some Coldwater Creek intervention

Dear Coldwater Creek,

We’ve been together a long time now. Much of my wardrobe has your finger prints all over it. Even as I write this, I am comfortable dressed in a lovely linen stripped shirt that my husband and daughter picked out for me from your website. The colors remind me of a desert sunset. You know me so well.

Which is why I thought I’d let you in on one little pet peeve I have regarding many of your cotton knit tops.

The shrink. From the neck to the hem. And as they shrink in length, they get a wider. The boxy shape is not what I expect from you in this area. There is supposed to be a little shape here.

See, I’m a wash and wear woman. I have a lot of things that require my attention and spending a tremendous amount of time on clothing maintenance is, frankly, beyond my abilities. Hell, I think ironing is a waste of time usually. I do make an exception for your linens. Because a relationship such as ours requires a little give and take.

My closet contains a rainbow of your cotton knit short and long sleeved T-shirts. And every one of them has come out of the dryer about 2 – 3 inches shorter than when they went in, with a little more width. This is a disappointment as these are very comfortable shirts and the colors are scrumptious.

I’m going to be 43 years old in a few weeks and flashing my belly when I raise my arms isn’t as attractive as it was when I was 23, or even 33. You usually accept my flaws, but I feel that you're pointing them out now.

The clothes you gift me with that demand dry cleaning or hang to dry, usually get that treatment because, well I’m not sure how to say this delicately, your clothes are a little pricey. I have to be dressed relatively presentable for both work and the community service I do, so I take the good with the bad and your styles very much appeal to me, so the cost is the cost. But that cost gets a little less tolerable when the shirts I buy suddenly lose their shape after the first run through the dryer. I expect some structural integrity in my clothes.

I need to know you understand my feelings on this issue. It breaks my heart when I can’t pair that lovely coral top with those blue slacks, because the shirt’s hemline now rides up too high. You’re letting me down, just a little.

This is not a relationship breaker. I think we can get over this little bump in our long standing affiliation, because I hate clothes shopping and I know that when I order my size from you, it will fit. This may affect what types of shirts I do buy from you, which could be problematic for our long term commitment.

And since I’ve got your attention, will you please bring back that long black velvet riding jacket I didn’t get a chance to buy before it disappeared from your inventory, because that thing was hot shit and I regret not grabbing it when it was on sale. Please?

Thank you,
Catootes