Apparently I’ve been shopping in the wrong racial demographic for all these years.
A few weeks ago, Teddi took me shopping at a store called “Ashley Stewart” in Cheltenham. I’d never heard of it or gone in before and was my usual anti-shopping, grouchy, skeptical self as we walked through the front door.
As I glanced around I saw a number of things I thought were cute, but didn’t bother sifting through the racks because the store didn’t say “plus sized” anywhere, so I mentally assumed it was a store for ‘normal’ people, and not for me.
As I followed Teddi morosely through the racks I must have admired something or other because she picked it up and shoved it into my arms, directing me toward the fitting room.
To my utter shock, it fit. I tried on more, it all fit. Everything fit, nothing was insanely priced, everything was decently made, and everything was cute. A lot of it was even sexy. And if shopping at Lane Bryant and Fashion Bug Plus for most of my life has taught me anything – it’s that sexy clothes are a BIG NO NO for overweight women.
Not so here.
What strange, loving wonderland had I blundered into? What was this place?
Apparently the key was that Ashley Stewart is a clothing store for black women.
Apparently designers for black women think its perfectly okay to celebrate the generous curves of a woman’s body and let them be sexy instead of punishing them with cheap, overpriced, poorly designed clothes in horrendous mumu-type fabrics.
Holy crap… who knew this was even possible?
Great post. I'll have to see if there's some Ashley Stewart around here.
ReplyDeleteYou are so funny! I am glad you had a enjoyable shopping experience. They use to have a outlet store on Chestnut Street. I think they moved.
ReplyDelete-Rita
Yup, they did move to 9th & Market, but it is not a outlet store :(
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you found a better store! And I like the new profile picture a lot. But, I liked the old one too.
ReplyDelete@ Rita - I'd love to see an outlet store from these guys, and find more stores like them. The sales ladies were SO nice too, they were laughing a bit at my amazement.
ReplyDelete@ Charles - Thanks! I kicked my hair color up to the next level with some Manic Panic dye and wanted to show it off. That color is called "Wildfire". Their company slogan cracks me up; it's "Live fast and dye your hair".