Well, there are some reasons why girls like shopping…I can’t speak for my entire gender, but I can suggest some possible reasons. Firstly, it’s nice to collect pretty stuff. Clothes are to girls as gadgets are to guys. It’s just fun to get new things. We used to love getting new toys, and now that we’re grown up and can buy our own toys, of course we get excited! It just so happens that clothes and accessories have moved in to replace our Barbies and teddy bears.

Secondly, girls know guys are visual creatures. Yes, I KNOW you can’t for the life of you remember what she wore when you last saw her, and when dressing the morning after, I have heard: "Wow, that’s pretty. Did you have that on last night?" But you see, even if you can’t remember what she had on and if she actually even has pierced ears, the right clothes create a "vibe"…you like it, without knowing exactly why. Plus, wearing pretty clothes makes a girl feel pretty and confident, which makes for an attractive girl. After all, isn’t it boring to have to spend your whole evening convincing your date that she looks great…and find that she just refuses to believe you? Well, and if a girl plays her cards right, she can choose the right clothes to hide her flaws and emphasize her best assets. And how can you find out what suits you and what doesn’t, if you don’t try it out? It’s like going for a test drive. The thing about clothes is that the price doesn’t force you to only own one, like cars. But remember, girls are trying to look pretty to attract you, so cut them some slack.

Ok, but who am I kidding? It’s not really the guys who notice what girls wear…it’s other girls who do that. And even though it’s not the girls we want to attract, there’s no doubt that we are a little competitive. Just as guys wanna be the biggest, smartest, best etc, girls wanna be the prettiest. It is strange though, cos in the animal kingdom, it’s usually the males who depend on their appearance to attract the females…think peacocks, lions, mandrills..but for us poor females of the human species, we have to attract you with our looks. Sorry to digress..but anyway, getting the admiration of other girls surely doesn’t hurt either. Maybe one of them has a cute brother they can set you up with. But I think it’s mostly about feeling admired for the cool stuff you have. Your dressing is a way of expressing your identity and if people admire your dressing, they admire the expression of your identity to some extent as well.

In any case, shopping’s like a communal hobby for girls, like gaming and soccer (to use stereotypical examples) a common hobby among guys. It’s about bonding and about endorphin rushes. I personally, as mentioned before, don’t understand why girls drag their boyfriend shopping when they know that the guys don’t like it…but I suppose it is a) rather useful to have someone who carries your stuff and b) they personally find it so fun that they wish their boyfriends could share in this joyous experience…and this happens when they’ve been exposed to it long enough. Eventually, the guys will change their minds (or so they hope).

I guess it’s a case of being wired differently. Some girls will never understand why guys like cars, football (I personally like watching football), gaming and other things…just as guys will never really understand why girls like shopping. I suggest you compromise: either a) you go shopping with her if she promises you can stay home and watch the game next week or b) decide that these activities should be done exclusively with friends of the same gender…and you guys do things not related to shopping or soccer (insert other activities your girl can’t understand) on your dates.

If you can’t get the courage to talk to her about it, or she refuses to give in…I think you’ll just have to grin and bear it…or find a girlfriend who doesn’t like shopping and still looks great. ;)

Samantha, our Girl Next Door still, has developed a new hobby of late. She likes to stake out supermarkets to check out cute cashiers, especially on Saturday mornings, when she does her grocery runs. One wonders if she timed her grocery runs to coincide with cute cashiers. Either way, she claims it’s a way to wean her off shopping. Cute cashiers? Hmmm…