It’s the second day of shopping, and Pam still has over half of her $5,000 left to spend on her new wardrobe. This time, Stacy and Clinton will be on hand to help her pick out items that enhance the basics she bought yesterday and to take her out of her comfort zone.
… … …
“There she is!” Clinton greeted Pam as she walked into a department store.
“Hey guys,” Pam said with a shy smile.
“So you did a great job yesterday,” Stacy told her, nodding her head in approval. “But we think you still need some of those signature pieces that we were talking about the other day.”
Clinton chimed in, “Yeah, you did really well with getting the basics, but now it’s time to really have some fun with your clothes. Are you ready?”
“Sure,” Pam replied.
“Great,” Stacy said as she and Clinton each put an arm around her. “Let’s go.”
… … …
(Pam, Stacy and Clinton stand by a rack of clothing.)
“Okay Pam, so obviously you have basics down,” Clinton told her. “So today, let’s look for pieces that have some interesting detail. And one that Stacy and I saw before you got here is this beautiful burgundy sweater.”
“It’s a lightweight wool,” Stacy added, feeling the fabric with her fingers to accentuate her point. “So not only is it soft but you can also probably wear it three seasons out of the year. And look at the detailing up here by the neckline—that makes it a unique piece as opposed to a plain, old, ordinary sweater.”
Pam nodded, feeling the arm of the sweater, “I like it a lot.”
“And also, let’s look at the skirt they’ve paired with it,” Clinton said, directing her attention to several gray skirts on the same rack. “It has a couple of slight slits here at the bottom, which helps the material float away from the body and makes it a great feminine, but still professional, skirt.”
“Very appropriate for work,” Stacy told her.
“It looks great,” Pam agreed. “I’ll try it.”
… … …
(Pam, Stacy and Clinton stand in the shoe department of the store.)
“Okay, so you knew this was coming…” Clinton said, his tone cautious.
Pam bit her lip and nodded, “Yeah, I knew I needed some help with shoes.”
“And the flats you bought yesterday were just fine,” Stacy affirmed. “But what we’d like to talk to you about is branching out beyond black and brown.”
Clinton began, “Now, you tried on a pair of gold heels yesterday—”
“That was kind of just for fun,” Pam interrupted.
“Well regardless,” Stacy picked up a pair of gold heels that looked just like the ones she had on the day before, “metallic shoes are actually really versatile, and can add a lot of flair to an outfit that may otherwise be pretty simple.”
“It is literally the easiest way to jazz up an outfit,” Clinton added. “And while you may not have any reason to buy a pair of strappy gold heels, can we at least interest you into looking into, maybe, a pair of metallic flats or kitten heels?”
“Sure,” Pam replied, smiling brightly for the first time that day.
… … …
(Pam, Clinton and Stacy stand by a rack of dresses.)
“Pam, we love the idea of you in a dress,” Stacy began. “And as we talked about before, dresses don’t just have to be for special events. They can also be everyday wear.”
Clinton directed her attention to a dress on the rack, “And this one is a perfect example of what we mean. This cutout design up near the neckline really gives the dress that detail we’re looking for, and since it’s so structured, it can work for lots of different occasions: a date, an art show… and if you put a blazer on it, it works for going out for coffee with friends, even for work.”
“It is truly a multipurpose dress,” Stacy agreed. “ So what do you think?”
Pam looked over the dress as she answered, only showing the slightest bit of hesitation, “I think it’s really pretty. I don’t know if I would’ve picked something like this out for myself before, but… you guys have really made me see how it can work for me.”
“Wonderful!” Clinton cheered.
… … …
(Clinton and Stacy stand outside Pam’s fitting room.)
“Okay Pam,” Clinton called, “come on out here!”
Pam emerged from the dressing room wearing the burgundy sweater and gray skirt from earlier. She joined Stacy and Clinton by the full-length mirror and immediately her expression brightened.
“Alright, looks like we have a little sexy secretary going on right here,” Stacy observed, straightening out the neckline of the sweater. “So, as the first face that people see when they walk into your office, I am really liking this whole vibe a lot. Certainly a lot better than those old, sad sweaters that we threw out.”
“The sweater actually looks a little big,” Clinton said, examining the length of the sweater’s sleeves, “so we could actually afford to go one size smaller here. Also, the material is a little sheer, so you would probably want to do, either an underpinning or a nude, non-molded cup bra.”
“The skirt would be good,” Stacy told her, “except these pockets aren’t sitting very flat on your hips.”
“Probably could do without that,” Clinton agreed.
Pam looked down at the skirt they were scrutinizing, “I really like the little slits though, with the lace under it.”
“That’s what makes it a very stylized and personalized skirt,” Clinton affirmed. “Not every skirt has this detail and so that makes it feel a little more special.”
“Very feminine, but still professional. Just what we were aiming for,” Stacy nodded.
“Can we see you in something else?” Clinton asked.
“Absolutely,” Pam smiled as she headed back into the dressing room.
…
“Okay Pam, let’s see what you’ve got next for us!” Stacy summoned as Pam came out of the dressing room in the dress they were discussing earlier. From the look on her face, Stacy and Clinton could tell that she was somewhat in shock. They couldn’t blame her; they were somewhat in shock as well.
“Oh my goodness, you look phenomenal in this!” Clinton told her as she stepped over to the mirror. “This is a wonderful shape for you: it cinches at just the right spot on your waist and then floats away from the body to give you that hourglass figure.”
“I am really digging the color of this on you as well,” Stacy added. “Midnight blue is your color, babe. And the cutout detail is so gorgeous; it really brings the attention right up to your face. And the length? Perfect. Bonjour.”
Clinton furrowed his brows in concern, “Pam, you kind of have, like, an apprehensive look on your face, or…”
“I have just… never seen myself like this,” Pam laughed nervously a little to herself.
“Well this is all you, baby,” Stacy smirked. “Now you finally see how clothes can really alter your perception of your body shape, and your presence, how you carry yourself…”
Pam shook her head, obviously still in disbelief, “I just… for so long I just never thought of myself as deserving enough for something like this. Like, that I could look this good in clothes. I mean, I tried, but… But looking at myself now, I can see how much I’ve changed. And… I really feel like I deserve it.”
“It is very hard to move on from a major life-changing event, like breaking off an engagement, while still wearing the clothes you remember yourself in from before that time,” Clinton pointed out. “But as soon as you see yourself in this new way, you can suddenly see all the opportunity that’s there to grow and to move on.”
“Yeah… I’m definitely starting to see that,” Pam smiled.
“Well good,” Stacy said, putting a comforting hand on Pam’s shoulder. “We’re glad this is helping you to do that. Because your new life is waiting. And the best part is that there’s still a lot more new clothes to be bought for it! So why don’t you change out of this and we’ll keep shopping?”
“Okay,” Pam replied as she headed back into the dressing room, a bright smile apparent on her face.
… … …
At the end of the day, Pam spends the rest of her $5,000:
“I’ve definitely seen a change from, maybe, a Pam that wasn’t so confident and was just trying to act confident to a Pam who is actually confident…” She paused for a moment and laughed to herself, “It’s amazing how new clothes can do that. I mean, now I feel like I can really take on the world and that people will take me a little more seriously… hopefully my boss won’t ever throw garbage at me again… Um, the possibilities are endless.”
… … …
Coming up, Pam lets her hair down:
“I think it’s time to throw this clip away.”
Next, on What Not To Wear.
Author's Chapter Notes:
I know all of you are very excited to see Pam's transformation finally starting to take place, and so I'm happy to say that I think you'll see a lot of it in this chapter. Shopping Day 2 is usually where it clicks for a lot of people, and I expect Pam is no exception. As always, thanks to the lovely Little Comment, who wishes I would stop thanking her already, but that's not about to stop me from doing otherwise. She deserves it, she just doesn't want to admit it. ;) Please read, review, and enjoy!!
Chapter End Notes:
Photo time!!
The burgundy sweater.
The gray feminine skirt.
The lovely midnight blue dress.
A closer look at the dress' cutout detail. (I love the expression on her face in this last one!)
