Bought a Michael Kors top at TJ Maxx yesterday and was aglow with the aura that accompanies getting a great deal.

Before the credit card slip had cooled I learned that fashionistas in California were suing the popular discounter, saying the chain is misleading shoppers with the “compare at” prices printed on T.J. Maxx price tags.

Specifically, the plaintiffs say the listed prices are not necessarily the actual retail price elsewhere, but are compared instead to pumped-up prices in high-end catalogs and tony department stores.

So I look at the price tags on my adorable sleeveless navy top with a gold-tone clasp at the neckline. The original Michael Kors price tag says $89.50. The TJ Maxx price tag doesn’t up the ante. Instead, it says, “Compare at $48.” The actual price: $29.99, less a 10 percent discount for a total of $27.

Either way, I am happy with my purchase. Good value, good price.

As a bonus, I am entertained by eavesdropping on other shoppers in neighboring dressing rooms. I do not apologize for this. People talk. I listen. It’s what I do for a living and, occasionally, personal amusement.

A few snippets of overheard conversation:

From a 20-something: “I think I should have had the other side of my nose pierced.”