Question for you:

When you go out for a day of shopping, do you dress up?

This picture of Victoria Beckham out shopping this weekend got me to thinking about that.  The adorable LBD she is wearing is something I would wear at a fancy cocktail party.  I would probably not wear it to the mall.  Sure, she’s Posh and she has an image to uphold and generally looks very tailored and together.  But this outfit in particular made me think she looked a little done up.  There are pictures over at FabSugar of her sans cardigan which makes the dress stand out even more as cocktail appropriate.

I’ll admit, when I was growing up in Florida if the occasion arose to go to the illustrious Gardens mall in West Palm, I would secretly put a little more effort into my attire.  Mind you, I was sixteen.  But I would trade my dingy flip flops for some more structured sandals and put on my most tailored pair of jeans.  I wouldn’t get “done up” but I tried not to look like a slob either.  This was Palm Beach!  Land of wealth and prosperity!  I had to look like I “fit in” to a degree.  That was the main motivation behind dressing nicely - I wanted to look like I belonged.  The older I get the more I realize that really well off people sometimes dress like the biggest slobs.  And really polished dressers are sometimes the most strapped for cash.  There is no hard and fast rule for fashionably dressing while shopping.  But old habits die hard and if I’m going shopping in Beverly Hills, I’ll put a little more thought into my outfit (shhh).  I do have a few shopping outfit rules, no matter the shopping location:

1.  It has to be comfortable. Shopping can be fun but it can also be stressful (crowds, sales, lots of walking) so comfort trumps all.

2.  It has to be easy to get in and out of. It is a rare occurrence for me  to  buy something without trying it on.  So too many straps, belts and whistles are a definite outfit no-no.  On the flip side:  If I want to deter myself from buying too much (like if I’m supposed to be shopping for others) I’ll wear a less manageable outfit so I won’t try things on.

3.  Layers. Temperatures in malls are frustrating.  Cold/hot/cold/hot.  I blame overzealous air conditioners and heaters.  Wearing light layers helps battle the mall climate.

Am I crazy?   Are there other shopping aficionados out there that carefully plan their shopping attire?  Do you make shopping an event and dress up like Posh?  Or do you keep it simple?  Comment time!