Changing rooms are quite the bane of a shopaholic's life. Firstly there are the queues for a changing room. (Tip: Shop on weekdays if you can, there usually aren't any lines) Then you've got to try on all those outfits you picked up. Then you've got to decide which ones you want - not an easy task when the lighting's horrid and the mirrors make you want to go on an immediate starvation diet (despite the fact that you need to size down!). Finally there's your shopping companion. Either you have to wait till she finishes trying on stuff too - and allow her to have opinions on your clothes. Or you have one very bored boyfriend/husband/fiancé/guy pal waiting outside for you, who's now ready to declare war on all malls. It's enough to make you wonder if it's all worth it.
As we know, it is! Which is why I decided to chronicle my search for denim shorts (yes, I'm still looking) and take you into the changing rooms with me.
First up, the Zara store at Phoenix Marketcity in Kurla.
I really like this Zara. It's a large store, with numerous changing rooms and a great selection of their lines. As far as Mumbai is concerned, only the Oberoi mall one is better. (The range may be wide at their stand-alone store in town, but there aren't enough changing rooms vis a vis customers and the clothes are usually a mess.)
I chose half the shorts I could see, along with some other stuff that caught my eye and made a beeline for the changing rooms.
I'm still in the market for a pair of boyfriend jeans, which is why I tried these on. But they were the same old boyfriend jeans story. They fit perfectly on the thighs, and were nearly falling off my waist. Even in the pic, you can see how much they're sagging around my middle.
Also I wasn't that enthusiastic about the placement of the rips. Rips directly across the knee mean they will stretch every time you sit down. And that means your denim doesn't have a very long shelf life.
This dress looked adorable on the hanger. However, as you can see, 'adorable' doesn't always translate from hanger to body. I look like I'm in the final months of pregnancy - and I'm wearing an XS!!
The first pair of shorts on my quest. They looked great - until I tried to tuck the blouse into them. Then they looked so bulky, I resembled a drag queen (if you know what I mean...wink, wink) Needless to say, I stamped them 'Reject'.
The top I tried out with them was actually great. It's a trapeze-style blouse, and made for cute denim shorts. Sadly, seeing as how I don't have a pair of cute denim shorts, I couldn't purchase it. Why, you might ask, wouldn't you wear a trapeze-style blouse with trousers or jeans? Because, for some reason, this style of blouse only looks good with shorts and minis. I wind up looking like an expectant mum if I wear this style with anything else.
Shorts part deux were a disaster! They were so short, I rolled down the turned-up cuffs in order to take a decent pic. And they were still far too short. If you want to risk exposing your behind every time you move, you can try these. If not, I would steer very clear of them.
As this picture demonstrates, they're so short, they can barely be seen under this blouse! The blouse though, is adorable. I absolutely loved it! Unfortunately, it's one of those 'denim shorts only' blouses. I've got my eye on it though, and will probably purchase it after I get my perfect denim shorts.
I mean, just look at this little tie! How cute is this for summer and the monsoons? Why can't I find that perfect pair of denim shorts already!!
Also on the list of cute blouses I didn't buy was this top. I did like the cut, but I have a lot of the banker stripe stuff right now. True, I don't have a banker striped top. But I have a dress, a skirt and a pair of shorts. I just felt that this was one item too many in the same fabric. If you are on the look-out for a banker striped top though, this is a lovely one.
The last pair of denim shorts I tried on were these. They weren't bad. The length was right; the wash was right; they had rips - but not too many; the waist was perfect too. Unfortunately with just two steps, the entire from rode up. I'd have to keep pulling them down literally every alternate step, should I want to walk anywhere in them. So I retired them into the sales staffs' hands.
I was really enthusiastic about this white top I tried on with them, until I remembered we're barely a few weeks away from the start of the monsoons. White and our rains do not mix well - at all! I generally put my white tees away as soon as the first rains fall. I was debating picking this up and keeping it away till September. But I figure autumn will bring its own set of trends, and I'd rather buy those.
This chambray romper is just the cutest. Everyone who saw this pic asked me why the heck I didn't buy it. However, it has a zip up the back. Yes, a romper with a back zip. I seriously don't understand why Zara and Forever 21 do this! It's one thing to have a back zip on a dress. It's a dress, you have the freedom to wriggle around in it should the zip stick or be difficult to undo. A romper does not offer that leeway. Either have it do up the front, or not at all. I put this one back very sadly indeed. But I've had enough experience of rompers with back zippers to know that it's something to avoid.
I've always liked a good pair of formal-looking shorts. If you want some, this pair from Zara is a great option. They come in a variety of shades and patterns. I really like the cut, the length and the fit. While I didn't pick up this pair - I'm now avoiding white clothes when shopping - I had quite a time deciding between the navy pair and the black one. In fact, I'm still debating whether or not I should go back and get the black one too!
The last thing I tried on was this dress. Like pretty much everything I tried on, I loved it. Unluckily for me, it didn't love me back! While the bottom half fitted perfectly, the top half was all over the place.
As this pic demonstrates, it's sagging in the strangest areas. But it's so pretty that if my tailor returns from his village any time before the end of this month, I'll go back and buy it anyway.
And with that, I headed home. (First to the till, and then home. Hehehe) My search for denim shorts continues....stay tuned.
Till next time,
MumbaiGirl
IG: @maryannecp
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