Dumped by an old "friend"

First, they "slimmed down" their A-line skirts, meaning, in plain English, that they made them tighter across the hips.

Then, they shortened the skirt's pockets by two inches, so that, whenever I had the unmitigated gall to actually put something in the pockets, the items landed directly on, rather than below, my hips, making me look as if I were wearing a meatloaf on each hip.

Then, they were purchased by Sears, and, as predicted, went "trendy."

So they replaced that already-ruined skirt with a hip-rider version that has no pockets at all. Sure it looks gorgeous--but not on a pear-shaped 60-year-old who's 10 pounds overweight. And where am I supposed to put my cell phone, comb, and tissue packet? Do they expect me to go walking around my entire office building carrying my pocketbook all day long?

They also took their entire stock of 6o%-cotton/40-percent-polyester blouses and replaced them with 97%-cotton/3% spandex shirts. Neither version needs ironing, but if I wanted to wear something that form-fitting, I'd go for a tube top, thank you (not). (I have a vague recollection that Mrs. Balabusta complained about how much more difficult it is to find modest tops, now that so many blouses are being made with spandex, but, of course, I can't find her kvetch on her blog.)

So Ms. I-Hate-Clothes-Shopping, who's been living in this company's clothing for probably more than a decade, is abandoning the ship that abandoned her first. So long, Land's End.