This was the advice I received from one wise person before I left. Going with that advice, I’ve now had three weeks to explore the shopping scene. Despite high prices, (what appear to be) bargains can be found.
There are definitely no mega malls. The Mall of America is simply unimaginable to people here. Malls the size of ball parks with amusement parks in the middle? Who needs that? I’m surely not yearning for the MOA (I can do without the stress of finding an open parking spot on the correct side of the mall and then attempting to navigate through gobs of people to find one store among hundreds). I like some of the smaller shops here, especially the ones that sell locally made merchandise or are not chain stores (or at least I don’t know they are part of a chain).
The fashion here is not exactly my style (had difficulty finding a t-shirt to complete my t-shirt and jeans uniform). Stores are filled with shirts that go to your knees (or maybe those really are dresses – I’m afraid to ask), neon (supposedly the eighties are making a comeback), and skinny jeans (who some people who are not me can pull off). My flare/bootcut jeans just barely fit in. Barely. One article of clothing I’m digging are the scarves. They are all over the place. Wool, cotton, silk. Wear it with a t-shirt or tank top and it’s perfect for the unpredictable weather.
One thing I won’t be spending money on: Hello Kitty or Snoopy merchandise. Seriously, it’s all over.