No, not while drunk. (But awhile back some friends who work at Scottsdale Fashion Square stunned me when they told me how often shoppers return clothing they bought when they were liquored up but regretted the next day. Looks like those happy hours at Kona Grill can hurt your pocketbook in more ways than one!) I’m referring to going shopping with a friend who’s more adventurous than you are.

I know what it’s like to try to convince someone to change up their look — when I was writing about style full-time, I helped a few women pick out new wardrobes and sometimes they were hesitant to try something outside their comfort zone. But I’m happy to report they were, to a one, delighted with the result.

But shopping with a friend is different — they’re not necessarily objective, they know how to push your buttons, and eventually you might relent … like I did on a recent trip to Denver.

We had hours to kill before I could bring my friend James back to his house (since he was the guest of honor at a surprise party), so we went shopping for jeans at Cherry Creek Mall, which is the Denver equivalent of Fashion Square. After stops in Urban Outfitters, the Levi’s store, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, American Eagle and a few other stores, we ended up in Diesel. While he tried on pair after pair of jeans, my eye fell on the underwear.

Part of my tradition on a vacation is to buy a pair of “commemorative” underwear. I think it started the first time we went to Palm Springs, Calif. — at the outlets at Cabazon I picked up one pair at the Versace store and the Gucci store. (Which was, and remains, pretty much the only designer items I can afford. The Gucci ones came in a hard black plastic box about 9 inches square that I kept for years as a memento.) I’ve got blue stripes and hibiscus prints from my trip to H&M in Chicago; the Burberry ones from Saks Off Fifth outside Washington, D.C. …

(The trouble with “good underwear” is that, like cologne or Girl Scout cookies, I tend to hoard it. My version of “sponge-worthy”: “Is this person worth ‘good underwear’?” And thus it goes unseen/unworn far too often.)

ANYWAY … there I was, vaguely restless and perusing the skivvies on the shelf. I was ready to buy a fairly classic pair, sort of like these, when James came out and said, basically, “Those are boring. You should get these,” and pointed at a pair of trunks that had extra embellishment on them.

“I will not buy those,” I said. “Those are one step away from being Vegas showgirl manties. All they need is some crystals.”

“C’mon,” he said. “You’re boring. You’re on vacation. Get something interesting.”

Which is how I ended up confronting these in my luggage when I got home. ….

Yes, the word “Diesel” is spelled out with little riveted embellishments. And yes, that silver trim is … sparkly.

I don’t think I will ever be able to wear them. But I guess I’ll always remember my trip to Denver when I look at them. And hey, isn’t that what a memento is for?

But from now on, I will also keep in mind today’s song (in box below) and repeat the title as necessary before buying.

ammit

WHAT SAM WORE: 7/8/08
The shirt: Four-button cotton short-sleeved pullover(American Apparel)
The pants: “Hipster” cut khakis (Gap)
The shoes: Oxblood loafers by Rockport (Last Chance)
The scent: Visit eau de toilette by Azzaro
Listening to: “Let Me Think About It” by Ida Corr vs. Fedde Le Grand (Watch YouTube video here / buy single on iTunes here)

sammit

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