couture-intimidation.

back in the fashion capital of canada, I treated myself yesterday evening to a delicate browse in my favourite establishment - les cours...

For a great admirer of beautiful things, it is the greatest spot for retail therapy - excellent for some serious window shopping.

At Ursula B. the personal shopping assistant starts her pitch. "Oh I have some gorgeous shoes from the latest D&G collection. And the prices are a steal! Cheap really...they're going for $600 a pair this season. Isn't that a joke!?!?!"

"oh..." Now last time I checked, $600 is a lot for a pair of shoes - even for those of us who follow couture closely. But I was so intimidated by her couture-snobbiness that I froze and my only response was "oh..." I started to feel foolish and uncomfortable because I couldn't afford anything at the store and realized that she probably felt the same way about me. As she continued to chatter about this season's Cavalli, I began prepping for my exit strategy.

Then I looked down at her footwear and noticed that she was sporting the same sandals as my friend (which I remember costed about 9% of the "cheap" D&G shoes).

The moment of clarity comforted me and I realized that she couldn't afford the couture either - but was merely an admirer like myself. So I forgave the personal shopping assistant for her bold statements.

No more couture-intimdation for me.