A pleasure worth waiting for....

Shopping in Italy is a mixed emotional affair. Some of the prices are enough to make me cry, especially when I see how beautiful the things are! The size charts are another point of note - much more in line with those in Hong Kong than with others in Europe - the charts strongly favour small-framed people - a UK 10 is an American 8, a European 38 and an Italian 42. In psychological terms its a kicker.
The other key thing I have noticed about shopping in Italy is that the trousers only come in one length - Olive Oyl! When I walk around in the cities, towns and villages in Italy, I am relatively tall, so it's strange, when I go into shops, for me to try on trousers only to find that there is a good 8 - 10 centimetres of additional material trailing on the floor.
The majority of shops do provide an alteration service, for which the going rate seems to be 6 Euros. It's worth it though, otherwise, (unlike in Hong Kong when there was always Grace, my helper, and a star with a needle and thread to turn up and alter almost-there clothing), the new things I buy are condemned to an unfulfilled life on the floor of my wardrobe, waiting for me to a) get round to taking them somewhere and b) finding somewhere to take them!
I suspect the length of the trousers on the rack is probably a scam to make that extra 6 Euros - but this is not the main problem.
What happens is that you are denied of the immediacy of the pleasure of shopping. I am not able to enter a store, try on the things I like, decide what to buy and, having handed over my credit card, leave with a printed recycled paper bag, full of the pleasing rustle of tissue paper, containing never-before worn clothes, with that musty but lovely new clothes smell. Instead, I go in, browse, try, buy and - having signed away significant sums of money - I leave with nothing - completely empty handed! I am not sure whether the net result of this is that I will spend more or less - more perhaps in search of the things that actually fit meaning I can leave a store with something to show for it, or by buying additional things when I go back to collect my purchases, or less, as I certainly don't find paying for something to leave with nothing as much fun as being able to stagger home with new purchases and wear my new togs at the next occasion, be it work, or, better, play.
The good thing is though that after a number of days, determined in a tense negotiation between you and the saleslady, you can return to the stores where you previously parted with your cash, clutching the receipts and receive the new things.
I am going tonight to get my new, tailored to length, trousers.
I hope its a pleasure worth waiting for!