Initially, the foray into American Apparel had been occasioned by the urge to get a closer look at their lace t-shirts...an urge soon quenched by the particularly cheap, don't-stand-too-near-to-an-open-flame-or-we'll-have-to-call-the-fire-brigade, quality of the fabric. Of course, once you're in the store it's only polite to have a wander around...especially if you're a stripe junkie and have just spotted a classic Breton heavy-weight pullover across the aisle.

The struggle...well, the pathetic momentary qualm over whether I could rationalize yet another stripe-y top that I'm going to call a "struggle"...was short. The walk to the register was fast...in case I received come hither glances from any other striped paraphernalia. Once there I found myself reaching for a bottle of taupe-y nail polish...whose name pretty much sums it up...ladies and gentlemen, I am a Mouse.