Oh Nine West, how you have utterly failed me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled that you’re here in Israel. It’s wonderful to be able to purchase from a familiar, American brand when I’m on another Continent. And, in full disclosure, I’ve had plenty of positive experiences with your shoes over the years. I think I’ve been shopping at your stores since I was in High School, eons and eons ago.
As a single Hipster living in Manhattan, my shoe of choice was basically a pair of Puma’s. But, now being a Hipstermom living in Israel, it’s all about the fashionable yet functional footwear.
Today, I was hoping for another successful shopping excursion. To be honest, I don’t shop much in Jerusalem. We are on a strict budget and all our money goes to diapers, wipes and toys for Baby J. However, we have two family weddings in the next two months and my pregnant feet have miraculously outgrown my typical size 6 1/2 shoes. So, I decided to take the morning to go to the Mamilla Mall in Jerusalem, and fall into the Gap for Baby J. and try to get myself some shoes at Nine West.
I was extremely successful at Baby Gap and since my Mother was oh so generous in paying for the clothing, I stocked up on dresses, t-shirts and sweaters for the winter. With a big bag of adorable clothing in tow, I made my way down the strip towards Nine West. And there, I encountered the rudest sales woman! I get that you’re talking on the phone. With one of your friends. But don’t ask me for the size I want while you’re still talking on the phone! Hang up, and then wait on me.
But, she decided the only way to remove the phone from her ear would be through surgery, and so I politely asked if she could please measure my feet. Cause they are plumper than the last time I purchased shoes and why should I waste both her and my time trying on three different sizes until we get to the right fit. I asked her if she had a food measurer. You know, it looks like this:
She looked at me like I just asked her to birth a pair of snakeskin pumps. Then, she told me that she has no idea what I want. That’s when my patience really wore thin. I exclaimed that as a shoe store, she certainly should have one! Don’t you expect an ice cream parlor to have a scoop? A clothing store to have hangers? A makeup store to have applicator brushes? A bookstore to have bookmarks? (I can go on but think you get my drift).
Again, she insisted that they did not have one and that without knowing my size, she could not get shoes for me. I was exasperated and pretty peeved that she still had the damn phone to her ear. So, I asked if anyone else worked in the store. She said no. At which point, I was ready to just put down the three pairs of shoes I wanted to try on, and flip her the birdie, hoist my preggo belly high and just waltz out.
She finally put down the phone and gave me the proper attention. Unfortunately for her, I made her bring me almost three of each size per shoes. Mentally, I was hoping she would come out from the back with 9 boxes stacked up as high as the ceiling, completely obstructing her view, until they all cascaded to the floor. But, she came out with two boxes at a time. Too bad, my amusement would have made for a much more pleasant shopping excursion.
After trying on different sizes, I settled on a pair of practical Easy Spirit black suede pumps (cause they look like a pump, feel like a sneaker) and some sparkly black flats. Oh, how I miss my gorgeous pumps! I used to wear platforms and the higher the better! Before my Hipster days, I was all about the platforms. I had a pair that was so high, going to the bathroom was a big drop down. But, that’s a bit of TMI for the day.
The sparkly black flats were the closest to Hipster fashion I’ve gotten in a long time, and I’m thinking paired with some Ben Sherman jeans (bless those BellaBand gals, I can still fit into my Hipster jeans as long as I got my BellaBand to cover up the fact that I can’t zip or button them anymore) and a black turtleneck, and I should be set!
What footwear do you prefer while pregnant? Any specific brand you like? Comment below!
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