[RedTop]

The only stores I know about in our mall are JC Penney, Belk, Roses, Rural King, and Bath and Body Works.  Belk is the only store I've been in since I retired and I entered it directly.  I haven't walked thru the mall for at least 15 years.  

[Shanus]

@ECBG   When Covid hit, I realized the advantage of online shopping. I rarely go to the mall. The sites I frequent have free ship and free returns...it's a pain to go online to get the labels to mail things back, but I find the stores in the mall are short of help and have long lines and poor CS.

If I find an item in the store, they often don't have my size or color that I wanted. Online I can go to search and 90% of the time, if I shop early enough, I find what I need.

Nordstrom carries no petites in the store and very little online now. In fact ,it seems many lines are not making petites. 

I get constant emails with great discounts to the sites I frequent, so rather stay away from the mall...flu season, too.

I doubt I'm the only one who's been converted to online shopping since stores are stacked high with merchandise. 

[Cookie2025]

Macy's and Nordstrom's.  

I rarely shop in Macy's - usually I am picking up a purse or underwear but that's it.

Three blocks away is TJMaxx (my fav) and Marshall's.  Home Goods is there too.