Which takes me to a spot of trouser shopping the other day. I am big fan of Paco Underhill's (no, not that Paco) book "Why we buy: The Science of Shopping". As far as "science" goes, it's more believable than most climate "science", his research didn't cost the taxpayer much (if anything) and it's a good yarn.
It's been years since I pulled it off the shelf, and I am too busy to flip through it tonight to extract a few snippets in all their exactitude. What you are about to read is the product of my thoroughly dodgy memory.
His team watched what men and women took into change rooms and then measured what they purchased. Women try on a lot of stuff and don't buy much, whilst men pretty much buy whatever they take into the change room (assuming it fits). When men shop, they are on a mission. They're hunting - they know what they want, and they want to go home with what they set out to buy.
Like me with my trousers. After discovering that I have been walking around for a while with a hole in the crotch of one pair of my suit trousers, I decided it was time to get some replacements.
After being measured, I was happy to discover that my waist is a bit smaller than when I last went trouser shopping. But there was just one problem - when presented with several pairs of trousers that were the right size for my waist, I found that I couldn't get my legs into them. Years of cycling have turned my legs into tree trunks. Not quite like these, but they're larger than your average office dweller's leg.
OK, I could get my legs into the trousers that were offered, but I couldn't bend down or sit without risking splitting the seams in all sorts of awkward places. I had to go up a size and then get the waist brought in.
The thing is, even with the leg size problem, the entire transaction was completed in less than 15 minutes. That included trying on 4 pairs of trousers (to get the size right), putting in the pins for the tailoring and then paying for them.
The point of this story? I'm not really sure - but go check out Paco's book. Perhaps the point is that there might be a market for lycra trousers.....
4 comments:
Did that book mention how women of a certain age are suckers for anyone selling pretty jars of potion that promises the fountain of youth?
I can relate to your woes BOAB.
To get trousers to fit my gut I find the legs are too long.
Or maybe my legs are too short?
No, Cav, the ground is too close.
Cheers
Definitely undertall!
Bigtones
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