Shoes

I was a small kid, and now I'm a small adult.

I'm about 4' 10", and very underweight.

I can wear women's shirts, jackets, and dresses if they come in extra small and/or petite sizes. But mostly I'm relegated to the children's sections. I wear boys jeans and pants. I don't even do well with junior clothes. That's how small I am.

The upside to wearing kids clothes: the price.

The downside: I'm a middle aged woman shopping in sections where the clothes have Disney or cartoon characters on them, the colors are often unnaturally bright, and the dresses have sparkles or ruffles.

And don't get me started on underwear or nightshirts. Lingerie? Please. There's a reason sexy bed wear doesn't come in my size.

Shoes are also a big problem. I wear a size 2 - 2 and 1/2 in a children's shoe, which translates to a size 4 in an adult shoe. Do you know how many shoes are available in a size 4? Not. Very. Many. I also have a very narrow foot, and I can't wear high heels. But you say, "Well, girls shoes don't have heels anyway. They are shoes for young girls." Think again, my friend.

I know, it's a conundrum. 

Lingerie in my size? Nope

High heels? Yup.

About 30 years ago Petite Sophisticate closed their stores. I was devastated. That was a store that carried clothes for tiny females like me. I was in school at the time, but I spent several hundred dollars to stock up on dress shirts, dress pants, sweater sets, jackets, and even two dress suits. I still have some of those clothes.

About 20 years ago I discovered SAS shoes. Their orthotic shoes are not trendy or sexy, but they fit me very well, they are comfortable, and they last forever, which is good,  because they can be Hella expensive. I've also had good luck at Payless finding dressy girls shoes that look like women's shoes, minus the high heels.

But back to SAS. I had been seeing posts on Facebook that the SAS store in San Antonio was closing. They were offering shoes at sensational prices - $180 shoes for $17! Yes please! I was stressed that they were (apparently) closing and worried about the possibility of future naked feet. So even though my three pair of SAS shoes were in good condition, I followed the link and purchased three more pair. THREE pairs of SAS shoes for $77?!?!? Unbelievable!

You know where I'm going.

I checked my email after completing the purchase, and saw that the seller had a Chinese name.

I've been scammed.

Good news: The SAS store is not closing.

Bad news: My feet are still small. So is the rest of me.

But good news: I've managed over the years to cultivate a wardrobe and shoe collection that I'm happy with.

Having an expert shopper for a mother has helped.

librarianintx