No one window shops anymore. Few go downtown to walk the avenue admiring the new styles in the store windows. Their displays were changed often. After a while, we learned their schedules and eagerly awaited the new clothes and accessories—you know, hats, purses and such, that they had to offer.
It was fun to look at the upscale ladies’ ready-to-wear store windows. I couldn't afford those clothes, but I could dream of wearing them. Each store tried to outdo each other with their window displays. It wasn't just for our enjoyment. They were tempting us to come in and try on a few dresses. All the stores had a lay-away program. I know. I laid away my wedding dress and veil, paying on it every week. And yes, we all wore dresses back in the day, hats and gloves, too.
There was a little hat shop on a side street. That's where I bought my hats. Everything was $1.98. No sales tax back then, either. The owner made all the hats. She had four basic shapes. The veiling and flowers or feathers made the difference. Most hats had black veils. We thought it made us look a bit daring. There was nothing like getting dressed up and putting on a hat with a fetching veil. It gave me a sense of importance.
We strolled the “ave” in warm weather. Bad weather found us hurrying along, intent in getting out of the cold or rain. But on a nice summer evening, we would be among the throng strolling and looking and strolling some more. It was fun to dream. “Where would I go in that dress?” or, “That would catch (name)’s eye.” It was a time for dreaming.
The upscale stores seemed to be clustered together. The lower price garment stores were not sandwiched among them, but rather on either end of the fashion walk. Lerner’s was a favorite of mine. They had a good layaway policy, too. If you changed your mind, they would take it out of layaway and give you back your deposit. I never did that. I knew what I wanted.
I miss strolling the “ave” and dreaming. Now, the big box stores like Walmart are in their own shopping centers on the edge of town. Times are a-changing. Online shopping is now the rage. “Free shipping,” the online ads tease. All of that is a game changer from yesteryear.
Looking at the holiday displays is fodder for another story. Right now, I am still dreaming of how it was strolling down the "ave" and window shopping.
Looking at the Christmas displays is fodder for another story. Right now, I am still dreaming of how it was strolling the “ave.”