"So what did you buy?" – I asked. I found myself accompanying a friend to return some unwanted items.

"This" - and she proceeded to pull out a Bad yellow version of a cashmere sweater.

"It’s… It’s… … … What where you thinking?"

"I’m not exactly sure… it seemed like a good idea when I bought it."

"And then?"

"And then I put it on…"

I laughed.

"You know what I wish?" She said sighing.

"What?"

"I wish all things in life were returnable… like men"

And I laughed…

Shopping can bring instant gratification. Buying something new, something you like, brings happiness to any dedicated shopper. Instant gratification. The beginning of a relationship, or getting to know someone, has the same effect. But try it on for size, walk a mile in the shoes, try to zip up the dress and you might find yourself sighing and facing disappointment.

In shopping if you lose your heart to something that is wrong for you, you can return it. In love if you lose your heart to someone who isn’t right… one most hope for full refunds or exchanges. Even settle for store credit.

There are times, though, when we fail to see that we’ve lost our heart to something that is wrong for us. It might take someone to point and say “what were you thinking?” before we admit something or someone might not suit us. Returning items that you didn’t fall in love with is easy. But try returning a gorgeous dress that didn’t zip up or strikingly stunning stilettos that didn’t fit… some items must be pried right out of our hands or our hearts before we can ever part from them.

Most women shop all their lives and have nothing to wear.

We can spend our whole lives in and out of a department store… but if at the end of the day you still have nothing to wear… than the root of the problem might not be with wrong items. But a novice shopper.

See it’s also true that not every buy is a misfortune… something you buy may well last for years instead of just one season…. One just has to decide whether you’re shopping for Mr. Right. Or Mr. Right now...