Filene's Basement To Sell Boston Store

Filene's Basement To Sell Boston Store

Since the Basement closed "temporarily" so they could destroy Downtown with that pointless hole in ground I have done all my clothes shopping online or with two little old Italian tailors on Pearl Street. I tried Macy's a few times but gave up after never finding what I was looking for (not exotic items, just shirts and ties). That place is so badly laid out that I never did find the men's department, if they have one. But in trying to find it I felt like a WWI doughboy in a mustard gas attack 'cause apparently there is no way to enter the store without passing through at area of vile stench they call the perfume department.

Then I went to Marshalls, TJ Max, and H&M. At least I could find the men's department. It was very small and all three had precisely the same items at exactly the same prices and not a thing I would take if they gave it away. The selection was as varied as that of a Moscow, USSR department story circa 1959. Suits, yep we got 'em two-button, center -- you gots two colors to chose fom. Shirts, sure we got dress shirts, all spread collar, one-button barrel cuff, your choice of six colors and two in stripes (but they only come in a size 15). None in my size (which is not an odd size). Casual shirts, you betcha , four selections of prints, all straight collar and 2-button barrell cuff. None with sleaves long enough for me (it's not like I'm some freak-o-nature or basketball player, just a normal build plus ten pounds overweight). Swimsuits -- about a half-doz. models, all too small for anyone who has eaten in say the last four months.

No wonder retail is dying!

Oh, and I passed by the formalwear shop on Milk St (by "formalwear" they mean, of course a mixture of semi-formalwear and outlandish costumes that band-leaders formerly wore in the warmer months). Half of their display window is given over to t-shirts that look like they were used to clean up used motor-oil spills. I predict that shop won't be around much longer either.