Rejiggering the local economy

I stopped at the Cedar Creek Mall before my writing group on Sunday (totally ROCKED - writing group – ‘cause we talked about romance novels, and M gave us several “sexy times” pages to read for ideas for her romance smack down chapter coming up. WOO HOO! I can’t wait to dive into those) to see if Bass Outlet had any “cool” shoes (yes, this statement is filled with self pity and remorse for those of you who have access to real shoes), and surprise, surprise, they did not. They did have plenty-o middle-aged mom pastel and cropped pant spring wear coordinates though with matching faux-leather handbags that don’t zip properly.

Strangely, the mall parking lot was PACKED to the gills, an odd site for empty mall syndrome that seems to be spreading around here (for the better I think). Turns out that the lawn, tractor and fertilizer show was going on and I’ve never seen so much farmer-type gear and farmer-type arts & crafts – like decorative mirrors shaped into John Deere earth moving equipment and shit like that. And, of course, those sweet toasted almonds and cashew Almond Tree kiosks seemed to be everywhere (the competition was selling pecans).

Somehow I wound up in this new store called Steve & Barry (I think I was pushed in there by some tractor field device or it was the aroma of toasted almonds) and I was literally mesmerized walking around that place like I had landed on some alien space station. First of all, the price point for everything (AND I MEAN EVERY SINGLE ITEM IN THAT STORE) is $8.98: down coats, shoes, evening wear, a pair of socks, a t-shirt, earrings, purses, etc. How did they come up with this $8.98??? Is the stuff made out of leftover toxic sludge in those sweatshops in Asian places? Plus, they have “designers,” such as Sarah Jessica Parker (Bitten is her line), Amanda Bynes (Dear is her line – who is this chick?), and Venus Williams (ELEVEN is her line – the V is in some type of Roman numeral rap font). It’s frickin crazy in there (they have kids shit, infant shit, lady shit and man shit, too. Oh yeah, and candy). I highly recommend a trip. And, I bought a Sarah Jessica Parker necklace for $8.98. Seriously. I don’t know what to make out of the place. Here’s Steve & Barry’s story:

Steve & Barry’s® is about change. It's about changing the way that consumers shop for their clothes and changing the way that retailers cater to them. Steve & Barry’s is about stripping away the gloss and giving consumers something real. The fact is that great clothing doesn't really have to cost that much. It's a simple idea, but also a big idea—big enough, that is, to turn the industry on its ear. By delivering on our promise to provide premium apparel at impossibly low prices, Steve & Barry’s is single-handedly changing the retail landscape. We're busting the model. Steve & Barry’s significantly impacts whole communities, rejiggers shopping patterns, alters local economies, and sometimes even changes lives for the better.

I don’t know what “rejiggers” means, and I don’t know how clothing for $8.98 can make lives for the better – sometimes – but that’s what they do.