Breanna and I went shopping this afternoon at the local mall. Our goal was to find a yellow dress for Breanna to wear to her cousin’s wedding reception tomorrow. I don’t mind shopping but I prefer doing it in a bigger city where I have more than three department stores from which to choose. Shopping in Idaho is a little like gambling, which is not something I enjoy, even though I’m off to Las Vegas on Sunday. Here’s a replay of our trip:
Department store number one (Dillard’s) has no yellow girls dresses. Breanna is tall for her age so I try the juniors section where we find one yellow dress in the smallest size available. No go. It makes Breanna look too grown up. She needs a girl dress.
Department store number two (Macy’s). No yellow dresses.
Department store number three (JC Penney’s). Jackpot. Three styles of yellow dresses. We find the perfect fit and then go looking for a slip since the dress fabric is sheer.
We can’t find any.
I approach the saleswoman who is ringing up a customer’s purchase from behind the counter. “Where can we find girls slips?”
“They’ve been recalled,” says the saleswoman.
“Recalled?” I said, thinking I hadn’t heard right.
“Yes, recalled.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. There are no slips in the entire mall.” She begins to help another customer.
Breanna looks up at me. “What does recalled mean?”
“It’s when a company takes all their merchandise back because there’s something wrong with it, like if a toy breaks easily and becomes a safety hazard.”
“But what could be dangerous about slips?” Breanna turns to a different saleswoman and explains the predicament.
This attendant also has no idea what is wrong with the slips, but confirms they are not available. “Perhaps you can get them online,” she offers.
A woman behind us, overhearing our conversation, expresses her dismay. She’s been to numerous stores in the city looking for slips and was told JC Penney carried them.
A different woman whispers to me that she heard there were some at Wal-Mart. She acts as if were trying to buy contraband. I being to wonder if rebellious teenagers have found some drug related use for slips, leading them to be pulled from the shelves.
After checking at Target, who no longer sells girls slips according to the saleswoman, we try Wal-Mart. I ask one saleslady and she seems quite confident they have girls slips somewhere among the four million items stocked at the superstore. She consults the girls department supervisor, who says they haven’t had slips in stock since Christmas. She calls after us that girls don’t wear slips anymore. We follow the first sales lady to the women’s department. We find a 24 inch half slip, which I know will be too long for Breanna’s dress. I’ll have to cut it down and figure out how to hold it up for the wedding tomorrow.
Does anyone know where all the girls slips have gone?
