Clothes

Michael walked into the kitchen wearing one of the new shirts I'd bought for him.
"Did you wash this shirt?"

"Yes, I did." After I'd purchased this shirt for him, he informed me that he didn't care for it. Was he unhappy that I'd washed it so it was now unreturnable?

"Did you iron it?"

Well, I touched it up a bit with the iron. It is a wrinkle-free shirt so it didn't require much ironing. That is why I bought it." I was feeling the need to defend myself.

Michael laughed and held up a shiny, metal object for me to examine. "Well, I found this in the sleeve. I wonder how it survived being washed and you didn't see it when you ironed it."

Ah, it was one of those lovely little straight pins they put in men's shirts. I wracked my brain trying to remember if I'd ever purchased an article of clothing that came with so many little pins. Wait a minute, why do they do this with men's dress shirts? Why do they come in those plastic bags all neatly folded and pinned in place with stiff cardboard to help them keep their shape? I cannot think of any women's clothing that is kept as such. Folded and packaged shirts are not designed to be tried on while shopping. And then I got it. That was the whole point.

Men can walk into a store, know that they are a size 15 or whatever, (based on their neck size.) They stand in front of the display and all they need to do is pick out their desired color. Everything else is done for them. Now correct me if I'm wrong, but men come in all different shapes and sizes just like the ladies. So how in the world can they just pick up their size, never having tried it on and only have to deal with their choice of color and/or pattern? How convenient is that?

For those who don't know it, I am not a born-to-shop woman. Wouldn't life be grand if I could walk into a shop, have my pick of shirts based only on color/patter design and my neck size? I have no idea my neck size, but I cannot even imagine clothing manufacturers getting together and using the same sizing charts. I don't think it is possible. That is why the female gender has to try on their clothing before purchasing it. We have to hunt for our clothing, not unlike the cavemen of old who hunted for their daily food. Shopping is no easy task and trying on clothing in various sizes wastes so much time. I want my clothes folded in neat little bundles, laid out for me to pick the best color. I'll even wear the neckties that so many men complain about. Just give me perfect sizing no matter where I shop. I could learn to enjoy shopping and be in and out the way most men shop. I'll deal with the occasional missed pin that manages to escape unpacking, washing, drying, and even ironing. And if I get blood on my shirt from that forgotten pin and it is permanently stained, I won't mind going shopping for a new one.