Shopping with the man is a very tight plan
There are questions you never have to ask your boyfriend. Buying tampons or pads for example. Which pair of almost identical black heels looks better under your outfit on Saturday night. Or which eyeshadow makes your eyes pop the most. For questions like these, you have your girl gang. But there are things you can get away with with your boyfriend. And despite all warnings, I did it anyway. I went shopping with my boyfriend.
As I usually do with my favorite shopping buddy, friend W, raiding all the Brandy Melvilles and Zaras, after which we stumble to the terrace with at least four large colored plastic bags per person for a well-deserved cappuccino, this was quite a different experience. To describe it in one word, it was... More productive. Men are not programmed to jump from store to store for hours. From dress and bag to T-shirt, to jacket. The question before we set out was very clear: what are you looking for? A white dress was the answer. And that was the only thing I was allowed to look at.
Even though shopping with your BFF is a lot more fun, going out with your boyfriend also has its positive sides. And because men don’t get enough credit for their functional shopping, I’m going to shine a light on them. Here are all the reasons why shopping with your boyfriend is indeed a good idea.
1. You never go over your budget
You are looking for a dress. But you still come across that cutest, trendiest, and fresh off the runway T-shirt. Bet that if you were out alone or with your girlfriend, you wouldn’t be able to resist the temptation? ‘Just try it on. Maybe it doesn’t look that great after all.’ And then it looks fantastic of course, so the credit card gets swiped through the card machine and you’ve made another cute but unnecessary purchase. That doesn’t happen with your man by your side. He drags you away before you can even check the price tag. Less fun. But better for your wallet.
2. You never buy things you regret later
With everything you have in your hands, you are bombarded with questions. ‘Do you really need this?’ ‘You already have a whole closet full of black T-shirts?’ ‘Are you really going to wear this often?’ It’s annoying. Not fun. Extremely uncozy. But he does have a point. How many clothes have you had lying in the back of your closet for months, what am I saying, years, that you’ve worn once and never seen the light of day again? If I could get all the money back from unnecessary purchases, I would be rich. You buy less, but better. Later you’ll be grateful to him.
3. He keeps you ‘on track’
You are looking for a dress? Then you only buy a dress. If I was secretly admiring a flared pair of jeans, I immediately felt a hand on my arm. ‘No, Danique, only dresses.’ Disappointed, you let yourself be pulled away. But he has already found a corner in the store with dresses that you can all try on. They are smart that way.
4. You are never hungry
If your boyfriend starts to get bored after an hour in the stores, you drag him along to that great café that you know all too well in the area. A coffee and a piece of cake, sandwich, or beer later, he feels energetic enough to keep going. Until the next break moment. With fries, tea, or bitterballen. And that continues for the rest of the day.
5. You learn what he finds attractive
Do you always have trouble picking the perfect outfit for your date night? Not anymore. He will honestly tell you what he likes and doesn’t like. So remember that well. On your next date, he won’t be able to take his eyes off you.
Written by: Danique van Leeuwenstijn
