Mutton dressed as lamb

I went to an evening fashion retail event - I attended as part of my job. This is the kind of event that's being promoted online these days by young, internet entrepreneurs. Guests line up with a bunch of other women to get inside. Most of the women in line are.....younger than me. A lot younger.

Once you get inside, there's a bunch of vendors set up in a big room. A DJ is playing music over some speakers, and there's someone giving out cool printed tote bags with a sponsor's name on it.

There are bars set up, and tall blonde women wearing extremely tight clothes, holding out trays of cocktails in plastic glasses - brilliantly colored pink or green or even blue, depending on whether the liquor sponsor is Chambord, Midori, or Curacao.

There are tables full of handbags, racks and racks of pretty T-shirts, rows and rows of hanging dresses. These days the fabrics trend toward floral psychedelic throw-backs to the '60's, or camouflage patterned herringbone suits with 3/4 length sleeves and ruffled hems. Or evening gowns with hoodies. Very edgy. You know what I mean.

These events always have a cosmetic display, and women line up to get their eyebrows tattooed or plucked or smoothed in some way. There are rows of shoes with extremely high heels, in bright colors, with interestingly shaped toes. Or heels.

There are vendors of pajamas and lingerie, and even vendors of creams, unguents and sexual playthings. At these events, the sounds of laughter and high pitched squeals resonate through whatever large and barn-like venue the promoter has rented, as crowds of women cluster round the bins of t-shirts labeled "Final Sale - $5."

Even though I was there as part of my job, it's still tempting to shop. Even I can be pretty girly at times, though I'm certainly not in the targeted age group any longer. So - why not? I bought a couple of things.

But isn't there something so totally WRONG about buying these with the Visa card I got through AARP?