Our Father's Day Adventure

Our Father's Day was a round-the-city trip in search of a new suit. My husband has assembled a handsome wardrobe of suits from thrift stores, but a light grey wool continued to elude us.

We decided to (gasp!) buy retail.

We canvassed 2 JCPenney's, a Dillard's, and Men's Wearhouse for 52 L jacket and 40 W pants, crossing the city twice in our search. After three hours, we were all weary.

How can going into a store with salespeople, organized displays, and cash be so difficult? (And people think shopping secondhand is hit or miss?)

I flipped through a Nashville Scene. Aha! A 15% off coupon for Men of Stature, a pricey Big and Tall Store on White Bridge Road.

We decided to give it one last try.

A salesman greeted us immediately and helped my husband pick the perfect suit in minutes. Yes, of course, the pants can be bought separately. Yes, we will make all the alterations at no additional cost. (At this point, any price was enough to pay for an end to the afternoon!)

Still, by instinct we hesitated at the pricetag, which was a little more than we had budgeted. The manager, sensing our indecision, dropped the price by $60.

Sold!

This expedition made me appreciate the wonderful luck we've had gathering a professional look secondhand. Shopping retail is not as easy or carefree as I might daydream. Independent, local stores may still offer better service, quality, and price than the big sales of retail giants.