… you have to try them on before you buy. And just like in a fitting room at the new Nordstrom Rack, you typically need to try on several to find the one that fits just right.

How many dresses have you thought looked great on the rack, but then when you tried them on, they just didn’t fit right. There’s no better feeling than finding that perfect dress for you … and the perfect man to accessorize it with.

I myself have tried hippie dresses, but I prefer a clean living environment. I’ve tried on the bad boy-leather dress, but I like having a clean criminal record, too. I tried on the foreign-made dress, but realized I like to talk too much to have a communication barrier such as language. I have tried on the glamorous cocktail dress, but realized I am more comfortable in cut-off jeans. I have been to just about every store from Ross and TJ Maxx, to Lotus to Julie’s boutique, to BeBe on Rodeo Drive.

I learned that shopping on Rodeo Drive can spoil you, but there’s nothing better than digging through the racks of an outlet store to find that buried treasure. Those cheap dresses tend to fit me more comfortably than the sparkly cocktail dress so tight I have to wear Spanxx.

I asked all my girlfriends, and the majority of them said that their favorite thing in their closet is some random shirt or dress they found for cheap at some random store.

Because that’s what the good ones always are … a find.

We also tend to do this with identities. We change careers, we change paths in life, we try on different decisions to see what makes us happy. And eventually, we will find one that fits.

Just be careful when you’re trying on dresses at Macy’s, specifically — they’ve installed their dressing room door slants upside down so that sales clerks may see in and make sure you’re not a klepto. True story.