Yes. I love to shop at thift shops. Yes, I resell some of the items that I buy. The mantra, "reduce, reuse, recycle," means more to me than just jumping up and down on the kitty litter boxes in order to take them to the 'convenience center' with a clear conscious. My philosophy is this: for every item that I resell, that's an item that's being reused and replaces an item that would be bought new off the shelf. I scour the racks looking for American-made goods and feel that for every American-made item that finds a new life, that's one less cheap Chinese item to clog the national closet. For those who know me, they know that I have my own personal boycott against Chinese-made goods. I've passed up some wonderful items because of its place of origin. My conscience is clear and I give myself a mental pat on the back when I do so. Do most people feel this way? I don't know; I can only speak for myself, but my love of country contributes to this feeling and this action.
Ours is also a label-obsessed nation....and brand names sell. I know...I have my own favorites and I can't pass up a pair of Enzo Angiolini 'Liberty' flats...even those that don't fit me! Guess what? I resell them :). Would you like to know how many pairs I personally have? That I've found at Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc.? Let's see: there's the lime green pair; two pink pairs; the navy pair with red plaid vamp; the brown pair with brass studs; the black patent pair; the two ivory pairs; the other blue pair, and that's just off the top of my head. Liberty flats, for those who know fashion, are kind of stuffy and nontrendy. I've been buying the same style of shoe for ohhhhhhhhh, at least 15 years. I like them. They're kind of dorky, and scream "Matron!", but I love'm and you just wouldn't believe how many pairs I find! But I digress.
What I want to address is the troubling observation I recently made. Labels that have been cut out of clothes. Why would one do this? If one makes a donation to a charity shop or thrift shop, why would one care to cut labels from garments? Is it a hateful little idea that to do that means that it can't be resold? Or do they think that the peasantry who will shop for these items won't care that the label is removed? Even more annoying than the brand label being cut out, is the size, material content, and care label being removed too. All I want to know is why? I want that woman who did that to tell me why she did it. The only reason I can think of is contempt. Contempt for those who will ultimately buy those garments.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
For Little Girls Who Never Grew Up or Why I Like Thrift Shops
When I was a little girl, Easter meant crinolines and polished cotton dresses with puffy sleeves and sashes. It meant a new pair of white socks. It meant a cute little straw purse with plastic flowers on it and maybe a hat. It also meant that the Easter Bunny brought my brother and me Easter baskets wrapped in crinkly cellophane; said baskets were not to be opened until after church. To define that as mild abuse would be fair through the eyes of a child who...yes...believed in the Bunny Who Brings Eggs! I still can't figure that one out....and am not going to try.
After church, the dress and slip are thankfully shucked, the cellophane has been trashed, the candy coatings have been sucked off the jelly beans...said jelly part spit undecorously in the trash. Then it's time to go to Grandmama's for the Easter egg hunt....the most fabulous part of day. Grandmama, Mama, and the aunties would hide the eggs in the wooded pasture in front of Grandmama's house, then we'd be let loose with our baskets to hunt eggs. It was such a thrill to scoop up a handful of pine straw and find a brightly colored egg! I never did find the most eggs, but I may have had the most fun! When all the eggs had been accounted for, the salt and pepper shaker would be brought out and we'd all gather under the wash house to eat eggs! Ugh, two was my limit!
All that is to say that I've never outgrown my love of Easter egg hunts. However, somehow it isn't quite right for an adult to show up at the annual kiddie egg hunt with her bright, shiny eyes and her worn and frayed Easter basket expecting to outrace all the kiddies to find all the eggs. 1. She's an adult. 2. She moves a lot slower than the kids. 3. Come on, it really isn't seemly, is it!
Now I have to channel all that bright-eyed wonder of the Easter egg hunt into a more acceptable endeavor. We do what we can to get our fixes of what we need. Eh hem. Thus was born the love of thrifting; a way to turn up treasures in a more adult way, but just as thrilling as the childhood hunt! It's fun to see what one can find.
Sometimes the treasures are fantastic, as one of my recent finds was. Too good not to share eventhough it isn't vintage! Voila! This is a beautiful St. John Evening dress I found recently. Exquisitely made in America (you don't see that much anymore) and in excellent condition. Need I say that the little girl in me was thrilled? And no licorice jelly beans!
After church, the dress and slip are thankfully shucked, the cellophane has been trashed, the candy coatings have been sucked off the jelly beans...said jelly part spit undecorously in the trash. Then it's time to go to Grandmama's for the Easter egg hunt....the most fabulous part of day. Grandmama, Mama, and the aunties would hide the eggs in the wooded pasture in front of Grandmama's house, then we'd be let loose with our baskets to hunt eggs. It was such a thrill to scoop up a handful of pine straw and find a brightly colored egg! I never did find the most eggs, but I may have had the most fun! When all the eggs had been accounted for, the salt and pepper shaker would be brought out and we'd all gather under the wash house to eat eggs! Ugh, two was my limit!
All that is to say that I've never outgrown my love of Easter egg hunts. However, somehow it isn't quite right for an adult to show up at the annual kiddie egg hunt with her bright, shiny eyes and her worn and frayed Easter basket expecting to outrace all the kiddies to find all the eggs. 1. She's an adult. 2. She moves a lot slower than the kids. 3. Come on, it really isn't seemly, is it!
Now I have to channel all that bright-eyed wonder of the Easter egg hunt into a more acceptable endeavor. We do what we can to get our fixes of what we need. Eh hem. Thus was born the love of thrifting; a way to turn up treasures in a more adult way, but just as thrilling as the childhood hunt! It's fun to see what one can find.
Sometimes the treasures are fantastic, as one of my recent finds was. Too good not to share eventhough it isn't vintage! Voila! This is a beautiful St. John Evening dress I found recently. Exquisitely made in America (you don't see that much anymore) and in excellent condition. Need I say that the little girl in me was thrilled? And no licorice jelly beans!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Vera With the Ladybug
It started with that tv show about hoarders. You know the one. It makes you take a long look at yourself and you snort and feel all superior and you declare......"No! I couldn't possibly be tha-a-a-a-t. I'm a collector. Big diff." Ummmm yeah. Sure.
One thing led to another; another led me to the garage. Cliff Notes version of the story: 6 boxes of books went to a favorite thrift store. Six shopping bags of clothing went to Salvation Army. I'm reeeeeally feeling superior now! It always helps to make room for the stuff that will inevitably be dragged home.
When I dropped the books off, I felt guilty about dropping and running, so I felt I should be polite and browse. Which I did. In the bottom basket at the end of the men's pants row are the scarves. And there was my latest Vera scarf. It's polyester, but the condition is terrific and the pattern's groovy. I love the color combination of pink and olive. The paisley pattern is classic and can never go out of style. It feels so rich and has a beautifil drape. I haven't taken the time to date it, but I wanted to share!
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