Designer Dog

Since my preterm courses are finished, I had this morning off. As much as I wanted to sleep in, instead I joined my roommate on a quick shopping jaunt. Shopping in America usually means a trip to the mall, but not here. My roommate took me to a boutique on the outskirts of Bologna called Clara. This was the classiest place I've ever set foot in. The racks were filled with proper Italian designers, and signs asked customers to not touch the displays or disturb folded garments. The staff was impeccably dress and all spoke rapid-fire Italian. Prices, of course, were astronomical. It would have all been terribly intimidating but for one thing. 

An obviously well-heeled customer entered the shop with her dog on a leash. The dog was clearly a mutt, and an ugly one at that. It was small and black with teeth that jutted out. The owner, a woman, didn't carry her dog. Instead, she let the dog's dirty paws clack across the marble floor. While I expected the staff to reprimand the woman for bringing her dog with her, they greeted her warmly. When the woman reached down and unleashed her dog, they just smiled. In a shop where the customers aren't allowed to touch the clothes, a dog off the street is permitted to roam at will. 

As it turned out, there was a sale section at the shop that offered some seriously deep discounts on clothes from past seasons. My roommate got a gorgeous black and cream dress by Valentino, and I got a silly polka-dot frock by PennyBlack. We plan to be extra-vigilant about our electricity consumption for the rest of the year!