Not too long ago I went to a baby shower for my girlfriend Tammy and another friend of ours, Krista, who lives near St. Louis, came to visit as well. She had on the most adorable sandals which she got at J. Jill. Since she lives in a different town completely, I asked if she would mind if I got some like them. Honestly? They are not only cute, they can be construed as hott. With two T’s.
Normally, I don’t like stealing anyone else’s style and I have been known to get upset when people do it to me. I’m still quite pissed that I bought this beautiful coat (which, at the time, I had to pay for in half-cash and half-credit card so Kennimus wouldn’t see the price) I got and then noticed this woman wearing the same one. My gaping mouth gave way for Ken to ask what was wrong and I sputtered, “LOOK. She… she… she has my coat. It was so different. I…. I…. really liked being different.”
He tried to assure me that it was ok but I found myself walking right up to her (since we saw each other at several places and were acquainted enough in that way) and saying, “You know, I have that same coat. Haven’t you seen me wear it?” My hope was that she could hear the accusatory tone with which I asked this question and hang her head in shame. She smiled this big (fake) smile and said, “I know! I loved it so much I went and got one!”
I was NOT. AMUSED.
We ran into her last year at a wedding reception and I hid behind Ken in the receiving line when I spotted her and her husband walk in.
What are you DOING?
Oh, it’s that bitch who steals my look. Don’t let her see me! These are my favorite gauchos and boots and the last thing I need is some heifer walking around with MY CUTE GAUCHOS AND BOOTS.
Needless to say, I’m a fan of individual style. In the sandal instance, however, I know that no one else here has them and I asked Krista if she would mind if I got them, too. When she comes to town to visit, her sandals may trump mine. In the event that we both show up wearing them, I must return to my residence and change my footwear (that’s all contract language she made me sign for this arrangement). In fact, the ones I ordered were darker and slightly different enough to make me feel ok about this idea.
Look. They are cute, no?
There’s even a bonus shot of her pumpkin who delighted us all at the baby shower.
Happily, I went about ordering the shoes online at J.Jill and converted the European sizes to American sizes (might I add that size 11 has always sounded bad to me until I ordered a 42?) and patiently waited for them to arrive. When they did, I tore into the box and I knew immediately when I saw them that they were THE WRONG SIZE.
Checking the box and the sole of the sandal confirmed that yes, these were size 11. If I lived in Munchkinland.
Since I’m a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants type gal, I called up my best friend Becky and asked if she wanted to ride to St. Louis for the day to exchange my shoes. When she got to my house I showed her the sandals and she proclaimed, “Hey. These look like a 9. I wear a 9. I’m trying them on.”
*I can’t get this picture to look right. Instead, click here.
So now, she wears them everytime she goes anywhere with me. She looks adorable in them. She looks cute in them. She looks hott in them.
I really do love my girlfriends, but now I have TWO OF THEM walking around with my sandals and they look great in them.
Heifers.
July 21, 2006 @ 6:59 am | Filed under Freaky Friends | Permalink |
Carrie Said,
July 21, 2006 @ 7:20 am
Aaaaaauuuuuuggghhhhhh!!!! How freaking frustrating!
Ami Said,
July 21, 2006 @ 7:48 am
I completely understand. I absolutely HATE it when I see someone else in something exceptionally cool that I’ve purchased. Especially when they look better in it than I do!I must admit, though, I’m guilty of being inspired by other people’s styles. But because of my own hatred of those who adopt my style, I’m quite conscious of this tendency and try to vary my purchases enough so as not to feel like I’m “stealing” their look. (Does this keep me out of the Heifer category???)
The only appropriate rebutal is to go out and find an exponentially more excellent pair of hott shoes and strut them around famously, giving no one else permission to own, borrow or steal anything even remotely similar!
Tom Said,
July 21, 2006 @ 7:53 am
Aaaww man that is too sneeky. I knew there was a good reason to read this blog, besides all the hot babes, I learn about your evil tricks! That half credit card half cash thing is bad.
My wife is the manager of a Talbot’s (they own J.Jill). I find new clothes all the time in HER CLOSETS. One closet is not enough. I have this little tiny section in one that she lets me use. I have given up asking about why she she needs so many outfits or how much they cost. At least she gets 40% off, but that means she just buys twice as much.
Julie Said,
July 21, 2006 @ 7:56 am
Well, there goes my 1/2 credit 1/2 cash deal! Now my DH will know about it.
Those really are HOTT sandals. So now the question is…do you still get a pair since you were getting them first?
fizzle Said,
July 21, 2006 @ 8:04 am
Eef, I’m afraid to say, er, that imitation is a form of flattery and that you can take honor in introducing stylishness. Only Mochita can look fly in a certain jacket or boots, even if someone’s wearing the same thing, they generally tend to look waaaay different.
I’ve from the school of what looks good on someone else generally doesn’t look good on me. I’ve got my own style (it’s on point), and you can’t steal “the look” unless your 5′10 with dark hair, big hips and on the leaner side because that’s the body type and color type I buy for. This woman I used to work with would buy things I bought and tell me excitedly. I didn’t like or dislike it, we rocked it so differently (and that 5′1 take on a pair of long and lean jeans is tragic) and had different personal styles that I didn’t sweat it. Plus, man, the girl needed a style manager other than Gap catalogues.
Keep showin’ ‘em how to dress. They still can’t match the pieces that create an overall style….
deannie Said,
July 21, 2006 @ 8:22 am
I am totally rolling on the floor laughing. J.Jill you say? Checking that website now…is there a Mocha listing of your favorites so I can immediately steal your look and hopefully have random men stop me in stores to join in a quick a capella song or two?!?
I am a heifer, proud of it.
Hugs,
Colleen Said,
July 21, 2006 @ 8:53 am
I’m with Carrie so I am sending out a sympathtic urg to you.
Ahem.
URG.
Jill Said,
July 21, 2006 @ 9:10 am
Hahaha, your page is always good… I am lmao… I promise to not steal your look… The shoes I am not sure how to stop but I have a method that keeps people from stealing most of my wardrobe looks… I either sew or crochet my own… and if I absolutely have to have something from a store, I modify it enough that makes it uniquely me.
Dana Said,
July 21, 2006 @ 10:18 am
I was JUST saying at Flickr that you have to blog about this and lo and behold you already did! Now that’s fast. =)
Caffeinated Librarian Said,
July 21, 2006 @ 7:30 pm
My mom heard that there are power outages and record heat in your area…she’s being bugging me for two days:
“I’m worried about Mocha! You need to write her and see if she’s okay!”
“She’s blogging about shoes,” I said, “if there was a problem I don’t think that shoes would be her topic de jour!”
Didn’t do any good, of course. Mothers. So I’m here checking to make sure that you, Kenny & Co. have power and aren’t wilting and shriveling up…ya know…
aak Said,
July 22, 2006 @ 2:54 am
I. WANT. THOSE. SHOES!!!!!
and I can steal anyone’s style because, come on, really, like anyone that anyone could remotely know will see me.
Just. need. a credit. card….
aak
Mocha Said,
July 22, 2006 @ 5:39 am
Carrie - I’m hoping some designer will see my plight and say, “Oh! Mocha! We can make shoes for you in ANY SIZE. What would you like?” It’ll happen. I’m still waiting.
Ami - You are only in the heifer category if you are completely unimaginative (like a heifer really would be, you know? not much creativity flowing out in those pastures) and randomly steal a look. You sound quite conscious of this whole thing. Inspiring styles are just that, they make you want to go out and create something similar. But have you even seen someone do every single detail of a creation and think, “Where is YOUR flair?”
Tom - Yes, all the hot babes are here which begs a question: where is your wife and why isn’t she giving me a discount? If I had more friends who could DO that, then I wouldn’t have to be sneaky about the 1/2 and 1/2.
Julie - I have looked high and low for a pair in my size. No luck. Not even on Zappos.com or searching for the designer. They just don’t want big feet in those shoes. I’ll just keep on wishing…
Fizzle - You are SO right in what you said. In fact, when I do see a style I’d like to mimic and make my own, it’s always on tall women who wear colors I would wear. For instance, all the colors on this blog. The brown in the coffee bean, the maroon, even the pink. I’m all about the brownish-crimson colors. Which is why I’m missing those sandals all over again right now.
Deannie - With those sandals I would have had men dropping to their knees to serenade ME.
Pretty much everything in J. Jill suits me and hangs well on my frame. Did you see the island rose tank top on sale? That is SO me.
Colleen - Thanks for the sympathetic UGGS. Wait. Not the boots from Australia, right? Oh, no…. you gave me and URG which looked suspiciously like an URGE.
Jill - (I almost called you J. Jill just now) You are the smartest woman! Make it yourself! That’s genius. Then it’s all yours and if anyone wants to mimic it, they have to pay you for your creations. How good are you at crocheting sandals? KIDDING.
Dana - GMTA.
Libby - Please tell MamaCL that we are all fine and that she totally made my day by commenting on my previous post. I had to read the name twice and then I yelled, “It’s Libby’s Mama!” We’re cooling off now that a storm went through, but the mugginess? DEAR MERCIFUL HEAVENS. Humidity in the midwest really sucks. No. Really. It sucks. Because it brings the mosquitos out and they suck all my blood. The suckers.
Now, I’m a little wilted and shriveled and no self-respecting Southern woman (I get it by proxy via my father) would be caught seen that way. I’m staying on the porch with a cold glass of lemonade and a hand fan (read: in my basement, air on, slurping on a Slushee).
aak - Have you learned NOTHING from me? 1/2 credit, 1/2 cash. Wait…. all the way in Africa. I forgot. Yeah, you’ll need the credit card.
SAAM Said,
July 22, 2006 @ 6:52 am
Those ARE great sandals. Do you have a picture of the coat!!!
Have a great day
SAAM
Jill Said,
July 22, 2006 @ 7:18 am
Mocha, I have two separate books for sandals and 4 for slippers… laugh not… ask not… and as for the size… I have had to make my mom who also wears that size some…. hmmmm there is a new lightbulb flashing above me hmmmmmmm
Caffeinated Librarian Said,
July 22, 2006 @ 7:35 am
I’ll relay the message, although I suspect she’ll read it here before I get a chance to talk to her. She’s a pretty avid reader of your blog, what with you being sisters in teaching and all.
Yes, Mama Caffeinated Librarian has learned how to comment. Be afraid, be very afraid. *grin* Although I admit, when I read your previous post my thought was, “Yup, that’s how my mom spent her summers too.” So, I’m not too surprised that she dropped you a note.
Southern women don’t wilt, shrivel or sweat honey, we “glow.” It’s all just adds to our natural beauty, don’t you know.
*snort!*
Yeah, I don’t buy it either.
T. Said,
July 22, 2006 @ 7:54 am
HHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I long for the days I had enough expendable cash to go buy some new sandals. We have a tax-free holiday happening right now; perhaps some back-to-school sandals are in order (it is Florida, after-all. Completely acceptable professional footwear.
colleengirl Said,
July 22, 2006 @ 8:15 am
Definitely not UGG.
RW Said,
July 22, 2006 @ 11:11 am
I wear Hugo Boss’ “Soul.”
Oh wait a minute… wrong thread… hold on…
EricAtRandom Said,
July 22, 2006 @ 12:38 pm
It’s unrelated to this post, but you need to see this:
http://rexina.spaces.msn.com/blog/cns!398023CA708770F7!1971.entry
This is an anecdote you definitely need in your repetoire! I believe you are definitely a coffee bean, not an egg or a carrot!
Take care,
Eric
deannie Said,
July 22, 2006 @ 3:41 pm
That Island tank top is soooo cute!
mothergoosemouse Said,
July 22, 2006 @ 5:17 pm
I hate that too. Jumping someone else’s train, as the Cure called it.
Elizabeth Said,
July 22, 2006 @ 10:36 pm
Tee Hee! First coffee, now shoes! Where have you been all of my life?! It’s a good thing we live a couple of hours apart cause we could do some serious damage in a shoe store together. Especially if I spotted a fab pair before you did and had to race you to them. Bwahahahah!
Angela Said,
July 23, 2006 @ 5:10 am
The shoes? They are perfect. To set yourself apart from your shoe comrades, you need to really WORK the shoes. (I can’t give any advice in the Working It department.)
Also, the next time you’re shoe shopping in St. Louis? Give a call. I am here. And I am always ready to shoe. (And when you use the word “shoe” as a verb, you are nothing but serious.)
DeeJay Said,
July 23, 2006 @ 6:59 am
lol They are very pretty…can I order me a pair? J/K!
I bought the same coat as my step-daughter (she’s grown) and now she calls us “twinkies.” She was with me when I spied it and said she already had one. Yes, I too got permission to buy the coat but now that I think about it…I don’t think I’ve seen her in it much since then. Then again she is a clothes hound and I hardly see her in much of anything twice. Hmmmmm…food for thought.
Elizabeth Said,
July 23, 2006 @ 8:14 am
Hey, woman! I found something that might interest you (if you haven’t already seen it). Check out my “In the news” item at http://flexthis.spaces.msn.com.
You didn’t think I would make something easy for you, did you?
*cough*
Dana Said,
July 23, 2006 @ 1:11 pm
GMTA? Get me those apples?
I don’t know acronyms…….I’m baaaaaad with them.
TJ Said,
July 24, 2006 @ 4:18 am
Buy a friend some shoes, in your size, and then keep them!
J to the Wall Said,
July 28, 2006 @ 3:25 pm
J. Jill…should have known.