Last weekend, my husband surprised our son and I with a trip to Texas! It was his birthday and he wanted to go somewhere new but still within a realistic commute. I had never visited Texas so was curious and interested.

The city we stayed in had a Dillard's department store. Because Angie had shared about it, I felt compelled to visit. For YLF research, of course. And because I grew up with Dillard's. I mean, what is a vacation without shopping? My admiration and respect for Dillard's runs deep. I once purchased a silk chiffon leopard scarf there and wore it to near shreds for years. It was such high quality and such a gorgeous color palette. (Not your usual leopard; it was the most gorgeous midtone peach, camel, and milk and dark chocolate colors--all in real silk. Le sigh...)

The mall had two Dillard's, one at each end of the mall. One end was luggage, children's, home goods and menswear. The other end was women's wear, perfume, shoes, and juniors.

We visited on a Friday evening and entered on the menswear end. A sales associate actually came out to open the door for us to enter. :O
So refreshing!

All of the sales associates were lovely. I almost was mobbed in the perfume department. Five associates asked me if I needed any help. It didn't annoy me at all. It was done so politely and sincerely, and at just the right intervals. All SAs were on their toes, very polite and kind, but not pushy. I loved it. One employee actually complimented me when I walked in. She said she had never seen a woman with two such handsome bodyguards accompanying her in their store. It was cheeky and lovely. Made my day really and I still smile remembering our interaction. Another associate took my candle from me and put it on hold, so I could shop hands free. I'm sure other stores have great customer service, but it has been some time since I experienced CS like this.

Women's clothing was lovely. I saw so many pretty and interesting items. They were having a huge clearance sale to make way for new spring times. There was a glorious red tartan skirt-- maxi length with some kind of ruffle details--that still lives in my mind, on clearance to boot. I'm not quite yet fit into regular sizing, and none of the labels they carried catered to my current size, so I didn't buy it or any other clothes. It was hard to walk away from that tartan skirt though!

In the end, I purchased a large Voluspa candle in their blood orange scent and two flavors of Compartes chocolate bars. My favorite of the two is Cowboy Crunch, a 48% milk chocolate bar with caramel, Cap'n Crunch cereal, and salted peanuts.

I agree with Angie: Dillards is the most underrated department store in the country! They have excellent buyers. Lots of lovely brands and beautiful displays. Great prices and sales. If I had one nearby, I would probably shop there often. I actually order shoes from Dillard's website occasionally. They stock a lot of great brands and often run sales.