I remember listening to all the court cases and statistics about Wal-Mart, as I was taking notes in a human resources class, that were really bad. Women managers were being underpaid compared to the male managers and all these other things that I can't really remember. I just remembered that Wal-Mart had some shady business practices and if I was given an option between a Wal-Mart or Dollar Store or a Target I was not going to be picking the Wal-Mart. Now as I have grown up in a small town and only have a Wal-Mart to do my shopping, that isn't groceries, I have been forced to constantly go. But as the years go on and I don't hear any illegal practices or workers issues anymore (maybe because I avoid the news like the plague) I have grown soft for Wal-Mart.
I love stores that are super-centers and are open 24 hours a day. I am not a real fan of shopping so whenever I have the choice of going to one store to do all my shopping I am happy. I usually only go shopping or to places if it is for several reasons. I also tend to be anti-social when it comes to shopping and hate getting caught talking to a person you haven't seen in five years and I don't like waiting in crowded lines so I can buy a pair of underwear and skittles. That's why I love going shopping at 11 or midnight.
I got a call back on Wednesday for a job interview on Friday. Over the years I have worked jobs that required dress pants but not on a regular basis. I mostly worked jobs where I could wear khaki shorts and be outside. Well ironically I gained my "freshman fifteen" after I finished school and found myself jobless. I started on a new meal plan and workout regiment and have since lost 15 pounds but I still do not fit into my old dress pants and jeans. I guess you really do grow wider as you get older. I had not bought dress pants or jeans since I was a junior in high school so it obviously was time to finally buy some new clothes five years later.
As a college graduate you can understand that I do not have a lot of money and any money that I do have is being sent out to loan companies. I like to look nice as much as the next guy but only when I have to. I'm comfy wearing plain jeans and a white tee shirt six days a week and sweatpants and a jersey on Sundays. I like to keep things simple and will never go out and buy a $40 pair of jeans. Hence why I am mentioning Wal-Mart after all, I love that I can go to a store and buy two pairs of dress pants for $24. I will probably be back for more if I get this job and it calls for dress pants as part of the dress code. I also bought 4 pairs of jeans a few weeks ago that I feel are both stylish and comfy. I believe the price for those were around $15 a piece.
I remember when I was younger and the ripped jeans look were popular with Ambercrombie & Fitch shirts. I always laughed when I heard how much these clothes cost, but I laugh even more now that I'm the one who has to buy his own clothes. I can look at my outfits most of the time and see that I bought socks at the Dollar General, jeans from Wal-Mart, and usually a shirt from TJ Max. Total cost under $40 excluding the shoes. I guess I am a little guilty when it comes to dress pants though. I've gone through so many nice pairs of dress pants and simply outgrown them. The only times I ever wore them were to funerals and when I had to dress up for sports. I hate to think about how much was spent on them but I sure am glad I can get cheap dress pants that still look just as nice as the expensive ones.
Questions: (I see people doing this)
1) Did you stop shopping at Wal-Mart after hearing about unfair job practices?
2) As you've gotten older did your choice of clothes get simpler and cheaper?
3) Have you ever bought or even looked at the dress clothes and jeans at Wal-Mart?
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