Once, at a classmate's get-together, a male school friend asked me and another girl to go to a new mall nearby with him to fetch some clothes. We shook our heads almost at the same time - sorry, brother.

A common excuse I use to avoid shopping with males is "I don't have an opinion on men's clothes", but that's not really the truth.

For one thing, you don't want to show the bad points about your body in front of a male.

For another, and also the most important: men become impatient. I bet even if you are shopping for him, you might come across some items you'd like to try on for yourself.

Then comes the old problem again, the man sits next to the counter with a tired face, which makes you either frustrated, or try to hurry up.

But I do know many women love the process of trying things on and looking into the mirror and asking others' opinions again and again - that's shopping.

If a woman buys one piece in a rush, in many cases she won't be as satisfied with it as another that is chosen after consideration over a thousand times; the lack of a trying-the-clothes-on process will bother her in the long run.

Both the girlfriend I mentioned above and I got wiser after we were unhappy more than a few times with our boyfriends while shopping together - though I do like visiting supermarkets with him, maybe that's because you don't need to try on vegetables or washing powders.

Girls are much better shopping companions: they move much slower, and they all have many opinions.

I remember the days in college when my friends and I tirelessly explored clothes markets around Beijing Zoo and shopping malls in Xidan in one day.

However, after I started working, I found my shopping behavior had totally changed: Now, I go to malls more often by myself and there are good reasons for that: Friends drifted apart after graduation.

Those who are in the city could still be living far from me and we might not have the same days off.

Weekends become so precious when you have a job, more often I prefer finish shopping on Friday evening so I can save more time for other plans.

Furthermore, I don't feel as energetic as I did when I was in school and it takes twice as long if you are shopping with another person, since you have to make sure each person gets what she wants.

My purchasing style has become more and more like that of a man - direct, focused and efficient.

I have a record of finishing a four-floor mall in 20 minutes.

But I do keep my feminine side - each time when I return from shopping with something new, I will show my purchases to my boyfriend and dress up in each piece after pairing them with my old clothes and accessories to ask for his opinion.

I guess I've just moved the fitting room home, where it is much more comfortable for him. He no longer needs to wait at least. Well, you only get to do this after you already paid for your clothes.

Though I'm getting used to the conveniences of shopping alone, sometimes it's difficult to avoid making stupid decisions without a companion.

You can never count on the clerks because they will compliment you whatever you look like.

Once, I bought a yellow layered dress. In fact, I was quite proud of it before my boyfriend refused to comment on it.

Later, I realized the ornaments on it were very old-fashioned and I looked several years older in it. The dress became my nightgown and I have never worn it outdoors.

Though such things happen, I like shopping by myself.

And I didn't realize how much I had become used to it until one evening I accompanied an old schoolmate to buy shoes.

She was very strict and hesitant, and visited each counter at least three times.

That morning I went mountain climbing and my legs and feet hurt much.

Four hours later as we came out of the store without buying an item at all, I suddenly realized that men do have good reason sometimes to be impatient.