Our hearts beat a little faster as we step into the bright lights. Mannequins welcome us and we’re mesmerized by long shiny counters of sparkling necklaces and dangling earrings, rows and rows of shoes, shelves of lusciously oversized handbags. Dorothy wasn’t kidding, there’s no place like home. To men it’s as mystifying as Brad and Jen’s break-up when our eyes grow large and a giddy grin spreads over our faces, what is it about women and shopping? Whether we’re sifting through old musty scarves at a yard sale (“someone actually wore this?”), haggling over the perfect beaded necklace at a street fair (“but I only have five dollars!”), or admiring diamond earrings through a glass case at Henri Bendel (moment of silence.), one thing is certain: we women love accessories.

We consulted accessories maven Phyllis Roback at the Fragments Showroom in New York City and she filled us in on the “retail therapy” phenomenon, “Whether a woman is happy or sad, angry or stressed, there is nothing like a day of shopping to brighten her spirits. Accessories, especially jewelry, make a woman feel glamorous, beautiful and always make her feel great about the way she looks!” Don’t we know it.

Driven by the vision of that perfect accessory, we find ourselves abandoning all inhibitions and doing the unimaginable, reaching into piles of rusty costume jewelry, sorting through ratty “vintage” shoes that have seen better days, visiting our favorite department store two, three, even four times a week for a glimpse of the new collections.

As the Accessory Buyer for one of the most exclusive stores on New York's Fifth Avenue, Henri Bendel's Ariane Burckhard explains, "Shopping at Henri Bendel is an experience. When you walk in, the music is pumping and an energy is flowing throughout the store. I think as customers wander and shop, they find themselves uncovering little hidden treasures and irresistible indulgences -- like a kid in a candy store. And, when they leave Bendel's with their brown & white bags, they feel they just spoiled themselves with the best NY treat!"

It's true. We're drawn to “Sale” signs like brides-to-be to the sole Vera Wang dress at Filene’s Basement's Annual Bridal event (bridal brouhaha), and a page from Confessions of a Shopaholic reads eerily like this morning’s shopping spree.

In fact, closets everywhere are seeing a revolution as little black dresses get pushed aside to make room for slouchy boots and quilted handbags and colossal jewelry boxes. Perhaps we know deep down that even our own distinguishing wardrobe, our labor of love for years to create a signature look (including a few requisite stumbles along the way…we won’t mention that orange crocheted poncho), might not be so distinct. Clothes alone will not protect us from the fashionista’s nightmare...

The oh-no-she-didn’t moment, passing that complete stranger on the street and recognizing those perfectly faded one-of-a-kind jeans, as they are the same ones we are wearing at this very moment. We long for first grade when matching Barbie sweatshirts meant best-friends-for-life.

But don’t trade in your Furstenberg for a sewing machine quite yet. Accessories expert Ariane Burckhard assured us, “Accessorizing allows someone to change their whole look. Even the most conservative dresser can transform their appearance with a fun necklace or fabulous earrings!"

Jewelry designer Alex Woo adds that accessories are more than ornaments, but an extension of ourselves, that we’re not just wearing a piece because it sparkles, but because it speaks. As a result, personalized jewelry just has that special make-your-own-sundae appeal, whether you’re layering a 2 and 7 to display the February anniversary he always seems to forget (we’ll see if he gets the hint), a diamond 3 with a little heart necklace for your three loves (so your dogs are the loves-of-your-life, no one has to know), or a gold number 1 because hello, you are number one and no one will tell you otherwise.

So it’s no wonder that we press our noses against glass showcases to ogle diamond pendants without shame and gleefully find ourselves elbow-deep in old handkerchiefs. Perhaps Roback expressed it best: “Accessories are a wonderful thing; there are no ‘fat days’ for jewelry, they always make a great gift, and accessories instantaneously update last season’s outfit. What’s not to love?!”